Report: UK schools swallowing more tablets

British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) reveals that tablet PC adoption is continuing to rise in schools across the UK

Tablets will be more prevalent in primary and secondary schools by 2016, according to the latest figures from education specialist BESA.

Data released by the organisation, which questioned 636 UK schools (334 primary, 302 secondary), revealed that the pupil-to-tablet ratio will be 11.4 in primary schools and 6.4 in secondary schools by 2016, compared with last year’s research projecting an average of 14 pupils to one tablet.

When questioned in 2013, respondents were asked to look two years ahead to 2015, and they predicted that 24 per cent of classroom computers would be tablets. However, this is significantly lower than the most recent 2014 research, which pointed to tablets accounting for 37 per cent of all school computers by 2016.

But there are still barriers affecting the adoption of tablets, the research claimed, with 90 per cent of those questioned claiming funding and budget allocation was the main barrier, and other reasons including the management and security of the technology (85 per cent), training and support (83 per cent) and the availability of WiFi connectivity (77 per cent).

Caroline Wright, director at BESA, said: “It is heartening that schools continue to invest in this mobile technology to put the power of learning back into students’ hands. However, schools must continue to collaborate and share best practice use of tablets and apps if the technology’s adoption is to continue to contribute positively to educational standards.”