Buying new technology for a school is a very attractive proposition. Shiny new technology sends a message to parents that “our teaching is modern, we’re preparing your kids for the future”.
The last government certainly thought so, with record levels of ICT investment in schools that ran up to £0.5 billion a year. Vast sums were spent on new computer labs, interactive whiteboards, wireless networks and laptops. In many cases this has had great effects on attendance and behaviour monitoring, but the evidence that it has led to sustained improvements in learning outcomes is thin.
The current pressures on school budgets now require a new approach. A suggestion of improved learning is no longer sufficient grounds to spend money unless it can be shown that there are no cheaper interventions that have similar or larger positive effects on attainment.
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