Schools urged to speed up IT refreshes

Schools and colleges are not renewing their IT equipment fast enough to keep up with changing technology, says the British Education Communications and Technology Agency (Becta).

Despite progress in the availability and use of technology in education, there is still considerable variation between individual institutions, and plans to refresh infrastructure are patchy, says Becta’s annual review.

‘Computer stocks in schools and colleges have increased, producing a management issue of purchase, disposal and re-use,’ it says. ‘There are no indications of progress in improving the sustainability and affordability of institutional infrastructure – survey data suggests that this may in fact be worsening.’

About half of all schools have no policy for the replacement of workstations, and of those that do, ‘the replacement is not at the level to maintain the longer-term currency of the technology’, says the report.

Policies need to catch up with the growing importance of technology to school administration and teaching, says Becta assistant director Malcolm Hunt.

‘Getting IT on the agenda isas much about engaging senior managers and governors as it is about engaging teachers,’ he said.

Ovum analyst John O’Brien said: ‘Schools need to take a long-term view and be talking to suppliers about the opportunities for getting the best deal.’

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