DfE will not 'dictate' specifics on e-learning ICT resources, says Gove

Education minister will not 'wade in' over resources or teaching methods to assist teachers' transition to new curriculum

In Computing's exclusive interview with Michael Gove, the education secretary has stated that while the Department for Education (DfE) is "keen that schools embrace the opportunities" presented by advances in so-called ‘e-learning' resources, "it is not for me or the government to wade in to dictate how schools and teachers should use them within the curriculum".

Gove championed resources available from education institutes abroad, such as "MIT's OpenCourseWare and other exciting projects, like Khan Academy and Open University's OpenLearn", which he said "can add significant value to education".

"I saw first-hand in Singapore, for example, how brilliant lessons can be delivered through a mixture of online and teacher-led instruction," added Gove.

But the education secretary added that it is also important "for teachers to have the skills to use technology well, and for schools to learn from innovators in this field".

"That is why the Department for Education is supporting the National Teaching Schools' new technology group to identify and share good practice," said Gove.

"These are outstanding schools with a role in supporting the professional development of leaders and teachers elsewhere."

Computing has spoken with secondary school educators who are personally concerned about the transition from the old ‘ICT' to the new ‘Computing' subject area, and who have been seeking more specific guidance from the government and exam boards to assist in choosing educational resources.

But Gove remains firm that specific suggestions should not be made by the DfE, in the interests of preserving an unbiased approach.

"The new curriculum should not be biased towards the commercial interests of large corporations and we have been careful, for example, to avoid naming specific types of computer hardware, operating systems or programming languages," said Gove.

"It is for schools to decide what teaching resources, tools and systems to deploy. Of course where corporate donations are genuinely charitable, I am sure schools welcome this, and I'm also sure that schools will make choices based on the best interests of their pupils."