U.K. Schools Grapple With Upgrades

An annual report from the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA) presents a mixed bag of findings on computer use and availability among U.K. schools. According to the agency, the number of computers in schools has increased. Moreover, schools are making “notable accelerated progress” in how they use computers, despite ongoing questions about the effect technology has on learning.

Many schools, however, from primary through university education, are using older computers, and many schools are unable to replace systems on a three-year schedule. According to the report, “56 percent of primary and 44 percent of secondary schools did not have a policy in place for replacement of workstations in the school.” Further, student enrollments at many schools, particularly at the college level, have outpaced acquisition of new computers, worsening the student-to-computer ratio. The report also warns of a “digital divide” between students who have computers at home and those who do not.

BBC, 30 April 2006