Education Business has reported that schools in Scotland are lacking adequate funding to give children access to ICT in schools. According to teachers attending a NASUWT conference, the current ICT infrastructure in Scottish schools is rather weak; they mentioned outdated software, poor internet connections, lack of or ageing hardware and unacceptably limited capacity on computer networks, meaning multiple pupils cannot use school computers at the same time.

Covering the conference, Education Business reports the concerned teachers called on the Scottish government to “commit to making adequate finances available to ensure all schools have effective and up to date ICT systems for pupils and staff.”

You can read the full article here.

This issue is all too well-known in England. Our latest report on school resources revealed strong pressure on school budgets, which negatively affects access to teaching and learning resources but also ICT provision.  

Indeed, primary schools are spending 3.7% less on resources than last year, and secondary schools are spending 5.7% less. ICT in secondary schools is being hit the hardest, with a year-on-year decline in expenditure of 7.5%.

Our Resource Our Schools campaign, which already garnered over 400 signatures from across the education sector, intends to rectify this trend. It is asking the government to ensure that every school in the UK has access to the resources they need to deliver the education that our children deserve. To sign the statement, click here.