The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) today welcomed the publication of the UK Digital Strategy by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport.
Caroline Wright, Director General of BESA, said:
“It is encouraging to see the government reiterate its plans to ensure that no-one is left behind when it comes to broadband access and that every home and business can have access to fast broadband by 2020. It is vital that this also includes schools, as our latest research shows that currently only 44 percent of primary schools say they are well-resourced when it comes to broadband.”
“The strategy rightly recognises that it is essential that we have the skilled and capable workforce needed in an increasingly digital world, and schools need to play a leading role in this. The introduction of Coding as a mandatory part of the curriculum in 2014 is a good example of how we can become world-leaders, as education systems around the world are now looking to England to see how they can emulate our progress.”
“In order to ensure that we remain world-leading in developing a workforce for the future – increasingly digital – economy, it is vital that teachers are adequately equipped with both the necessary infrastructure and resources. BESA and the 400 education suppliers we represent are firmly committed to working with the government on this, and we welcome the fact that members such as Google and Microsoft, as well as the collaborators on the BBC micro:bit have been acknowledged for the important work they have been doing.”
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BESA’s directors and a wide range of members are available for comment. To discuss this story further, contact: Mark Rosser mark@besa.org.uk / +44(0)20 7537 4997
About BESA:
BESA, the British Educational Suppliers Association, is the trade association covering the entirety of the UK educational suppliers sector. It operates on a not-for-profit basis, and is accountable to an Executive Council that is elected by member companies.
It has an 80-year heritage serving the UK education sector, and represents over 400 educational suppliers in the UK, including manufacturers and distributors of equipment, materials, books, consumables, furniture, technology, ICT hardware and EdTech to the education market.
Working closely with Department for International Trade (DIT), BESA helps take over a hundred companies overseas every year to a wide range of important export markets, from the US to Malaysia and China, providing intelligence briefings, logistical support and often substantial bursaries.
BESA has a Code of Practice to which all members must adhere, along with a stringent membership process, both of which assure schools of a high standard of quality.
For more information, visit: www.besa.org.uk
