The shape of the pound;50 million Computers for Teachers scheme’s next phase remained unclear as Online went to press.
The Department for Education and Skills (DFES) had hoped a consultation process conducted last year would strongly favour one way to dish out the money, but no consensus was revealed.
Two-thirds of the 1,500 responses favoured a personal ownership model, whereby teachers are given a subsidy towards the cost of a computer, and half of this group wanted the first-come first-served model to continue.
However, 31 per cent of respondents believed schools should own machines and issue them to teachers. School ownership is favoured by seven of the 12 representative bodies that made submissions and the DFES report said their views could be said to have more weight than those from individual teachers.
Fears of favouritism and creating an additional workload for schools were some of the points made by those opposing school ownership.
The targeting of groups, such as key stage 3 maths teachers in the scheme’s second phase, was universally condemned. One teacher called it “fundamentally unfair and completely unjustifiable”.
The DFES report said it is “difficult to come to a clear conclusion” about which model to adopt for the third phase, which will help some 70,000 teachers to buy a computer.
It points out that personal ownership by teachers is very expensive for the Government, as tax costs add another pound;220 to each pound;500 subsidy, and the computer remains with the teacher even if he or she leaves the profession.
A decision on how to spend the pound;50 million, announced in March last year, could be revealed by education secretary Estelle Morris at next week’s BETT exhibition in London. Officials said the nature of the scheme would be known by April at the latest.
Surprisingly, only a few respondents suggested leasing computers as an option to consider. Leasing would let teachers get a machine without a large initial outlay and permit upgrading.
Some told the DFES that all teachers should be entitled to a computer, preferably at no cost. One said: “All teachers should be issued with one, as they are now absolutely essential for the job.”
Chris Johnston
Computers for Teachers consultation report can be found in www.dfes.gov.ukconsultations
