Scotland’s pupils will switch off from education and be left incapable of navigating the modern world if schools do not improve their use of digital technology, according to a landmark new government publication.

Many pupils claim to use digital technology never or rarely in class, while teachers are frustrated by struggles to get online at all, the research used as the basis for the Scottish government’s new “digital strategy” for schools finds.

The strategy, entitled Enhancing Teaching and Learning Through the Use of Digital Technology, does not blame schools entirely and demands that everyone improves their approach to technology, including school inspectors, the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), teacher-training universities and those who are responsible for building new schools.

However, when surveyed, more than one in 10 secondary pupils claimed never to use digital technology at school, while many others only did so in subjects such as the sciences. Nearly a third said that teachers did not encourage the use of technology at school, even though most pupils (85 per cent) used it for learning at home.

Increase teachers’ confidence

The government has published more than 40 action points arising from its research, including measures to increase teachers’ confidence. A “digital leaders group”, involving all 32 local authorities, will meet for the first time early in 2017, while a new awards scheme will highlight outstanding practice in primary schools.

Education secretary John Swinney said the strategy - launched last week at the Scottish Learning Festival - was a “key part” of the government’s mission to raise attainment, after a review of hundreds of expert documents found “conclusive evidence” that digital technology could help.

But when TESS asked teachers for their views, they highlighted technical problems that get in the way. One teacher tweeted: “Being able to access wi-fi in my classroom would be a start!”

Secondary pupils suggested that schools’ lack of resources, rather than teachers’ abilities, are the main problem, with nearly three-quarters in a survey saying that they considered teachers confident in using what digital technology they do have.

However, in another survey, many primary pupils raised concerns about teacher’s “limitations” with technology.

The strategy acknowledges that “the digital infrastructure in Scotland’s education establishments remains inconsistent”, echoing the recent Education Scotland report that found inadequate IT was driving up teachers’ workload (“Councils censured over teachers’ heavy workload”, TESS, 23 September). As a result, “educators often lose confidence that the available digital technology will work and, as such, they choose not to incorporate it into their teaching”.

The strategy quotes Andreas Schleicher, education director at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), who said: “Investing in education technology is no longer an option, but a necessity…students unable to navigate through a complex digital landscape will no longer be able to participate fully in economic, social and cultural life around them.”

Increasing bandwidth

It also highlights parts of Scotland that lead the way: the Western Isles Council e-Sgoil (e-school), for example, will allow pupils to take previously unavailable subjects. Meanwhile, Edinburgh is increasing bandwidth in primary schools by up to 50 times and by 100 times in secondaries.

And Highland Council wants to provide every pupil from P6 with a mobile device - some 20,000 in all over two years - from August 2017. Education chair Drew Millar told TESS that they “deserve the latest top-quality technology available to assist them in achieving their best in a modern technological world”.

But one Highland teacher told delegates at the Scottish Learning Festival that they need not wait for employers to upgrade hardware to get more out of technology.

Emma Smith, a geography teacher at the 140-pupil Gairloch High School, said that its use of Google Apps had been a hit because it was free and a single login allowed access to all work. YouTube was similarly accessible, she said. Classes could share interesting links and ideas without a teacher’s involvement and pupils could work on long journeys back to island homes.

Ms Smith added that schools’ attitude to technology should be: “I’m going to do as much as I can within the limits we’ve got.”

@Henry_Hepburn