An Oxfordshire teacher has started a campaign to press the Government to allow open choice of computers for teachers in national schemes funded by the Department for Education and Employment.
Sean O’Sullivan, who is ICT co-ordinator at Frank Wise School in Banbury, says that the school was successful in its involvement in the last national laptops for teachers scheme run by the British Educational and Communications Technology Agency.
But they were irritated by BECTA’s stance that they should use Windows PCs or nothing (Frank Wise uses Apple Macs). Sean O’Sullivan says that the choice of systems should be based on educational factors, not on what’s cheapest for BECTA.
Frank Wise is a special school. It is currently trying to raise pound;150,000 to replace its temporary classrooms. So far it has netted pound;107,000 with support from The Friends of Frank Wise School and Countrywide Porter Novelli.
Details of the campaign are on the school’s website at: easyweb.easynet.co.ukfrankwise applecampaign.html
