Pupil-to-computer ratios in schools have improved according to the latest figures published from a survey by the Department for Education and Skills. In primaries there is a computer for every 9.7 pupils (17.6 in 1998), and in secondaries the figure is 6 (8.7 in 1998). Schools are spending roughly three times more on ICT than they did in 1998 (an average rise per school from pound;9,400 to pound;31,500).
However, teachers are not overly impressed, according to a survey by Computeractive magazine last month to mark National Computing Day, It found that “80 per cent of teachers surveyed strongly felt that the Government should make investing in IT equipment a priority, while nearly 8 out of 10 teachers felt that if more IT equipment were available, it would enable them to teach their pupils better”.
The culprits? Local education authorities were blamed by 70 per cent of teachers interviewed for not providing them with enough training, www.dfes.gov.ukstatisticsDBSFRs0347index.html
www.computeractive.co.uk (search under National Computing Day) www.nationalcomputingday.co.uk
