Software manufacturers may have to pay to have their materials independently evaluated for inclusion on an education website to replace the National Grid for Learning site.
The controversial recommendation, made by consultants NM Rothschild in an unpublished report on the future of the site, is likely to outrage the software industry, as such a plan would not be considered for book publishers. It accepted that an independent guide to online content was “lkely to be particularly sensitive for the content industry”. The report concluded that the new site, intended to house all online educational material, should use a public-private partnership that could financially benefit the Government.
Other recommendations include providing fibre-optic links to all schools by 2005.
For a full analysis by Jack Kenny of the Rothschild report, see www.tes.co.ukonline.
Online magazine, pages 4 and 5
