Analysis by educational finance firm Syscap shows 1,804 primary schools across England and Wales, 12% of the total, spent less than £10 per pupil on ICT equipment in 2009/2010. The analysis of Department for Education figures also shows 377 primary schools spent nothing on ICT learning resources during the same period.
Commenting on the analysis, Philip White, chief executive of Syscap, said: “This is especially worrying as the data covers a period before the real tightening of education budgets began. ICT resources have a short shelf life, especially in a school environment. Low levels of investment mean schools will soon be running old, slow and very unreliable equipment that will impair the effectiveness of learning through the use of ICT.”
Syscap’s findings follow research by the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) that found more than half of schools feeling they are either definitely unable, or unlikely to be able, to maintain planned technology investments through 2011/2012.
“Syscap’s findings have much to do with uncertainty over budgets and whether ICT will be part of the national curriculum or integrated into everything else,” said Ray Barker, director at BESA. “I think there is also confusion among schools about where money for ICT will now come from. There used to be specific ring-fenced grants, but no longer. The government says the money is still there, but schools have to make the decision of whether they spend it on ICT.”
