Training starved teachers confused about IT
Silicon.com reports on the issues affecting teachers across the UK following Besa research
UK teachers are becoming less confident about using ICT in the curriculum - yet technology training for teaching staff is being cut back, a new survey shows.
Research commissioned by the British Educational Suppliers Association
(Besa), shows three-quarters (75 per cent) of primary teachers and less
than two-thirds (61 per cent) of secondary teachers are confident about
ICT - a drop of five percentage points and seven percentage points
respectively on 2007's figures.
However just 59 per cent of secondary teachers will get ICT training this year, compared to almost three-quarters (72 per cent) last year. It's a similar story in primary schools, where only two-thirds of teachers will get ICT training this year, compared to 68 per cent who expected it last year.
The vast majority of teachers in both primary and secondary schools believe limited access to ICT is affecting their use of ICT in the classroom - with 17 per cent of primary and 27 per cent of secondary schools flagging up limited access to interactive whiteboards as a problem.
Meanwhile, despite tabloid-fuelled opposition to wi-fi networks in schools on health grounds, the majority of UK primary and secondary schools do have wi-fi networks.
According to the survey, 72 per cent of primary schools and 85 per cent of secondary schools currently have wi-fi networks - with a further seven per cent and five per cent respectively planning to start using wireless networks in April next year.
However the research also found almost half of the UK's schools feel they are under-equipped when it comes to wi-fi.
Almost half (47 per cent) of respondents said secondary schools are under-equipped on wireless network provision, along with 44 per cent of primary schools - suggesting there is not only high demand for wi-fi but that schools' current wi-fi provision is inadequate.
After wi-fi, the next biggest demand for IT provision in schools is for laptop hardware, with almost a third (31 per cent) of primary respondents and a third of secondary respondents saying they feel under-equipped.
According to the survey, there is an average of 7.7 pupils per computer in primary schools - down from 8.8 pupils per computer in 2004. In secondary schools there is an average 4.3 pupils per computer - down from 5.3 in 2004.
School broadband speeds look set to ramp up over the next six months, according to Besa, with primary schools currently recording an average of 3.2Mbps which is expected to increase to 4.1Mbps by April next year and secondary schools are expected to increase from an average of 15.7Mbps to 21.1Mbps by April 2009.
However bandwidth provision is still likely to lag behind demand, with the report stating that the optimal level to provide for all requirements for primary and secondary schools in 2009 will be 13.4Mbps and 55Mbps respectively.
Last month the government announced a £300m scheme that will see it pay for broadband connections, software and computers for all children aged between seven and 19 in low income and jobless families starting from this November.
The Besa survey is based on responses from 764 primary and 562 secondary schools across the UK.
