Government plan to harness technology to help teachers

The EdTech plan is due to be unveiled by Education Secretary Damian Hinds today in an attempt to help “realise the huge potential of technology to transform our schools”.

It will also encourage technology firms to work with the education sector to address 10 key challenges, including finding technological solutions on essay marking and timetabling, and looking at how Government can help to tackle the problem of so-called “essay mills”, particularly in universities.

In order to harness the power of technology in the classroom, leading assistive technology developers and education experts will make recommendations to the Government on how to support learners with conditions such as dyslexia or autistic spectrum disorders, Mr Hinds will announce.

Schools and colleges will get help to identify the right products when buying through LendED, a free service allowing schools to try educational software before buying.

Speaking at the Schools and Academies Show in London today, Mr Hinds will say: “Technology is an enabler and an enhancer. For too long in education, technology has been seen as something that adds to a teacher’s workload rather than helps to ease.

“This strategy is just the first step in making sure the education sector is able to take advantage of all of the opportunities available through EdTech.

“We now call on schools, businesses and technology developers to realise the huge potential of technology to transform our schools so that teachers have the time to focus on teaching, their own professional development, and - crucially - are able to cater to the needs of every single one of their pupils.”

The strategy will also launch a series of “demonstrator schools and colleges”, showcasing best practice and providing peer-to-peer support and training for teachers, lecturers and school leaders, the Department for Education (DfE) said.

A new EdTech Leadership Group, bringing together educators within industry and making commitments to determine future use of technology and practice, will report back by the end of the year, the department added.

Director of corporate strategy at Ofsted Chris Jones said: “The Government’s EdTech strategy highlights some exciting opportunities for teachers to harness technology that allows them to dedicate their energies to the substance of education: effective teaching of the curriculum that produces great outcomes for pupils.”

Head of Education Europe at Google Liz Sproat said the Government’s plan “takes an important stance in supporting schools, colleges and universities to invest in technology, not only for the benefit of educators, but for their students too”.

Last September, vice-chancellors of Yorkshire universities, including York, Sheffield Hallam and Leeds Trinity, were among 46 senior figures who wrote to Mr Hinds demanding action banning essay mills.

They said the essay-writing companies were undermining the integrity of degree courses, after studies found as many as one in seven recent graduates may have cheated by the services during the last four years.