Teach Secondary 13.5

teachwire.net/secondary attempt at addressing this division was to hand out over 800,000 laptops to those students who needed them– an astonishing logistical feat that should be genuinely applauded. Fairly soon, however, it became clear that many of the laptops in question struggled to sustain their functions for the duration of the lessons students were attending. Other devices, including tablets, were handed out too, but these often lacked some core functionality, such as camera hardware that was sufficiently powerful for all necessary tasks. Inmany cases, however, the issues simply come down to a question of money. In February 2021 the government appointed Sir Kevan Collins as its ‘digital recovery commissioner,’ whose job was to help young people whose education had suffered as a result of the pandemic. It was an appointment made with apparently good intentions and some suitably ambitious goals inmind. In June of that year, those ambitions all but collapsed when the government offered Collins less than a tenth of the £15 billion in funding he’d originally asked for. That amounted to far less per child than otherWestern economies – including the US and the Netherlands – were setting aside for the same purpose. Learning the lessons It’s understandable that governments need to make tough decisions during difficult times, like those we experienced during the pandemic. Under pressure, mistakes will be made – but inmany cases, such schemes seem to have only further accentuated the divide between wealthier areas and poorer ones. The education sector must start learning from these lessons. And perhaps the most crucial lesson of all is ‘ Spend your money wisely. ’ Though we could also add a requirement to ensure equal access, plus a further obligation to check whether any devices offered can definitely facilitate the carrying out of those tasks that students will be set by their teachers. Otherwise, what’s the point? Schools should research and consider the best available options, but parts of the education sector can become ‘stuck’ in older modes of practice. Many schools don’t realise that there are, in fact, specific schemes available to help themflatten the playing field for all their students – even in areas with the least funding. These include RM’s StudyKIT programme, which aims to provide affordable, uniform devices that are easy to manage, making staff training and classroom management much easier to administer than a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) scheme. Benefits of leasing Another option is to lease devices in bulk over long periods – an approach that has several key benefits over both BYOD policies and traditional purchasing programmes for schools struggling to provide appropriate devices to all students: It can be cheaper –When equipment is leased out in bulk over long periods, technology partners will typically offer schools much better deals, with the subsequent costs potentially saving schools as much as £120,000 per year group, per year. They can also often include insurance and accessories as add-ons, thus reducing those costs even further. It addresses the digital divide – By ensuring all students have access to the same devices, everyone can start to finally occupy the centre ground. This closes the digital divide by bringing everyone onto the same playing field. It improves flexibility Through a leasing scheme, schools can choose what they’ll specifically need and when they need it for. Experienced technology partners should also be able to further tailor the solutions provided according to schools’ stated requirements. It affords access to cutting edge technologies Given that leasing contracts will usually come to an end every few years, schools can now choose whether to upgrade to newer devices for a similar cost, or keep hold of their existing devices for a lower cost. It can improve the experience of teaching There are distinct benefits to be had from device consistency and uniformity. If all students are working from the same platform, teachers will consequently find it far easier to instruct them inside and outside the classroom. IT teams will also naturally find it much easier to manage updates, since all devices will be using the same operating system. Cost-effective leasing schemes can certainly help, but they’ll only be successful in combination with students who already possess a firm grounding in digital skills. Research from the University of Liverpool has found that in almost four out of ten cases, digital skills were the factor holding families back. Measures here could include organising lessons and workshops around tech-related troubleshooting, software use and information literacy. If these forms of support could be put in place, perhaps then the UK could begin working towards achieving a more equal education system. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jason Tomlinson is managing director of RM Technology I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H 77