Anyone who has been in a school in the last five years will know that things have changed dramatically. Technology is transforming education in much the same way it is doing in nearly every other aspect of our lives, writes Stephen Crowne
We are not far off the point where handheld devices are as ubiquitous as a pen and lessons are routinely followed over the net rather than a course book.
For parents who are regular internet users and are comfortable with this technology, this isn't really an issue, but, according to UK Online Centres, there are more than a million families in England with parents who have never been on the net. How can these parents play an active role in supporting their children's education when they don't have the skills or confidence to access the medium increasingly being used in schools and for homework? The end result is a significant number of children effectively e-bandoned on the net, without parental support and guidance.
Tomorrow sees the very first Get Online Day, when these parents can go along to UK Online Centres across England and get their first taste of the internet. The centres are based in libraries, community centres, shopping malls and, significantly, a large number of them are based in our schools.
Many schools now have extensive information and communication technology (ICT) facilities, with a decent ratio of computers to pupils, dedicated and skilled staff, and innovative approaches to using technology to improve the quality of the education they provide. A number of them are also working hard to make sure children can access the same technology at home and are supporting their parents to get involved.
A fantastic example is Dyke House school in Hartlepool, which had low attainment figures until its new headteacher, Bill Jordan, decided to place ICT at the heart of the school improvement plan. In 2006 it won Becta's ICT Excellence Award for extending learning opportunities.
Among other things, the school introduced a learning platform, giving children access to the school's resources from home via the web. Suddenly pupils were able to access their work from home and use learning materials not normally available to them outside school hours. The scheme has been particularly effective for pupils who have missed out on lessons due to illness.
For those parents who were unable to afford a computer for their home, the school developed a Computers in Homes scheme to assist them. And to encourage parents to spend time in school and engage with the facilities, a Saturday-morning club was set up so they could work alongside their children. It has been a huge success.
We need to see that success repeated on a grander scale across the country. It is fantastic that many schools are throwing their doors open to parents for Get Online Day, but we need to see this happen in more schools all year round.
The current extended schools programme is helping to make schools community hubs, very much part of the community rather than apart from it. Schools that use their facilities and expertise to engage parents, giving them the skills and confidence they need to support their children in an increasingly technology-driven world, will reap the benefits in terms of attainment.
Stephen Crowne is chief executive of Becta
