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THE SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE WILL RADICALLY TRANSFORM LEARNING: ESTELLE MORRIS
09 January 2002Education and Skills Secretary Estelle Morris today set out the Government’s vision of the school of the future – designed to radically transform teaching and learning through new technology. Embracing the best of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) raises standards and reduces teacher burdens. Teachers can use ICT in all aspects of their work, from developing exciting multimedia lessons to monitoring attendance; pupils, from those with learning difficulties to the very gifted, can access a wealth of materials online and tailor their individual learning to their own pace; and parents can get more involved with their children’s work, reviewing their academic progress and accessing their study programmes.
Estelle Morris today unveiled a 3D computer-generated video of the School of the Future to illustrate some of the current thinking on school design – bringing together the concepts of space, light, flexible access for ICT and community access. Speaking at the BETT show in Olympia today, Estelle Morris:· outlined the vision of the school of the future and potential prototypes for classrooms of the future following £10 million of funding last year;
· announced the publication of ‘Transforming the Way We Learn’, which sets out a vision of how changes in new technology and the growth in access could transform school-age education; and
· announced details of a £100 million Laptops for Teachers scheme over the next two years. Estelle Morris said:“There has been an unparalleled expansion in the use of new technology in schools since the launch of the National Grid for Learning in 1998. We need to build on these excellent foundations as we look to the future and work to harness the enormous potential ICT has to engage pupils in ways that will help them to realise their individual talents. “The Prime Minister and I recently announced £50 million for Curriculum Online – a ground-breaking new online service bringing a wide range of curriculum-focused digital learning materials within teachers’ easy reach. But this is just one step towards our school of the future - we are aiming for much more.“I see the school of the future as one where learning is supported by a range of well-trained staff, whether teachers, teaching assistants, or others, all working together to deliver a better education supported by increased use of computers and other improved technologies.“We also need to look at how schools of the future are designed to make sure they are able to manage current and future changes in ICT. At the end of the month the Department is publishing a design guide – ‘Schools for the Future’ - which looks at ways of designing inspiring buildings which can adapt to educational and technological change. We will also be learning from the exciting ideas emerging from the 30 pilot projects funded last year through the £10 million ‘Classroom of the Future’ initiative.”Estelle Morris announced details of a £100 million scheme to provide Laptops for Teachers for the next two years – a doubling of the £50 million announced in March last year. The Government has already provided over 50,000 teachers with PCs through various Government initiatives over the past few years, of which around 32,000 have been supplied via the Computers for Teachers Scheme in 2000-2001 as part of its ongoing commitment to support teachers in their use of ICT. The new Laptops for Teachers initiative sees £100 million of funding available to provide heads and teachers with laptops. This will go a long way to meeting the demand for personal access to computers by teachers. Becta will run an exercise to identify a range of approved suppliers to provide schools with as many high quality computers as possible for that money. Subject to how competitive the prices can be, it is expected that around 100,000 more teachers will get personal access through their school. Estelle Morris said:
“Teachers must have regular and personal access to computers to build up their confidence in and knowledge of ICT. The new Laptops for Teachers initiative builds on the success of previous schemes but moves the pace on significantly. I am delighted to announce that for the first time, teachers will be able to take on these computers free of charge. This scheme will make a real difference in building up the confidence and abilities of teachers for the benefit of all.”
Editor's Notes
This press notice relates to England
1. ‘Transforming The Way We Learn - A Vision for the Future of ICT in Schools’ presents a practical vision of how technological developments and the growth in access to such technologies in schools and homes could help to transform the delivery of school age learning over the next few years. It focuses particularly on the effective application of e-learning alongside established teaching, learning and management techniques by schools to deliver education that encourages and enables individuals to realise their academic and creative potential. Drawing on evidence from a range of sources it outlines new opportunities for pupils and parents, teachers, school leaders and governors. Conclusions are also drawn about the practical implications for schools in the future.
A text of Transforming The Way We Learn may be found on the accompanying website ( http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/ictfutures ) which also provides the opportunity for feedback. Hard copies may be ordered from the DfES publication centre by calling 0845 60 222 60. 2.The Computers for Teachers scheme was first launched in January 2000 and has provided some 32,000 computers for teachers. The £50 million announced today is from the Department’s Spending Review 2000 allocation and match-funds £40 million from the Capital Modernisation Fund and £10 million from other Departmental funds announced by Michael Wills in March 2001. The new Laptops for Teachers scheme will be run on a school ownership model and will not require a financial contribution from teachers. More details about the Laptops for Teachers scheme is available on the DfES website at http://lft.ngfl.gov.uk. If anyone has any questions about this initiative, they can call the Laptops for Teachers 2002 helpline on 0870 241 4679. The helpline is open 7.30am to 8.30pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 5pm Saturday to Sunday.3. The Schools for the Future document provides guidance on the accommodation needs of the next 25 years of education. It will be an inspirational document rather than a technical guide, intended for all those involved with school design. The document takes as its starting point recent developments that can affect school accommodation whether evolutionary changes or educational policy initiatives.
The document provides guidance on planning, environmental design, sustainability and the building process. One of the key points made is that schools must be designed to be flexible and adaptable for a number of reasons including the fact that future ICT developments cannot be accurately predicted.
The design guide will be available in February from The Stationery Office and there will be a pdf version on our website http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/schoolbuildings. A web based discussion forum is also being set up.4. Classroom of the Future: 12 LEAs are sharing £10 million under the Department’s Classroom of the Future initiative, which will fund 30 pilot projects. These focus on the creation of learning environments that are imaginative and stimulating, with the aim of inspiring children to achieve more. They are also designed for wider community use and will have links with other schools and facilities in this country and abroad. Allocations were announced in February 2001 and many of the authorities now have advanced designs. All projects should be completed by April 2003. There will then follow a period of monitoring and evaluation. The lessons learned from these pilots will help shape the design of schools in the future. The participating LEAs are – Bedfordshire, Bournemouth, Camden, Cornwall, Devon, Durham, Kensington & Chelsea, Milton Keynes, Norfolk, Richmond upon Thames, Sheffield, Telford & Wrekin. Further details can be found on http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/Classroom_of_the_future. 5. Research published by the British Educational and Communications and Technology Agency in 2001 examined the relationship between ICT and measures of school and pupil performance and reported a significant link between ICT resources, teaching and pupil attainment. It found that schools that were using ICT well had generally outperformed those that were not by achieving:
· Government targets for KS2 in English and mathematics for 2002 in1999.
· Government targets for KS3 in English and mathematics for 2004 in1999.
· Better attainment in GCSEs than other schools in 1999.
A further report, ‘Primary Schools – ICT and Standards’, was published today by Becta.6. Beta copies of the Schools of the Future video are available from the press office – details below.
Contact Details
Public Enquiries 0870 000 2288, info@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk
Press Notice 2002/0003
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