W:
www.edtechnology.co.uk | T: @Educ_Technology
brings associated benefits: a sustainable refresh programme can be costed; a systematic and regular review of existing software and hardware contracts can be undertaken; ICT training needs and requirements can be addressed and the impact of training measured and aligned to the school vision.
If you could recommend one thing that a school should change to reduce ICT costs what should it be? All schools spend differing amounts of money on ICT and this relates to the vision they have along with local issues and priorities. Therefore, the key is to ensure that a school is geting a value for money (VfM) ICT service that delivers the vision the school aspires to. The first step is to undertake a full total
cost of ownership (TCO) review so the school can understand where VfM is not being achieved. One area of ICT provision which frequently needs to be addressed is under-used software licenses which are simply renewed each year without assessing their impact on teaching and learning. Moving schools towards a more sustainable, revenue-based
approach to funding is key to success. In our experience, there are multiple areas – from technical to operational – where VfM can be improved.
What’s the single biggest source of wasted spend ICT expenditure? Overheads such as power consumption and printing are key areas which often need to be addressed. We have significant experience in bringing these costs down. One school we worked with in London had printing costs of £2,000 per week and we reduced that, almost overnight, to £500. Other issues may include a poorly staffed or supported service, licensing which hasn’t been rationalised, or poor-value broadband provision. The reasons, obviously, change from site to site.
How much future scope is there for further reductions in ICT costs? There is huge scope – untapped in most
schools; many schools could be saving immediately. Again, VfM should be key in evaluating where savings can best be made. Training is often axed early to save costs, but if staff cannot utilise the technologies the school has invested in then this represents poor VfM. The key is siting down with
the school and establishing a full TCO, analysing where the spend is currently and looking to improve or remodel/cut that spend if appropriate. We then support the school in understanding and agreeing a cost-saving strategy. Every penny spent on an analysis of ICT spend, understanding TCO and on the development of a long-term strategy for ICT will provide payback many times over. ET
For further information contact:
geoff.chandler@
moxton-education.com 07970 661087
A third of kids bullied online M
ore than a third (39%) of UK students have been victims of cyberbullying according to
research from Impero. The research, which surveyed 130 UK
school children aged 13-18, also reveals that 30% of students have accessed prohibited websites at school, including pornographic, gambling, self-harm and pro-anorexia websites, while 49% of young people admit knowing classmates who have. This is despite the fact that over 90% of schools still insist on a policy of blocking illegal or harmful websites. Further questioning by Impero also
reveals that 49% of UK students now most regularly access the internet via a mobile device – whether that be a laptop, smartphone, or a tablet. Jonathan Valentine, CEO of Impero
Software, commented: “Keeping children safe online is one of today’s biggest challenges. With more devices able to access the internet than ever before, young people are more easily left open to incidents of cyberbullying. This needs to be recognised and
“The only really effective way to reduce incidents of cyberbullying is to put teachers back in control of the classroom”
managed by the education sector. “Schools are still too reliant on
blocking access to illegal websites – as this survey reveals, this is no longer an adequate response. The only really effective way to reduce incidents of cyberbullying is to put teachers back in control of the classroom, which means geting to grips with the technology
used by young people and the manner in which they are using it. “It is only by understanding the online
language used by young people and actively monitoring internet usage in school environments that we can deal with incidents of cyberbullying and ultimately keep our young people safe online.” ET
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