W:
edtechnology.co.uk | T: @Educ_Technology
for a variety of things that were once provided by the Local Authority. Things such as SEN services, general maintenance and even geting bins emptied. Given these extra demands on a school's budget and the need to maintain standards typically means that maintaining fundamental requirements such as staffing structures are the priority, so quite often investment in technology is further down the list.
Do you think all schools now see investing in technology as a priority?
EM: We are certainly treating it as a priority in order to support the curriculum and enhance pupil learning. Recent curriculum changes have forced teachers and schools to learn about and implement coding classes much sooner than they would have done if it had been an optional subject. We currently don’t operate BYOD, but due to recent successes in a UK competition called Teen Tech we have been lucky enough to win substantial cash prizes which have enabled us to fund tablets, LEGO Mindstorm EV3’s and, hopefully later in the year, Raspberry Pis to enrich both STEM in the curriculum and extracurricular STEM, with a focus this year on engineering and robotics clubs. I feel being involved in competitions such as this, besides the financial rewards, allows the students the opportunity to be innovative, entrepreneurial, work in teams as well as collaborate with academia and industry representatives in a safe way, while protecting their intellectual property. But choose your competitions carefully, not all of them protect students' IP the way Teen Tech does!
'Smart' software can lead to enormous reductions
in print costs. A number of UTAX multi-function print devices (MFDs) come with three-tier printing, which saves schools money on colour printing. The cost of colour print is generally based on 20% coverage; however, if you’re printing a document with a small amount of colour you’ll still be charged the same high price. The three-tier system means that there are three billing options. Schools can print out with up to 5% colour coverage – or up to 20%, or more than 20%, and the costs reflect that.
SY: Generally no. By its very nature technology is always developing and consequently it is extremely difficult for a school to keep abreast of this. Schools try to ensure that the latest and most up-to-date technology is accessible to students, however, as soon as the resources are commited and the investment made then something new becomes available. Like with many other organisations budgets vary considerably and ultimately the resources available depend upon how effectively those budgets have been managed and what priorities have been agreed by the school's leadership team and governors. Recent changes mean that schools are now required to pay
PY: We're certainly seeing a move towards technology becoming a priority investment. Manufacturers have recognised the importance of the education sector and school business managers are now beter informed of the benefits technology can bring. Together, the importance of technology has been highlighted. The best suppliers have moved to a solutions-driven approach, rather than simply selling equipment, which has helped schools to realise the full potential of good-quality technology.
SY: All schools understand the importance of technology. Schools not only need to have good- quality technology to compete with other schools, but it’s also vital for the children’s motivation and enthusiasm as most of them are surrounded by it at home – tablets, laptops, phones, social media – and therefore, schools need to keep up to date.
Are businesses working with schools able to offer top-quality services that stay within budget?
ND: It depends on your relationship with the business and if you work closely together, as people do, then it can change because they know you. On the other side of the coin, I am aware of some suppliers quoting huge prices to schools they do not have a relationship with so I would always recommend asking around and seeing which other schools work with
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