§ 31. Dr. Hampsonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress has been achieved in the introduction of computer terminals into schools; and of he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneTerminals linked to a mainframe computer are available in some secondary schools but they are expensive to run and microcomputers are much more widely used. Her Majesty's Inspectorate estimate that nearly 50 per cent. of secondary schools in England have one or more microcomputers, and eight local education authorities provide them for all their secondary schools. The purpose of the Department's £9 million microelectronics in education programme is to promote curriculum development, lay the foundations for improved teacher training and ensure that good quality educational software is widely available. I am urgently considering what steps might be taken to make microcomputers more widely available in secondary schools.