HC Deb 31 July 1998 vol 317 cc801-2W
Mr. Ian Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement about the availability of computers in schools; and what plans he has(a) to replace obsolete machines and (b) to increase the number of computers in schools. [54495]

Mr. Mudie

Over £100m of additional financial support is being provided to schools through the Standards Fund in 1998–99 to help improve information and communications technology. This will contribute substantially to the replacement of obsolete equipment and increasing the numbers of computers in schools.

Mr. Ian Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to provide funds for additional staff to assist teachers to maintain and operate schools' computers. [54496]

Mr. Mudie

Schools are currently free to enter maintenance contracts with their specialist suppliers. Schools may also deploy some of the £100 million of expenditure being made available in 1998–99 for the National Grid for Learning to provide teachers with basic technical training on the use of computers. In addition, an Initial Teacher Training National Curriculum in Information and Communications Technology will commence this September, and some £230 million pounds will be allocated from National Lottery sources over the next four years for the retraining of serving teachers in these new technologies. Advice on maintenance and other aspects of schools' Information and Communication Technology will be available from Local Authority subject advisers and the British Educational Communications and Technology agency.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many networked computers are currently in use in schools in England and Wales. [54129]

Mr. Mudie

Evidence of the number of computers in schools in England which are connected to an internal network will be published later this year as part of the Department's statistical survey of ICT in schools. Educational matters in Wales are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

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