Information Technology (Hansard, 14 January 1999)

§ 17. Mr. Stunell
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans the Government have to encourage greater use of information technology in education. [64055]

§ Mr. Charles Clarke
The Government's plans for Information and Communications Technologies in education were set out in 'Our Information Age' and in the Government's National Grid for Learning Challenge, 'Open for Learning, Open for Business', which were published last year. Copies are available in the Library.

§ 33. Mr. Allan
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the role of information technology in reducing the administrative work load of teachers. [64073]

§ Mr. Charles Clarke
Information and communication technologies (ICT) have a central role to play in reducing the bureaucratic burden on teachers, particularly in reducing the burdens involved in administration and in preparing for lessons. Key targets for the National Grid for Learning (NGfL) include that by 2002, serving teachers should feel confident and be competent to teach using ICT within the curriculum, and all general administrative communications with schools and collection of data from schools should largely cease to be paper-based.
These targets were set out in the NGfL consultation paper Connecting the Learning Society and subsequent challenge paper Open for Learning, open for business. They were re-affirmed in our Green Paper on modernising the teaching profession. We are taking forward a wide-ranging programme of work to ensure they are met, including: providing over £700m for ICT in UK schools up to 2002, and a further £230 from the New Opportunities Fund from 1999 for teacher training in the curriculum use of ICT; developing high quality materials for the National Grid for Learning and the DfEE Standards Site, including non-mandatory schemes of work to help teachers plan their work. We are also working with and encouraging other public and private sector organisations to do the same; improving our ability to collect and share data electronically and communicate electronically with schools and Local Education Authorities.
But improving the use of ICT is not the only way to cut bureaucracy. We need to reduce burdens on teachers in other ways too, including cutting the amount of unnecessary paper they have to deal with and ensuring they have adequate support in their work. We are working vigorously to ensure that happens, so that teachers can focus on raising standards for all children.