Education policy and the rationale for technology development in schools: political drivers - Teaching with Technologies: The Essential Guide - page 22

Evaluating technology policy and progress: 1980-1997
Following the first decade, in the 1980s, of the UK Conservative government's tech-
nology initiatives in schools, a seminal national assessment of the impact of technol-
ogy was conducted in 1993. The ImpacT report highlighted in particular teachers'
need for in-service training with technology, as well as a number of other problems,
which were reiterated by the McKinsey and Stevenson reports of 1997. Both these
independent inquires into the 'issues and opportunities' with technology concluded
damningly that the state of technology in UK schools was archaic and it was a pub-
lic priority to address this. Despite initiatives like TVEI and funding for comput-
ers, equipment had become old and development in schools had been piecemeal
and slow. At this time, there was also the emergence of the Internet, and access was
becoming available for widespread use by schools from the mid-1990s.
There were also a number of other government-commissioned reports published
in 1997, which revealed four recurring problems regarding technology development
(EDSI, NCET, SCAA). First, there was the problem of technology resourcing, which
was judged to be in urgent need of upgrading owing to the aging machines found in
schools. Second, teachers required specialist training in order to be proficient with
technology. Third, school managers needed to take responsibility for developing a
whole-school policy for technology and strategies for its implementation. Fourth,
schools needed to address the curriculum application of technology. Arguably the
inconsistencies found across schools in the use of technology helped formulate the
need for Curriculum 2000. All the reports (EDSI, McKinsey, NCET, SCAA, and Steven-
son) indentified the urgent need for change ; to make more use of technology .
This section outlines the development of technology in schools and how gov-
ernment policy has attempted to enhance its use since the 1980s through a variety
of technology initiatives. The common concerns found in government reports that
highlighted major deficiencies were: technology training, resourcing, whole-school
management and curriculum application. During the period of the Labour govern-
ment from 1997 to 2010, technology was specifically referred to as ICT, and the
quotes retain the historical accuracy of this term. This period was an unprecedented
time in the history of UK schooling; never before had there been such commitment
and expenditure on technology in education. This is to be remembered as austerity
measures defined the education landscape post-2010.
UK Labour government policy on technology in schools (1997-2010)
Having identified no coordinated strategy to develop technology in schools, the Steven-
son report urged government to develop a cohesive national strategy. Consequently,
the new UK Labour government of 1997 focused on prioritizing 'ICT' in schools and
developed the most ambitious plans for a national strategy for ICT. The main element
of this programme was the National Grid for Learning (NGfL) and New Opportunities
Fund (NOF) ICT training for teachers. The NGfL was to provide a network of informa-
tion, learning materials and funding for school computers (DfEE 1997).
In phase one, the National Grid for Learning, between 1998 and 2002, £657 mil-
lion was made available to schools in England through a 'Standards Fund' to help