Paul Heinrich, Immediate Past Chair, Naace Board of Management

Where next for ICT in education? In many LA and RBC meetings attended recently there has been an attempt at optimism and a search for silver linings amongst the gathering clouds. With the mantra of cuts, cuts, cuts plus the impending white paper on reforms to the role of local authorities this is no easy task.

So what are the omens? Despite closing BECTA the government is retaining several of its key functions, albeit split between various government departments and PfS. This at least demonstrates some commitment to the future role of ICT, though appears to relate more to infrastructure and MIS than to the curriculum. There is also the danger that the single overview provided by BECTA has been lost.

Schools though are still investing in ICT, the recent BESA report providing clear evidence that many regard infrastructure, digital learning resources and connectivity as important. However, the survey also reveals a continuing small but significant decline in year on year spending and an aging computer stock with many more schools than previously reporting machines over five years old. Antiquated systems and a reduction in spending are a stark warning that while things may not look too bad on the surface there is a serious danger that in a couple of years huge capital investment will be required to bring school infrastructures back to the industry standard of the time. Will that funding be there or are there cheaper alternatives via learners personal devices and cloud computing?

The erstwhile Harnessing Technology Grant has been of considerable importance, whether devolved to schools or passed to broadband consortia to provide high quality connectivity. While representing only some 15% of total ICT spending by schools this is a huge reduction at a time when other budgets are equally constrained. What, for example, will be the impact should an RBC fold and schools lose the very cost effective and high quality connectivity that these provide. Even now many rural schools suffer from expensive and poor quality connections. Will they continue to be on the byway rather than the super highway?

But what of the future curriculum?

At this point optimism begins to fade. Rose managed to design a reasonable curriculum within the constraints imposed by government but has been totally rejected. Robin Alexander's outstanding review of the primary curriculum does not even get a mention. Yet again a government rejects rigorous academic research that does not fit with its own ideological viewpoint. And it is our children and our future that suffers.

The secondary curriculum is also under attack, though perhaps there is a need to bring some sanity into the mess of qualifications currently used in the search for those elusive A-C grades. With a start already announced on vocational qualifications this is going to get interesting, especially the debate around e.g. OCR Nationals and similar vocational qualifications. If the result of the review is a more academic approach, GCSE rather than the current courses preferred by many schools, what will it look like? The current ICT GCSE is not popular and where are the teachers to come from if there is pressure for a Computing GCSE (and will pupils opt for it?).

And what of the Diploma? In practice this has proven complex, expensive and difficult to timetable and has worked best where there is access to dedicated facilities and staff with sound industry experience. Delivery in schools is much more problematic, especially where teachers do not have the level and range of experience necessary – feedback from pupils in such situations has been anything but positive.

What is certain is that the future prosperity of UK plc depends on a workforce with high level ICT skills in their broadest sense and not simply a basic knowledge of ‘office’ software. ICT skills are not utilitarian, they are a fundamental requirement for effective participation in the modern world. However, one cannot help feeling that the current position of ICT is not dissimilar to that of Schrödinger’s famous cat. Is it alive or not? Only time will tell.