School reports to parents to go online

15/01/2008 by Tony Attwood.

 All parents will get regular electronic reports on their children’s progress in future – going far beyond the traditional annual school report, Schools Minister Jim Knight announced this week.

All secondary schools in England will be expected to have ‘real-time’ reporting systems up and running by 2010 and all primary schools two years later - although many schools already run these systems.

Real-time reporting means parents will be able to access frequently updated information on children’s achievement, progress, attendance, behaviour and special needs wherever, whenever they want – using secure, online systems.

Other systems could include text alert systems, school intranet, email or even video-conferencing.

A £600,000 pilot is being run by Becta the government-industry body specifically looking at lowering the cost of devices and connectivity and informing parents about the educational benefits of a home computer.

The Government has invested £5billion in schools ICT since 1997, with another £837million earmarked over the next three years – leaving it with the highest levels of embedded technology in classrooms in European Union and one computer for every three pupils.

Here’s the full detail

a 12-week public consultation on the best way to achieve universal home access – focusing on key issues such as who should pay for access and how do to ensure that children use the internet in a safe and purposeful manner.

a £600,000 Becta pilot scheme to test different ways ensuring all families have access to a computer at home in 50 schools across Birmingham, Worcestershire, Stockton and Brent - working with partners Dell, Intel, RM and PC World to reduce the cost of devices and broadband connection – and stress the educational benefits of home access to parents and teachers. This includes subsidising the cost of acquiring home technology for a whole year group – with direct funding for schools and parental contributions.

an additional £30million for low income families from the most disadvantaged areas gain access to internet and computer technology at home – funding from within the Department’s current budget which is being diverted to this particular programme. The Government has already invested £60million in the two-year Computers for Pupils scheme, which target 1000 schools in England’s most deprived areas.

a high-level study, called Beyond Current Horizons, working with the best thinkers in education and involving a focussed consultation with the industry, parents, learners and the community, to access the long-term social, economic and cultural impact of technology on children’s lives, their education and beyond between 2008 and 2025.

Tony Attwood

Posted in Uncategorized | Print | No Comments »