Phones and MP3 players are soon to be too dangerous for Schools

Currently, teachers have the power to search pupils for knives or other weapons. However, in a new government policy that was announced on 6 July in a written statement to Parliament from Schools Minister Nick Gibb, it was made clear that these powers were to be extended.



The controversy lies in the fact that Mr. Gibb also plans to add to the above list of items those which are considered so undesirable or dangerous that students must be forced to surrender their civil liberties and allow teachers to search them.


From the autumn this will include fireworks, legal highs – i.e. completely legal chemicals - pornography, cigarettes and "personal electronic devices such as mobile phones, MP3 players and cameras".


Whilst there does seem some obvious benefits in keep such contraband items off schools premises, there also seems to be some fairly obvious problems with such drastic measures.


Not least a pupils right to privacy, or a teacher being asked to do more than they are trained to do, but how about the teacher/pupil relationship? Surely this is one based on trust and soon to be destroyed by the need to be searched. Should the human rights argument be defeated, there is also one based in the preservation of modern technology.


As technology continues to perpetuate, should we not encourage the next generation to embrace new technology and learn to use it properly?

George’s budget cuts!

The Honeymoon period is well and truly over as George Osbourne begins to list the first stages of the new Governments spending cuts.

They are cutting the budgets of Quango’s, delaying or stopping government contracts and projects to save £1.7 billion and hoping to save £95m through cuts in IT spending.

Whilst Mr. Osborne said that schools' funding, the Sure Start programme and spending on education for 16-19-year-olds will be protected. They are cutting the education department's budget by £670m.

The 20,000 extra university places promised by the Labour government will be reduced to 10,000. Most worryingly is perhaps the promised closure of the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA) as the government hopes to save £80m.

Becta's Schools website currently offers advice and guidance to school leadership teams on how technology can be built into teaching, learning and management, and its closing could prove detrimental to the future of technology in Schools.

This is the same technology that has proven to increase pupil attendance, parent engagement, and pupil interaction.

With further cuts planned for the not so distant future, Schools are starting to have to consider other ways to drive forward the provision of technology.

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