13 May 2019

The UK government has called on leading tech companies to work with schools and colleges to cut teacher workload, support professional development and improve student outcomes.

A new government strategy, hailed as “a new era” in edtech will also see the use of technology in education help level the playing field for those with special needs and disabilities.

Education secretary Damian Hinds unveiled the education technology strategy at an event in London and said that the £10m scheme will transform edtech, supporting innovation and raising the bar in schools, colleges and universities across England.

“For too long in education, technology has been seen as something that adds to a teacher’s workload rather than helps to ease,” said Hinds. “Technology is an enabler and an enhancer.

We now call on schools, businesses and technology developers to realise the huge potential of technology to transform our schools so that teachers have the time to focus on teaching, their own professional development, and – crucially – are able to cater to the needs of every single one of their pupils.”

Chris Skidmore, the minister for universities, science, research and innovation, added: “As the way we interact with technology is changing at an ever-increasing rate, it is more important than ever that the education system keeps pace with the change around us.

The collaboration enabled by this strategy will provide an unprecedented boost to the role technology has to play in schools, colleges and universities, and support the UK’s dynamic edtech sector to develop an ever-wider range of exciting products and technology solutions.”