Teachers to get £5.6 million for tech training

 

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By Nicole Kobie

Posted on 21 Jul 2009 at 13:39

Teachers at all levels across England are to receive more technology training, after the Government supplied £5.6 million in funding to get ICT skills up to scratch.

The new programme will be offered to educators from primary schools to colleges. It's supported by tech training body e-skills UK and will be offered by the Open University's online distance learning system. There will also be the opportunity for face-to-face learning.

While there will be a "special focus" on boosting the skills of tech teachers, it won't just be ICT teachers being brought up to speed. The courses will also look to encourage the use of tech in non-ICT subjects.

Karen Price, chief executive of e-skills UK, claims schools need to change the way they teach and use technology in classrooms. "We live in a technology-enabled world. This places new demands on the skills and knowledge required of teachers."

A report last year suggested teachers were worried a lack of IT in classrooms was hurting their students' education, but a separate study showed teachers were slow to take up new tech.

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