UK government launches £10 million education technology strategy

The UK government has unveiled its latest Education Technology, or Edtech, strategy today, which aims to reduce teacher workloads and improve student results by partnering with leading technology companies.

The plan to give schools and colleges throughout the country a £10 million boost was set out by the education secretary, Damian Hinds, at the Schools and Academies Show in London, where he told attendees: “This strategy is just the first step in making sure the education sector is able to take advantage of all of the opportunities available through Edtech.”

“We are living in a digital world with technology transforming the way we live our lives…but we must never think about technology for its own sake. Technology is an enabler and an enhancer. For too long in education, technology has been seen as something that adds to a teacher’s workload rather than helps to ease.” 

According to government figures, the Edtech industry is worth £170 million to the UK economy and, while most children in education regularly use technology in their free time, the education sector has thus far failed to leverage technology in a way that benefits students. 

The government has identified 10 key education challenges it wants to tackle with the help of technology companies, including boosting teacher training opportunities, improving anti-cheating software, promoting the use of innovative tech and levelling the playing field for students with learning difficulties or disabilities. 

The wider Edtech agenda will be overseen by a newly created Edtech Leadership Group, which will be responsible for determining the future use and implementation of technology throughout the education sector.

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