Interested in two pieces of education news today.

First: The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) announced that this year will see the first 'on-line' examination sat in Intermediate 2 and Higher biotechnology.
"This first use of technology in a formal exam is a significant milestone as we continue to modernise Scotland's exam process," said SQA chief executive Anton Colella.

My prisoners sit 'formal' e-exams every day and all I can say is that it is a major boost in prison education. The 'students', as we call them, have a designated computer attached to the internet via a router (to ensure that this is the only site that they can get to). This is linked to CISCO HQ in the US and the multichoice tests are taken in real time and marked the instant the enter their last question. The benefit of this is that they know there and then if they have passed their exams.

Considering we still have an education department that delivers paper based exams that seem to take an age to get marked, the students much better prefer our method.

Second: The government computer agency for education systems BECTA announced that computer systems in schools are too old, they are not being renewed fast enough, and about half of schools do not even have a replacement policy.

Considering the emphasis on the use of e-learning I would have thought this was a priority to ensure that all pupils had access to the latest software/hardware. The project I work for has a 3 year refresh program on software/hardware to ensure that what we are delivering is bang up to date. If the Government is honestly working towards e-learning and developing e-exams this should be the norm.
The ratio of 1 computer for every 6.1 students in primary school and 1 computer for every 3.7 secodary school student isn't nearly enough.

In 1999 when I was working in a main stream school we were promised by Labour that every child would have his/her own laptop. What happened to that idea?
It would be very simple, supply all classes with docking stations attached to a main server, and then allocate a set sum of money to parents towards the purchase of a personal laptop computer for each child. The onus is then on the parents to ensure that these computers are kept up to date. Laptop prices have plummeted in the past few years and with good Government backing should cost around £300 each. Then utilising educational licensing of software they could be 'fitted out' for about £150, which should come from school funds.

Finally reasons for the poor showing in IT in schools.

*ICT teachers and heads of ICT normally are seconded teachers from other activities and not primarily computer trained.

*The money offered to ITC Technicians, Network Admin or if you are lucky Network Managers is a joke. Not knocking current staff but with the skills needed to run a school of over 600 pupils you would expect to be earning what a medium sized industry would be offering.

*ICT is underused or abused. IT classrooms are left empty when they could be better used. You can deliver more that ITC on computers.
As for abused, if I had to sit through another 'death-by-PowerPoint' presentation, I would die.

*Enthusiasm, or should I say lack of it. I love my subject, I am on top of new development and enthused to distribute my learning to others. Also I am not scared to answer students questions because I am ahead of at least with them on new developments. The average teacher is normally one page ahead of his student and hasn't had the wealth of funding that I have had to develop my skills into delivering IT at the top level.

Right, getting off my soap box for the day and going to do some work.