We attach a Mirandanet paper:

Below Michael Hammond offers a wider view of the history of ICT in UK schools

Ever since first experiments with computers and computing there has been a great deal of support for using ICT in schools and of course other educational sectors. The list of government initiatives is very long. For example, in 1981 Kenneth Baker, the newly-appointed Conservative Minister for Information Technology, launched the ‘Micros in Schools’ scheme with an emphasis on the vocational aspect of computers in education and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) provided £16 million to subsidise the purchase of British computers in schools, in part to kick start a UK computer industry. The Department of Education and Science (DES) provided £23 million to launch the Microelectronics Education Programme (MEP), which ran until 1986. This programme produced materials, including software for direct use in school, and some support was offered for teachers at least as far as resources would permit. Its focus was on both computing and on cross curricular use.

To increase national awareness of computers, 1982 was designated ‘Information Technology Year’ by the Government. This was followed by another major initiative launched by the Conservatives in the early 1980s, entitled the Technical and Vocational Initiative (TVEI),which provided further financial aid for schools to purchase computers. TVEI was an initiative that radically altered the focus of control in education; imposed, as it was, by central government. In 1986 another initiative, the Modem Scheme (DTI), put £1 million into enabling schools to buy a modem to link up their micros. The Microelectronics Support Unit (MESU) was set up to carry on the work of the MEP. Its remit was broadly similar though with a greater focus on a cross curricular approach and on producing support materials rather than software. MESU explicitly set out to commission research in this new area and establish links with academia.

The White Paper, Working Together - Education and Training’ (1986) announced national expenditure of £90 million over ten years to extend the TVEI programme, further strengthening a centralised approach. Around the same time the Government funded an interactive video project, Interactive Video in Schools, from 1985 to 1987. Eight packages were introduced: Challenges; Design; Disco; Environmental Education; Geography; Life and Energy; Missing the Obvious; and Siville. Six of these projects focused upon primary and secondary classrooms and two upon teacher education including in-service education. Another interesting development during this period was Neris (1987 – 1989) or the National Resources Information Service – an independent trust, supported by government. Neris was a teacher resource database available on line, via the Prestel and Campus 2000 networks, or through a CD ROM. In addition to details of educational suppliers, films, software and so on, Neris also contained lesson plans and worksheets for direct use in the classroom and was a precursor to the National Grid for Learning.

Along with mainstream support for computers, Government initiatives in the 1990s included support for the use of Integrated Learning Systems (ILS) which offered an individualised route through material very often in the context of numeracy and literacy. In addition multimedia laptops for teachers were supported via a pilot project (1996-98), £4 million to supply 1,400 teachers; followed by a main phase 1998, £23 million to supply 10,000 teachers and heads.

A further initiative towards the end of the Conservative government included The Education Departments’ Superhighways Initiative (1996 - 98). This highlighted the development of the Internet and the educational opportunities this offered. It was also the first time policy makers, ICT providers, researchers and practitioners were brought together to examine ICT across every sector; primary, secondary and higher education.

The development of computers in education received a further boost with the new Labour Government (1997) committed to new projects and increased spending. A major influence on the Labour Party as it prepared for Government were the Stevenson (1997) and Mckinsey (1997)reports which argued that there was enough evidence to make it worthwhile going for a ‘stepchange’ in levels of funding for computers in school alongside training of teachers.

Accordingly, a new training initiative was introduced financed through the lottery and its New Opportunities Fund which became known as NoF Training. Trainers were independent organisations, with quality assurances in England from the, then, Teacher Training Agency (TTA). Local Education Authorities were directly involved; over 75% were either accredited training providers in their own right or were receiving direct funding for supporting providers. In England, very nearly all eligible teachers signed up for the programme and in total over 390,000 teachers and virtually all schools took part. Alongside this, the National Grid for Learning in its first phase (1998-99) provided £100 million for hardware, software and Internet connectivity for 8,000 schools; between 1998 and 2002, £657 million of grant funding was made available to schools in England through the Standards Fund to help develop provision (infrastructure, services and content) and a further £710 million of expenditure was allocated between 2002 and 2004.

Consequently the government’s NGfL and NoF Training initiatives were relaunched as the ICT in Schools Programme (ICTiS), which continued funding for schools to purchase hardware. Other significant projects and funding schemes have included: Strategic Leadership in ICT (SLICT) – a programme of in-service training for senior school staff; Curriculum Online – a learning materials scheme with approved software and funding. A related flagship policy of Labour was the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme (set up in 2005) to help local authorities and schools invest in new or revamped buildings with appropriate computer infrastructure. Over £3 billion of funding was released in 2005-06. As with previous Governments some renaming went on. IT became ICT (stressing the communication angle) and NCET, the government supported body to promote computers, became Becta in 1998 with a more specific focus on policy, partnership with other bodies and commissioned research rather than production of material, or the providing of in-service training, in its own right.

The incoming coalition government came in with an unclear agenda for ICT. Early indicators are that ICT does not have the same appeal for it as it had in the past. Most strikingly Becta was closed down, formally in April 2011, though some may read this as part of a more general move to close Government agencies rather than a particular bias against ICT. However, ICT as a subject seems out of favour due to the suspicion of vocational styles qualifications and the promotion of the 'English Baccalaureate'. In contrast support for computing has been forthcoming at least in respect to TDA support. It is too early to say where all this is leading but one conclusion is that the case for ICT needs to be made more strongly, another is that practitioeirns and researchers need to look for new opportunities to support and develop ICT practice.