Highland Council committed to classroom technology

Highland Council has said it remains committed to giving more schoolchildren access to technology.

It was responding to a global study that suggested investing heavily in computers and classroom technology does not improve pupils' performance.

Highland Council has a plan to give every P6 to S6 students access to a tablet computer.

The local authority said the study also suggested that good teaching coupled with technology could benefit pupils.

The study of schoolchildren in more than 70 countries was carried out for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The think tank said frequent use of computers in schools was more likely to be associated with lower results.

The OECD's education director Andreas Schleicher said school technology had raised "too many false hopes".

But he added that the findings of the report should not be used as an "excuse" not to use technology, but as a spur to finding a more effective approach.

'Good teaching'

A spokesperson for Highland Council said: "Highland Council is committed to providing technology rich environments in schools, this includes appropriate access to technology for learning purposes.

"We are also committed to reducing inequalities where pupils do not feel excluded due to not having access to appropriate technology for their learning.

"We welcome the OECD report which demonstrates that when good teaching is coupled with appropriate technology it leads to improved outcomes for children and young people."

Highland Council plans to increase the availability of the devices for P1 to 5 pupils to share and give every P6 to S6 student their own tablet.

The proposal is also expected to help the council save money.

The project could form part of the local authority's new IT contract.

The aspiration was first discussed at a meeting of Highland Council's education, children and adult services committee in February.

Councillors heard that the use of tablets at Alness Academy and other schools had led to pupils producing better work.