ABSTRACT
In the UK we have invested heavily in information and communications technology (ICT) for use by teachers and by pupils in schools. Some of this investment has been directly by the government through multi-million pound initiatives such as the National Grid for Learning and the New Opportunities Fund ICT Training for Serving Teachers. Substantial sums have also been spent by Local Education Authorities, Education Action Zones and schools themselves on ICT equipment and resources, though this is harder to quantify. The purposes of this investment have not always been clear or made explicit. Two main themes are apparent in this drive to develop the use of technology in schools. Part of the motivation towards encouraging greater use of technology in education seems to be external and aimed at modernising schools and equipping the pupils of today with skills that will make them able to use such technology in the workplace once they leave school. Other stated goals have been about internal efficiency, such as to reduce teacher workload by making planning and resources available over the Internet or to reduce bureaucracy by providing and exchanging information in electronic form. Teachers in schools have become sceptical about the ability of ICT to deliver on these goals, and it is certainly necessary to cast a sceptical eye over the value of this expensive and extensive investment.
