Speaking up for ICT in Education: Naace Press Release, 25 May 2010

Naace notes with regret media messages that report the planned closure of Becta.

As a long time strategic partner with Becta, Naace wishes to acknowledge the significant contribution Becta has made over many years to advancing education through the appropriate use of ICT. Many services will be missed by the ICT community, not least those associated with the Next Generation Learning Charter, the ICT Mark and the Becta Excellence Awards. Naace still holds the responsibility for administering the ICT Mark quality assurance scheme, we remain committed to continuing to do so and will seek appropriate meetings with the intention of securing its future if at all possible.

This event has only strengthened the determination of Naace to remain the leading independent advocate for effective ICT that supports learning, teaching and administration. In addition to the range of services we offer, which we know are highly valued, we are actively considering how Naace might meet the growing needs of our community in the light of reported events. In particular we are concerned to ensure that the value of ICT to education is properly understood by policymakers and that the collective views of the community are effectively transmitted to them.

The economic downturn and the inevitable cuts that follow will provide challenges for educators and the institutions they work for. Naace believes that ICT in learning is fundamental to the life chances of all. Through the voluntary contribution of its membership it endeavours to provide a focus for any who support and promote the advancement of a 21st century view of education organising think tanks, conferences, seminars both, face-to-face and online, and providing relevant continuing professional development to the ICT community. Naace is consulting its members on what new avenues it can explore, alone and in partnership with others,that will meet the needs of that community in the future.

However, the pressing national need to achieve more for less in the public sector requires that schools adopt the use of ICT where it is proven to advance education and to provide efficiencies.

For example

• giving pupils access to resources and radically extending learning time;
• providing opportunities for pupils to take charge of their learning;
• making it possible to engage parents more strongly, and more regularly, in supporting children’s learning;
• enabling schools to continue to operate when difficulties such as snow cause the buildings to be closed;
• enabling pupils to support each others’ learning, supporting specialist subject learning and easing transition between Primary and Secondary school;
• saving many thousands of pounds annually in time and paper through online information, learning resources and activities, and through new approaches to education that make more effective use of staff teaching time.

However schools need help and advice in order to adopt and embed the developing technologies that enable these things. These approaches can develop in school but organisations such as Becta and Naace, external to the school, are necessary to share these new experiences.

Mark Chambers, Chair of Naace Board of Management said “All those who are committed to helping our schools transform how learning happens, to match the needs of young people and our society in the 21st century, must now consider how best to support schools in doing this. The debate needs to involve colleagues from the public sector, companies, charities, social enterprises and voluntary organisations engaged with education, and the government itself. Naace, as the ICT in Education association bringing together all interests, will be very pleased to respond to and join with others in doing this.”

- Ends-

Notes for Editors

Naace is the professional association for those concerned with advancing education through the appropriate use of information and communications technology (ICT). Naace is a community comprised of individual members, schools and sponsoring partners. Naace administers the ICT Mark on behalf of Becta. It created the Naacemark for Schools scheme, which was a predecessor of the ICT Mark. http://www.naace.co.uk

For further information please contact Bernadette Brooks, General Manager at bernadette.brooks@naace.co.uk or by telephone on 07753 911436.