Keep tabs on your kids…online

This week, the Schools Minister, Jim Knight, has announced that all parents will receive regular reports on their children?s progress in future.

Opening BETT 2008, the world?s largest educational technology trade show, he said all secondary schools will be expected to have ?real-time? reporting systems up and running by 2010, with all primary schools joining the scheme two years later. Many schools already run these systems.

Real-time reporting means parents will be able to access frequently updated information on children?s achievement, progress, attendance, behaviour and special needs wherever, whenever they want ? using secure, online systems.

There is also the capacity to include text alert systems, school intranet, email or even video-conferencing.

The Government?s schools technology agency, Becta, will be guiding schools to adapt their existing technology and advise them how to improve.

?We know from schools around the country that if families are going to be involved in their children?s education really effectively, they need a good two way flow of information – a channel which is more efficient and more frequent than a once a year written report, or a letter home when there is a problem or something to celebrate,? Mr Knight said, of the plans.??

?”Real time reporting will deepen the school-parent relations and is not a substitute for regular personal contact with teachers. Effective technology systems can actually significantly cut the staff workloads ? but it has to be to be manageable for individual schools and meaningful for parents.?

Mr Knight also announced a further ?30million over the next three years targeted at low-income families to buy computers and connect to broadband internet for school work.

Comments

No comments yet. Why don’t you start the discussion?

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.