There is an urgent need, therefore, to re-direct education and training so that children and teachers can cope with the impact of technology on society and its increasing importance in the job market. In addition to technology becoming an economic reality, it should become a reality in education for a variety of positive and powerful reasons. Our current concept of literacy as the 'written word' is expanding to include the 'on-screen word'. IT is an excellent educational tool. The quality of computer software and Internet resources enable the expansion of the role of the teacher as 'information provider' to accommodate that of 'information facilitator'.
Computers can match the individual learning needs of children.
Technology in education has the potential to minimise the geographical isolation of pupils, teachers and their schools. There are 'hidden curriculum' benefits for pupils and teachers. Other first-world countries have already taken action and launched plans for bringing their education systems in line with the dynamics of the information society. The major challenge, even for well-off countries, comes from the need to network computers within individual schools, and to establish and maintain online links with the outside world. In the USA, many states have invested significant sums of money in educational technology.