Mr. Blair has taken advice recently from Bill Gates, the Microsoft chairman, and the government last month launched a prototype of the grid with a Virtual Teacher Center, a web site that aims to spread good teaching practices and offer advice on raising targets for numeracy and literacy. I don't see how we can keep on pretending that we don't have to prepare kids'' for university and the workplace, where computer literacy is fast becoming a necessity, he said.
Many building blocks are already in place.
Mr. Howells said about 20 percent of the country's 40,000 schools, including the vast majority of secondary schools, are connected to the Internet, many with their own web sites. We've seen a tremendous improvement in learning generally,'' said Jim Donnelly, head teacher at Litherland High School near Liverpool. The school has one of the most ambitious information technology programs in the country with nearly one personal computer for every two students, although so far they are more likely to run interactive CD Roms than surf the Internet. Mr. Donnelly said. The government program is not without controversy, however.