Wills also announced plans to extend national grid funding by two years, putting an extra Pounds 400m into the programme. This strategy is influencing what schools buy, says Tim Clark, RM's business development manager. The result is more schools are buying portable computers and wireless networks, says Clark. They are also spending more of their IT budgets on online fees and telecommunications charges. Although 15 per cent of the national grid has been allocated for content, many software companies report that schools are not spending this amount.
Sustainability is a big issue.
But Price sees room for optimism, and quotes a recent study by Becta, which indicates pupils in schools with good IT resources tend to do better than those with poor resources. But now it can go back to the Treasury and say there is a link between IT provision and pupil attainment.