Time for a fresh approach

Since their inception, people's appetite for computers and software has exceeded availability. This is unlikely to change, so schools – as with other organisations – have to develop ICT provision with a view to sustaining their continued implementation well into the future. There are many quick fixes available – but these all come at a high price. The key to long-term success is the development of sustainable, flexible and innovative approaches to funding and a culture of enterprise.

ICT, in all schools, has the potential to become self-perpetuating, but achieving this requires new skills and entirely new approaches. Schools have developed a wide range of responses to the challenges of sustainable funding for ICT and a number of these responses, along with their underlying principles, are explored in this section.

There will never be enough money available from the public purse alone to provide the level of technology expected in schools as the way forward in education. Money from central Government has been made available for ICT. However, the money available to schools for purchasing additional ICT equipment will only cover a fraction of the equipment costs which schools will have to meet. Therefore, schools are going to need to adopt a number of approaches to ensure the best possible ICT provision.