Embrace technology to reduce teacher workload, says Morgan

Schools should embrace new technologies as an opportunity to reduce teacher workload, according to Education Secretary Nicky Morgan.

Speaking at Bett 2016, Morgan told attendees that school leaders and teachers should be implementing new technology to reduce paper workload, recommending the use of data capture programmes to monitor registers, attainment and pupil progress.

Morgan said: “The paper trails that create work for teachers already rushed off their feet and we are keen to see what innovations the sector can come up with on this.

“The analysis of that data can be invaluable to teachers and system leaders in their pursuit of excellent educational outcomes. Informing them which parts of the curriculum they are teaching well and signalling where there is room for improvement.”

While highlighting the opportunities that technology presents for education, Morgan was also quick to stress that it could not be a replacement for good teaching and that search engines are not a ’substitute for knowledge’.

She added: “We have made it clear over the last six years in government that knowledge is the key to excellent educational outcomes.

“A rigorous curriculum, putting the right foundations in place, alongside high-quality assessments are the embodiment of that. Probably the worst attitude we can take is that access to search engines is somehow a substitute for knowledge. It isn’t.”

Bett 2016 is taking place at London’s Excel from 20-23 January displaying the latest innovations in education technology.