Kent Schools Pay £175,000 to Learn to Use Computers - In the USA

Hythe computer expert and businessman Darren Briddock has spoken out against plans to fly nearly 100 head teachers from Kent to America for a fact-finding trip in term time to study "the application of the computer age in transforming the ways teachers teach and children learn".

Each school is using £1,500 from its own budget for the trip and will visit schools in New York, Boston, San Francisco and Seattle, and end in Seattle with a conference hosted by Microsoft. The head teachers will be joined in Seattle by 20 councillors and LEA officials for the conference.

The total cost reaches around £175,000 because Kent County Council is using also spending £30,000 from its education budget so the council team can attend, and says Microsoft is set to invest £28m in classroom information technology in the county.

Lib Dem campaigner Darren said:

"We have plenty of computer expertise here in Kent, and there are many people that could advise in getting more out of IT use in schools."

"Good use of computers in our schools can bring real benefits to learning and pupils. However, so could other ways of spending £175,000. Locally sourced training courses should be looked at, or sharing best practice in UK schools.

"If Bill Gates really wants to improve Kent schools, fine. Then why doesn't he, or his experts, come to Kent rather than Kent going to Bill?"