A report has revealed that 54% of school leaders have reported that budgets will make it difficult for their school to realise its strategic objectives in the year ahead.
The Promethean State of Technology in Education Report asked questions to gain a broader understanding of the challenges and successes educators are experiencing.
The survey of over 2,000 educators across the UK and Ireland, including independent schools, pointed towards growing pressures around school budgets and the impacts they may have on teaching and learning.
Seventy-two percent of school leaders said budgets will have the biggest impact on student education in the year ahead.
Compared to last year, almost five times as many school leaders said operations and maintenance will be the top spending priority after salaries (11% in 2018/19 up to 49% this year).
Technology spend rises to fourth place in budget priorities – 16% of school leaders said they will spend most of their budget on technology in the coming year (compared to 4% in 2018/19). Forty six percent of respondents believe too little is spent on technology – the highest level in the four-year period.
There are more signs that budgets are creating barriers to teaching and learning through limited budgets being soaked up on vital operational costs such as salaries and maintenance or learning support
Additional learning support will see a significant increase in priority, rising from 5% in 2018/19 up to 30% in 2019/20.
Rachel Ashmore, head of Promethean Academy, said: “The issue of budgetary constraints in schools is not a new concept and unfortunately is something that has made headlines regularly in recent years. What is interesting from the results of the State of Technology in Education Report 2018/19, is that we are seeing an increase in the concern voiced by educators over the four years the report has been running.
“There are more signs that budgets are creating barriers to teaching and learning through limited budgets being soaked up on vital operational costs such as salaries and maintenance or learning support.”
To find out more, visit: resourced.prometheanworld.com
