Teachers 'must have' IT training

17:56 16th January 2009

Teachers must be given suitable IT training so that they are comfortable using computers to help educate their pupils, a leading careers advisory body claimed on Tuesday (January 13th).

According to figures released by Teachernet, the average primary school has 37 computers, underlining the increasing importance of IT in the realm of education.

Now the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services has warned that teachers must be fully prepared to use technology to complement their teaching, particularly as a growing number of children are comfortable using computers.

Communications director Elspeth Farrar said: "It's something the government requires schools to do to ensure that whatever subject you are delivering in a school that there is some element of use of technology as part of it."

Ms Farrar added that it was important to note that generic IT training may not be possible as different teachers have different requirements.

New figures released this week by the Department for Children, Schools and Families revealed that 440 schools failed to meet the government target of having 30 per cent of their pupils getting five good GCSEs.