Assistants are way to the future

Education secretary Estelle Morris unveiled a vision of the future in English schools last week in which classroom assistants have a crucial role to play - alongside high-tech equipment such as palmtops, laptops, plasma screens and electronic whiteboards. Ms Morris has made a string of speeches in recent months referring to plans to enhance the classroom assistant's role, although the Department for Education and Skills has repeatedly insisted that pay and conditions are a matter for local authorities to determine. Speaking at the BETT exhibition of educational information and communication technology (ICT) at London's Olympia, she said, 'I see the school of the future as one where learning is supported by a range of well-trained staff, whether teachers, teaching assistants, or others, all working together to deliver a better education supported by increased use of computers and other improved technologies.' The education secretary also revealed further details of the Government's plan to make 100m available over the next two years to provide teachers with free laptop computers and discussed how school design may change in future to accommodate flexible access to ICT.