How Technology Can Cut Costs in Schools
Mon 10 December, 2018
If you’re yet to be convinced of the advantages of using technology in education by some of our previous blogs, this blog will demonstrate additional economic benefits. Shocking statistics about school cuts and financial issues in education fill news articles, with reporting that three out of every ten maintained secondary schools have budget deficits of nearly £500,000. As a result, it can be hard to consider investing in possibly expensive technology. Doing so, however, may work out far cheaper in the long run.
One way in which this can be achieved is through the move to an entirely paperless school. If each student can work online, or through computers/laptops, there is no need for photocopies. Nor do articles need to be printed out 20-pages at a time for an entire class of students. Office Express records that almost one million sheets of paper are used annually per school, with another £60,000 being spent on photocopying! Likewise, have your school send emails home, rather than using letters to communicate with parents.
More advantages of using technology in education to save money can be found with the cloud. Firstly, the cloud allows information to be shared effortlessly, such as in the case above, where students can access articles for classes. Secondly, author and teacher David Wees also notes how using the cloud is far cheaper than paying for an onsite server (and maintenance of this server).
However, to save the most money it is important to have professional help. This can help to avoid any major issues that could lead to a huge financial drain. Regular IT support can ensure that the technology you already own is as efficient (both in terms of cost and purpose) as it can be. Wees notes how an expert, either staff or an outside consultant, can keep the school aware of the changes and best uses for your technology.
This is particularly important considering how quickly technology moves forward. As well as keeping on top of the technology you own, expert advice should be used to look to the future for new, more efficient, and perhaps even cheaper technological options.
In these ways, you can maximise the advantages of using technology in education as well as saving money.