Why innovation is right for city pupils as Apple focuses on education

ipads have become an increasingly common sight in classrooms across the UK in recent years as schools embrace new teaching methods and technological advancements.

Consequently, education has become a key focus for Apple, which released classroom-friendly software such as homework assigning tool Schoolwork and free curriculum Everyone Can Create last year, and offers student discounts on ipads and other devices. Glasgow City Council’s initiatives to give pupils ipads is a generous gesture that will

– if administered correctly – enhance their digital skills from an early age and provide them with access to expensive devices they may not otherwise have owned.

The ipads won’t be just a shiny new toy to fritter away time playing on. The fact the council is able to remotely control the devices is a stark reminder they’re for strictly educational activities only, with no social media access and firewalls in place to prevent visiting any inappropriate sites. Similarly, if the ipad is lost or stolen, the responsibility will fall on its owner.

Developing digital knowhow at a job age is now critical for the workers of the future.

The UK’S digital skills gap between the technical abilities of the present workforce and the expertise many jobs now require is severe. Employers struggle to fill a third of vacancies because applicants lack the relevant digital knowledge.

Helping to prepare children for the world of work, which is likely to change exponentially in the next decade – by equipping them with knowledge that will be essential – can only be a good thing.

This is particularly significant insofar as many schools simply cannot afford to outfit their classrooms with costly ipad suites, just as many parents can’t justify spending £300-plus on a tablet.

Not every school child is going to be the next Tim Berners-lee, but giving them the means to learn can certainly help to close the divide.