Schools and EdTech

In the world of education, there's a nuanced relationship unfolding between parents, schools, and technology.

It can be a love-hate dynamic, with tech a boon and a bane. While technology offers a myriad of educational opportunities in schools, (39% of kids aged 7-14 use websites or apps to complete homework) parents can find themselves grappling with its pervasive presence sometimes feeling that it hinders the ability of their children to learn traditionally.

For Gen A, It’s the Norm

The omnipresence of tech in schools has become the norm.  Whether it’s posting homework on digital platforms, using a proliferation of educational apps across subjects, or simple class WhatsApp groups tech is everywhere.

According to our Beano Brain omnibus data, YouTube (45%), BBC Bitesize (40%), and Google Classroom (29%), are the top three platforms that kids in the UK use to help them revise, or complete schoolwork.  And Gen Alpha are embracing the fluid world of EdTech even educating the adults in their lives when it comes to technology.  54% of kids have helped an adult to use technology. They are also confident users, with 52% of these kids stating they are careful with what they put online.

Though a concern for some parents, especially with recent discussions about banning smartphones for teens, EdTech can be a force for good pioneering a more accessible approach to education with voice-activated technology aiding those with learning disabilities. 

Homeschooling and the tech debate

Edtech has also been one of the key drivers in the rise of homeschooling.  Our latest data suggests that 8% of UK parents and 18% of US parents are currently homeschooling with a third and a half respectively open to it in the future.   57% of Millennial parents agree that school is not preparing their children for the future and technology - current and yet to be developed – could be key to opting out of the established curriculums. 

And yet.  The impact of technology on their children is top of mind for Millennial parents. And the debate is heating up – particularly in the UK – about the pervasive nature of technology in kids' lives with groups proliferating (where else?) on social media of families opting out of technology (and smartphones in particular) for their children. 

It’s a battleground full of contradictions and implications for the schools of the future, whatever those “schools” may be.

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