Technology has become an essential part of the teaching and learning process. It is a means of enhancing lessons, supporting learning and is an opportunity to break out of the classroom and take learning further. Of course, as with technology in any capacity, to achieve this it needs to be effective – it needs to work.
Kevin Robinson, services architect at RM Education, considers the benefits of engaging an IT technician
A large number of schools currently outsource their catering or cleaning services. Why? Because these tasks aren’t an integral part of the skillset of the school staff team; they call in specialists to take away the hassle attached to these areas and let them worry about the processes, laws and risks.
Today, 15% of schools are enjoying the improved provision, cost-savings and teaching and learning benefits that a specialist technology partner can bring.
According to a BESA survey from October 2017, 27% of schools are planning to review their support options this year as they become more forward-thinking. This will enable them to achieve a high level of ICT delivery and support whilst also keeping costs down.
Expertly filling the gaps
Staff salaries account for the greatest spend in most schools and, when pressures are put on budgets, the thought of having to make teaching staff redundant to save money is a choice that no school wants to make. If you have a skills gap in your IT team, that you can’t afford to fill, there is an alternative; rather than recruiting a like-for-like technician, consider working with an IT partner who can provide this service for you, utilising a range of more cost-efficient, on-site and remote, support services.
An IT specialist knows best
Keeping your network, school data, teachers and learners safe in this digital age is a complex and never-ending task as the technology landscape and associated risks constantly change. A specialist IT partner is ideally placed to keep abreast of the latest security risks and will ensure that your infrastructure, data security and pupil access to appropriate materials are all kept as secure as possible.
A school IT technician knows a little bit about everything, but rarely do they have in-depth expertise in all areas of technology. This means IT issues can take a long time to resolve and often it’s a symptom that gets fixed, not the root cause. An IT partner can help identify the root cause of the problem, so you see fewer IT issues in the future.
By partnering with an IT support provider your IT costs become predictable and your technology is cost-effective and future-proofed. It also helps stop those expensive IT investment mistakes that must be avoided as we try to cope with ever-increasing budget pressures.
A free IT healthcheck is available to schools at www.rm.com/freehealthcheck
Want to learn more? Kevin Robinson will run a workshop at EdExec LIVE in London on June 21. You can learn more about his session here or book your ticket and join us for the day here.
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