Doing more with less

We all knew that cuts to the public sector would come just about as soon as we knew the results of the general election in May. What most of us didn't know is how fast the cuts would come and exactly where they would be made. I don't think anyone thought that when the Con/LibDem Government said that they would protect front line services, that this meant that the Harnessing Technology Grant would be cut by 50% in order to contribute towards the funding of "free schools". They argue that this is not a cut but a reallocation of resources from one area of the front line to another. In reality, this has meant that every school has suffered a reduction in the amount of money available to it to invest in technology for learning so that a small number of new schools can be created. Not a strictly a cut in front line resources but a redistribution from the many to the few. Such is the nature of politics, decisions are made that effect all those in education based on ideological viewpoints. This decision for all  of us who are passionate about the use of technology for learning, has immediate, direct and very tangible consequences.

I think we all expect that this will not be the end of the cuts and that school budgets will get tighter in all areas over the next few years. There will be less money for hardware, software, connectivity, professional development and training. The challenge then, for leaders and users of technology for learning is how to continue to develop an improve teaching and learning whilst having less money for these things - effectively, how do we do more with less ?

Taking a pragmatic approach and making cuts and savings yourself might be the obvious starting point. John McLear's Blog post on Seven Ways to cut ICT Costs might be a good place to start. It provides some sensible, practical ideas, such as maintaining equipment and printing less as well as the "go compare" approach of reviewing costs you are paying for existing services. I'm not sure that the idea of moving ISP away from a BECTA accredited provider to local provider is a sound one. It may save money, but probably at the cost of esafety. Not an option most schools would or should countenance.

This approach also is based on an assumption that there is waste in the first place and that schools and the people working in them are somehow not used to working within a budget, looking for best value and minimising costs. Although I am sure that there are instances of wasteful practice in schools, in my experience, teachers and subject leaders are incredibly cost conscious and many have been prudent in their approach to day to day costs as well as rigorous in their procurement processes. Remember, schools are judged under the OfSTED framework on how well they give value for money.  

The angst and frustration caused in schools by the cuts is typified and eloquently summarised by Dawn Hallybone in her Blog. Dawn, as ever remains positive and suggests that greater cooperation and collaboration between schools may be a way of making savings in the future. Groups, clusters or families of schools making collective purchases in order to take advantage of economies of scale, whether it be for hardware, software or online services is a sensible approach but assumes there is money to spend and that schools continue to work in collaboration rather than competition. Experience tells us that in times where funding is scarce, competition rather than collaboration prospers, let us hope this time round, it is different.

I too want to remain positive and offer some suggestions into where savings could be made and how we can do more with less. Here are my thoughts :

5 ways to make the best possible use of the resources we already have.

1. Interactive Whiteboards - a considerable investment, most classes have them, many of their features are often unused and therefore their potential remains unexploited.
2. Software  - many schools invested heavily in software through elearning credits. In some cases the sheer volume of resources purchased meant staff did not have time to look at what they already have.
3. Free, online and web based resources - this is a massive source of free tools for learning. All you need is an internet connection and the time to look at what is available. http://www.boxoftricks.net/?page_id=29 might be a good place to start.
4. Learning Platform - many schools have invested in one of these and again make use of only some of it's features. Time spent developing this may have greater impact than buying in new software.
5. Share - use tools such as collaboration zones, blogs, Evolve and MyEvolve (in Leeds) and twitter to share the ideas and resources you have and find the resources you need.

All these potential savings rely on two things - time and access to training or support. Here is my final suggestion on how money can be saved. Most schools have someone in them that is a fantastic user of technology for learning. They might not be great at everything, but will have some significant areas of expertise that can be shared within the school. Some time for that person to share their practice, might help others do more with the tools they already have available to them.