BECTA to be shut down as part of Government cuts

[HarryMonkey]

I feel sorry for the staff but they could be working on something more productive - an extra 240 technicians in schools that are short staffed as mentioned in several posts on here.

 

Are there 240 short staffed schools in the Coventry area?

[Dos_Box]

The more important question is now BECTA will cease to exist, maybe it's edugeeks time to shine as an independant source of good advice on schools ICT? Of course it could never become another BECTA, but there's certainly areas which it could become an authorative source - particularly if it was possible to license some of the material on the BECTA website, all the masses of documentation some of which is actually very useful? just thinking out loud.

 

Will the BECTA website remain as an archive does anyone know - be a shame to lose it all.

 

Mike.

 

Since yesterday morning when the cuts were announced, I've taken a lot of calls and emails all asking about what we at EduGeek can do to fill a potential gap in the educational advice world. I can't say anything yet, but will keep you all posted and will hopefully have some news for you all later in the week once we have decided what courses we can take and what we will need to do in preperation.

[maark]

Are there 240 short staffed schools in the Coventry area?

 

Probably not but I bet there is in west midlands. But my general point is there are too many planners, advisors, consultants on high pay and not enough front line staff.

 

Quick edit - see sippo's post more work!

Edited May 25, 2010 by maark

[Dos_Box]

The Registers take on this:

 

School IT quango to be expelled

 

The bit which I find unnerving is the 'Schools are expected to get more control over their technology purchases as a result' bit. Whist I agree this is a good thing, it is also a chance for unscrupulous companies to sell overpriced\unsuitable\inadequate IT equipment to smaller schools. It's about time we cracked on with those management guides to IT I proposed a couple of weeks back. We will need to ensure schools get the best and most impartial advice that we can offer and we need to get it done soon.

It look like we will have our work cut out.

[apoth0r]

May I add planners, advisors, consultants - WITHOUT front line (in schools) experience?

[featured_spectre]

I have no problem in knocking up pamphlets and stuff with the info required and I dont mind updating it every other month...

[torledo]

Since yesterday morning when the cuts were announced, I've taken a lot of calls and emails all asking about what we at EduGeek can do to fill a potential gap in the educational advice world. I can't say anything yet, but will keep you all posted and will hopefully have some news for you all later in the week once we have decided what courses we can take and what we will need to do in preperation.

 

whatever it is you end up doing, i just hope it doesn't cost 55m quid a year to deliver !

[ICT_GUY]

I don't mind being paid £220K a year for doing something.

[HarryMonkey]

Probably not but I bet there is in west midlands. But my general point is there are too many planners, advisors, consultants on high pay and not enough front line staff.

 

Quick edit - see sippo's post more work!

 

Removing the categories of staff that you mention is going to do nothing to fill the front line gap. The only way to do that is to become competitive by offering realistic salaries for the front line jobs.

 

I don't exactly see many of the planners, consultants and such like commuting into Birmingham for £13k a year.

[browolf]

The more important question is now BECTA will cease to exist, maybe it's edugeeks time to shine as an independant source of good advice on schools ICT? Of course it could never become another BECTA, but there's certainly areas which it could become an authorative source - particularly if it was possible to license some of the material on the BECTA website, all the masses of documentation some of which is actually very useful? just thinking out loud.

Mike.

 

I agree that there would be a hole in authoritative information and edugeek should totally try and fill it. Never mind their documentation. We should make our own including a more realistic & flexible framework. isn't that what google wave is for? mass collaboration?

[tmcd35]

What hole in documentation? We are all going to be Tuped to private companies that will all provide their own corporate documentation that will be wholey incompatible with life in education. Just because BSF is under threat doesn't mean saving money by privitaising ICT support is....

[enjay]

Why are we all assuming there will be massive holes? It is the organisation which has been disbanded, not all the work they do. I would imagine that some of what Becta (and QCA) did will get picked up elsewhere, presumably within the newly-refocussed Department for Education.

[Dos_Box]

Why are we all assuming there will be massive holes? It is the organisation which has been disbanded, not all the work they do. I would imagine that some of what Becta (and QCA) did will get picked up elsewhere, presumably within the newly-refocussed Department for Education.

 

And all of the online materials redistibuted hither and thither. Our worry is that all of the BECTA online resources will be lost if spread out.

[broc]

Just because BSF is under threat doesn't mean saving money by privitaising ICT support is....

 

Absolutely right.... the outsourcing vultures are gathering overhead........ Capita shares rose 4.3% immediately after the election....

 

Surge in public sector outsourcing remains likely - Community - ComputerworldUK

[enjay]

And all of the online materials redistibuted hither and thither. Our worry is that all of the BECTA online resources will be lost if spread out.

 

The hither and thither approach is one of the reasons why the new government are disbanding so many of these little organisations, so I suspect that the documents won't be thrown to the four winds from Becta, merely relocated to a different place under a new name.

[enjay]

Capita shares rose 4.3% immediately after the election....

 

That rise isn't just because of outsourced schools, Capita work on all sort of Government contracts.

[broc]

That rise isn't just because of outsourced schools, Capita work on all sort of Government contracts.

 

I know that, I mentioned Capita merely to illustrate a point. The real point I was trying to make is that the whole outsourcing industry is rubbing its hands at the prospect of the ConDem Govt forcing wholesale privatisation of public sector services .... carrying on where New Labour left off.

[OverWorked]

When is Becta closing exactly? I've seen dates of 12 months from now, November 2010, and 1-June-2010 (next week).

 

According to Idealo, the Home Access programme is continuing for a little longer, but doesn't say for how long.

[Martin]

Absolutely right.... the outsourcing vultures are gathering overhead........ Capita shares rose 4.3% immediately after the election....

 

Surge in public sector outsourcing remains likely - Community - ComputerworldUK

 

I think that they have dropped a bit since though, see Osborne's axe hits outsourcing firms and also BBC.

 

mb

[Banjo]

Some other questions arise, do we need (are required to have) a LP anymore, what about the parental engagement agenda & online reporting, lots of uncertainty in the near furture.

 

Capita were doing the Home Access programme, that contract will not be extended as there will be no next wave.

[broc]

I think that they have dropped a bit since though, see Osborne's axe hits outsourcing firms and also BBC.

 

mb

True, but later in the Mail article you quoted it goes on to suggest the relatively minor cuts we had this week will pale into insignificance when the axe really falls later this year & subsequent years; that is when we might expect to see major increases in public to private sector outsourcing and boom time for Capita, Serco & others .....

[enjay]

Some other questions arise, do we need (are required to have) a LP anymore, what about the parental engagement agenda & online reporting, lots of uncertainty in the near furture.

 

Surely it was DCSF forcing those things, not Becta? Maybe I've got the wrong end of this since we're independent, but I thought Becta were just an advisory body. If so, I don't see that Becta's demise would change these things, although the new Department might have other ideas on those topics anyway.

 

An LP/VLE wouldn't hurt anyway, even if no-one is forcing our hands. IMHO.

[teejay]

True, but later in the Mail article you quoted it goes on to suggest the relatively minor cuts we had this week will pale into insignificance when the axe really falls later this year & subsequent years; that is when we might expect to see major increases in public to private sector outsourcing and boom time for Capita, Serco & others .....

 

Not so sure about that, both Con & Lib were pretty scathing about outsourcing before the election and Con were certainly on about bringing some stuff back in house and stuff that was being outsourced splitting up contracts to open them up to smaller companies etc.

Certainly interesting times ahead, but I think the most important thing is to stay positive and make sure you can demonstrate that you are cost effective and of benefit to the school.

[AyatollahPies]

Will the BECTA website remain as an archive does anyone know - be a shame to lose it all.

 

Mike.

 

Seen as the tax payer has paid for this information, it would be a disgrace if it was taken down and not licensed for use elsewhere.

[tmcd35]

Seen as the tax payer has paid for this information, it would be a disgrace if it was taken down and not licensed for use elsewhere.

 

Rumour has it (well I'm starting the rumour now, so there you go) - Dos_box has a red phone in his office (a bit like Comissionar Gordon and Batman) that goes straight goes straight to the Secratery of State for Education's office.

 

Micheal Gove has been in the job for what a fortnight now. I bet they are now golfing buddies