Budget battles: where’s the budget gone in 5 years?

We’ve been following the trajectory of school budgets for half a decade. In that time, our State of Technology in Education reports have tracked which resources have received the right level of funding and which have been neglected. In a year of unprecedented challenges, it’s become increasingly critical that school budgets are allocated efficiently. Now we’re getting ready to reveal next year’s priorities in our upcoming 2020/21 report.

Where have budgets been spent?

So how have budgets been spent, and do educators feel schools have been getting it right?

Over the past five years, most educators agree too little budget is allocated to technology. This has always been the dominant sentiment, peaking last year when 46% reported this concern, against only 18% feeling it was at the right level. Educators may have relied more on remote technologies this year, but do they still say edtech is lacking the funding it deserves?

Are school budgets being invested correctly?

Not only do educators feel edtech hasn’t received enough budget, but they also haven’t always believed it’s been spent effectively. At the start of our annual survey in 2016, almost a quarter of educators (24%) believed tech budgets were invested in the wrong things. However, investments are smarter than they were five years ago: this year, 13% fewer educators reported this issue. So schools are gradually optimising tech spending, but where else is the budget going?

The 2020/21 State of Technology in Education breaks down the detail behind budgets — what’s been supported and what’s missed out? Edtech spending may be improving, but you can access in-depth insight into the resources and priorities your budget should be supporting. Optimise your spending and ensure your school’s budget is meeting the needs of staff and students.