Here are four of the latest UK education and education technology news stories from April 2019…

Teachers quit because they find workload ‘worse than expected’

Study finds teachers ‘knew about workload’ before entering profession and thought they’d cope, ‘but the reality was different’

Teachers drop out of the profession because they find the workload is “worse than expected”, according to a new study.

Research from academics at UCL’s Institute of Education found that while most teachers were aware of the challenges of workload before entering the profession, they thought they could cope and only later discovered that “the reality was different”.

Teachers also felt that it was the nature of workload that made it so unsustainable – particularly its link to accountability – rather than the sheer quantity.

40 to 50 per cent of the respondents had left or were considering leaving within 10 years of beginning teacher training, with the researchers commenting: “It would certainly seem that teaching is not a career for life”.

EdTech Strategy marks ‘new era’ for schools

Leading tech companies to work with schools and colleges to cut teacher workload, support professional development and improve student outcomes

The use of technology in education will be transformed by a new Government strategy published today to reduce teacher workload, boost student outcomes and help level the playing field for those with special needs and disabilities.

Unveiling the Education Technology strategy at the Schools and Academies Show in London, the Education Secretary will set out plans – backed by £10 million – to support innovation and raise the bar in schools, colleges and universities across England.

Teachers, lecturers and education experts will unite with innovative businesses to harness the power of technology to tackle common challenges, and to ensure those working in education are equipped with the necessary skills and tools to meet the needs of schools, colleges, and their pupils.

Teachers ‘paying for resources out of own money’

One in five teachers are using their own money to buy classroom resources once a week, a survey by the NASUWT suggests.

And 45% of the 4,386 members of the teachers’ union surveyed said they had bought essentials such as food or clothing for pupils in the last year.

The survey comes as about 7,000 head teachers in England wrote to parents before the Easter holidays highlighting what they call a “funding crisis”.

Ministers say school finances are a priority for the next spending review.

“We are told there is no money for anything, all departmental budgets have been frozen and all the stockrooms are empty,” one teacher responded in the study.

Two in five under-18s think technology should be for positive change, poll suggests

Two in five children aged between 9 and 18-years-old think technology should make ‘positive difference in people’s lives’, a new poll suggests.

61 per cent of children said technology gives them power to learn new skills and 21 per cent said they want to use technology to become entrepreneurs.

The research is based on a sample of 1,000 parents and 1,000 children.

For the latest updates on education technology, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram: PrometheanUKI