Tablets could soon be provided for all Fife school pupils from P6 to S6.
Fife Council plans to issue more than 35,000 digital devices to schoolchildren and their teachers.
The investment aims to ensure digital inclusion and improve teaching and learning for every child.
But parents, pupils and people Fife-wide will want to know more about the ambitious one-to-one digital provision.
Here we answer the key questions.
What kind of devices will be issued?
It’s yet to be decided what type of devices will be used. Pupils at St Columba’s and Woodmill high schools, in Dunfermline, were given Chromebooks two years as a pilot. However, Fife Council has been impressed by the iPads used by pupils in the Scottish Borders so these are a more likely option.
When will pupils get devices?
All going to plan, devices will be handed out during the 2025/26 academic year. So distribution will begin in August 2025 and be complete by June 2026. Teachers are to get theirs from May 2025.
Will pupils be able to take devices home?
Yes, devices can be taken home in school bags and are expected to replace jotters and workbooks that pupils have for each subject. This means pupils can use them for homework and to revise for exams or tests.
What programmes will be on them?
Each pupil already has a Glow account which gives them access to programmes such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Teams. These will be quickly and readily accessible from their device, meaning time is not wasted logging onto different devices.
How will having their own device benefit pupils?
The provision will ensure every child has the same access to a digital device, and is expected to boost attainment. It will enable every child to acquire the digital skills regarded as critical today and in the future. The benefits are many but include all subjects and material being quickly accessible in one place. Communication between teachers and pupils will be enhanced and pupils will be able to access learning materials from home.
What about pupils with additional support needs?
Having their own tablet will be particularly beneficial for some pupils with additional support needs, such as those with dyslexia or for whom English is an additional language. P6 to S6 pupils at special schools will be issued with devices along with peers at primary and secondary schools.
How much will this cost?
A definite cost is yet to be established, however an initial estimate of £12-16 million has been given. It’s anticipated devices will need to be replaced after four to five years, and new devices will have to be issued each year to pupils moving into P6.
Will it definitely happen?
It’s not 100% but there is a strong political will to ensure one-to-one digital provision in Fife’s schools. The SNP’s 2021 election manifesto promise of digital devices for every schoolchild has since been downgraded to means-tested provision. Fife Council has yet to find the money to press on regardless but there is cross-party support for doing so. Council leader David Ross sees devices for every pupil as a “necessity”.
Do other local authorities provide devices for all pupils?
Digital devices for every pupil are already provided in a handful of local authority areas, including the Scottish Borders, Edinburgh, Stirling and Aberdeen. Some individual schools outside these areas also provide devices for all.
Conversation