Dartford pupils given iPads for e-learning

Head teachers looking for new ways to introduce online learning courses to their classes could be interested in a recent method adopted by a new school.

According to the Dartford Messenger, pupils from soon-to-open institution Longfield Academy will be provided with the high-tech gadget to assist in their education.

In the first development of its kind, the scheme will allow students to gain access to interactive content, as well as link each other's work, from any location.

Parents will pay £16 per month across three years for the iPad, with the e-Learning Foundation using gift aid to manage the initiative.

Valerie Thompson, chief executive of the organisation, said: "iPads will not replace paper, pens, whiteboards and presentations, they will be another tool in the box."

This news comes after the e-Learning Foundation reported that the number of children with access to the internet increased to 85 per cent in January 2011, compared with 77 per cent in the corresponding month in 2010