BECTA’s fifth seminar on the findings of their latest research supporting the Harnessing Technology strategy (www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/e-strategy), was on the potential use of e-learning for NEETs (young people Not in Education Employment or Training). The research team from Lancaster University has undertaken a difficult job extremely well, and they’ve come up with some sensible observations and recommendations. However, their task hasn’t been helped by the Government’s buy-in to the concept of NEETs as a distinctive category… in the first place. Under the current definition of NEET, the drug addict, the ‘gap year’ kid, the young mum, and the mentally ill, are indistinguishable.

The question that I’m most interested in is: ‘how can technology more effectively be used to help disaffected young to learn, whether in school or out?’ Whilst Lancaster’s research begins to address this central question, the terms of the Government’s NEET policy unnecessarily complicates it.

Joanna and her team have filmed case studies for each of the BECTA seminars, and the seminars have also been filmed, for wider dissemination of the research findings.

Watch this space.