The Birmingham AAL Vision

One day, five to seven years from now, every pupil in Birmingham over four years of age will have a personal ICT device, complete with the ability to use the Internet via mobile telephony, that they can take from lesson to lesson and from school to home.

“It is vitally important that every child in Britain gets access to these technologies, not for just a couple of hours a day in the classroom but as much as they want, so that every single child has the opportunity of advancement in our brave new virtual world.”

Henry Beker - Chair of Board of Trustees, e-Learning Foundation

The prime objective of the Birmingham Anytime, Anywhere Learning Initiative is to realise the vision of e-learning, by providing one-to-one access to appropriate learning technology for pupils and their teachers. In the main this will be achieved through the provision of laptop computers equipped with powerful software. However, other forms of access technology, such as interactive digital TV, are likely to form part of the solution in the longer term.

Pupils will be able to take their laptops home for evenings and weekends, creating real opportunities for learning to take place beyond the confines of the school day or academic year. This will also empower a range of lifelong learning initiatives in those same homes, and provide opportunities to link with developments taking place in other City Council Departments.