The United Kingdom has shown itself to be one of the most forward-thinking countries in the world following the launch and implementation of its teacher training programme for educational ICT.

The Government's commitment to this initiative is such that by the end of this year £30 million of new capital funding will ensure schools in England have an electronic management information system. The New Opportunities Fund alone entitles over 400,000 teachers to receive ICT training. This will become even more vital if, as recent surveys suggests, 63% of UK schools are regular users of the Internet. Several new and important initiatives including Curriculum Online are also on the agenda and this is just one of the many topics that will be under the spotlight at BETT 2002 taking place from 9-12 January at Olympia in London.

BETT is the largest educational ICT event in the world and many of the agencies responsible for these dynamic changes will be at the show, including DfES, NGfL, BECTA, QCA and TTA. These departments will be coming together at BETT to form a central policy area to provide teachers and ICT co-ordinators with the information and guidance they require. Seminars and informal discussions will be held to provide further understanding of key messages and to assist different types of establishments.

According to Exhibition Director, Andrew Wilkinson, BETT 2002 provides teachers with a valuable opportunity to tap into the support network provided by these agencies. “It gives them the opportunity to stimulate debate and give feedback on current issues through the Show's events and seminars,” he says. “This feature should be used as a first point of contact for visitors as these issues are top of the Government's agenda.”

BETT 2002 will be held at London's Olympia from 9th –12th January. The show is open from Wednesday 9th January to Friday 11th January from 10.00am to 6.00pm and on Saturday 12th January from 10.00am to 4.30pm.