Ministers warned of risk to education with loss of vital IT products

Scottish ministers have been warned of the obstacles facing schools if access to vital IT services is lost before the new academic year.

Liberal Democrat education spokesman Willie Rennie has lodged a parliamentary motion urging Holyrood to “express serious concern” as the A1 Plus licence with Microsoft ends on August 1.

It means that just weeks before pupils return to the classroom, access to software including Word, Excel and Powerpoint will be lost through the digital learning platform Glow.

Devices which already have the software activated will have limited access to view and print documents but will not be able to edit.

Ministers have been aware of the issue since August 2023, it is understood.

Some local authorities are considering “workarounds” which could see them pay for the products through their education budget, according to The Herald.

In his parliamentary motion, which could be put to MSPs after recess, Mr Rennie urges Holyrood to “express serious concern about reports that teachers and pupils may lose offline access to Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint” from August 1.

Mr Rennie said: “The last thing schools need as they head back for the new year is to lose access to crucial tools for learning.

“There seems to be a real void in the Scottish Government’s response. They had ample warning but seem to have sat on their hands. Meanwhile, school staff, pupils and parents have been left in the dark.

“Schools have faced unprecedented disruption in recent years, from Covid and the exam marking scandal to industrial disputes and classroom violence. They could do without another expense and another upheaval.

“The Scottish Government must work in conjunction with local authorities and education authorities to urgently take the necessary steps to rectify this nationwide, before the new school year commences, so that school staff and pupils can always access the digital tools that they need without any disruption or obstacles to teaching and learning.

“I hope MSPs from across the Parliament can get behind my motion.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Local authorities are responsible for the provision of education and any additional IT resources required by them are purchased locally to meet local circumstances.

“The Scottish Government and Education Scotland are working closely with local authorities on this issue. We provide central access to a range of free online services through Glow to support learners.

“Regardless of each local authority’s licensing decisions, Glow users will continue to have access to a range of Microsoft applications from August 1 through the web.

“Many local authorities already have alternative licensing arrangements in place where web-based applications do not provide a full level of functionality for a limited number of courses or the individual needs of some pupils and students.

“We are working to ensure that provision is in place across the country.”