In 2019 both Departments for Education and for International Trade published strategies that will shape the UK’s EdTech sector over the coming years.

The Department for International Trade’s International Education Strategy pledged to boost exports in products and services so other countries can benefit from the UK education sector’s world-leading expertise.  The Department for Education published the EdTech Strategy which made a number of commitments to assistive technology and inclusive practices in the classroom.

On January 14th 2020 Policy Connect gathered cross-party parliamentarians, government officials from both Departments, and assistive technology organisations to discuss the role of the assistive technology sector in the delivery of these overlapping strategies.

The roundtable discussion brought to light issues of procurement and a fragmented domestic market; the lack of a national coordinating body, and how Government can promote UK assistive technology providers to education sectors around the world. 

Policy Connect and the APPGAT will be following up the findings with further work to help bring the potential of assistive technologies closer to the heart of a cross-departmental EdTech Strategy.

The key findings and full outcomes briefing can be found here.