Becta’s closing: Loss of an important leader in research

If anyone wants to retain copies of the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency’s (Becta) excellent research and reports, they might think about hurrying over to the website. As a result of cutbacks in the UK, the agency will stop receiving government funds as of the end of this month (May, 2010). Some people have suggested that the agency may attempt to continue running without government funding.
Becta is the UK agency charged with managing procurement for public schools. But it does so much more than that. In recent years Becta has produced a phenomenal amount of high quality research on the use of ICT in education, much of which I have discussed here on this blog. During the last decade Becta research has made important contributions to our understanding of how ICT can, and does, work in education. It has been invaluable to the UK, but also to the global community of ICT and education researchers. Becta reports have been translated into numerous languages immediately on their publication because the agency is known for high quality objective research.
It’s not clear what will happen to Becta once it stops receiving government funding, but it is doubtful that it will have the resources to sustain the type and level of activity that it has become renowned for. It will be sorely missed.