The under-digitised state of edtech and the need for infrastructure
Despite the rapid advancement of technology, education remains one of the most under-digitised sectors.
During Bett 2025, we heard of a primary school with just thirty computers for the entire school – which quite simply – isn’t enough, suggesting the gap between innovation and implementation remains stark, leaving educators without the integrated tools they need.
We caught up with Skolon’s Chief Product Officer, Ole Lidegran, who shared his insights on why schools are still under-digitised, the key challenges they face, and how investing in the right infrastructure can bridge the gap between innovation and everyday classroom reality.
The current state of edtech
Research published by HolonIQ highlights that less than 4% of global expenditure goes towards edtech – compared to the 96.4% in other industries. While this figure’s gradually increasing, investment still remains limited – which is reflected in the classroom of today. On this, Ole said
“It’s a very low figure compared to other industries like the car industry, where everything is automated, and the people are long gone from the production line… At schools, we have the same number of teachers per 100 pupils as we had 20 years ago. So tech hasn’t really changed the foundations of how we teach.”
This is emphasised by recent government reports in the UK that show the number of teachers per 20 pupils has risen by just 0.1%, suggesting that despite the advancements in technology, the fundamentals of teaching have not significantly changed.
The importance of infrastructure
A strong digital infrastructure is essential for ensuring the stability and quality of information flows within schools.
On this, Ole elaborated that:
“The school ecosystem we’re discussing refers to the stability and quality of digital tool delivery. This includes everything from rolling out new devices to pupils and fixing account issues—like ensuring email addresses are correct—to maintaining reliable wireless connections. When these systems work seamlessly, teachers can begin to trust the digital world as much as they trust the physical classroom environment.”
Not forgetting flows…
Ensuring secure, reliable, and up-to-date data is crucial for schools, yet many have trouble synching data. On this, Ole remarked:
“Schools or MATs typically struggle with keeping data synced between platforms, and that is one thing that we can help with at Skolon, to manage the data flows and to ensure that it’s secure, reliable and accessible.”
“These three things are really important for all schools and maybe they haven’t acknowledged that yet.”
For digital learning to thrive, schools must enable real-time synchronisation across systems, such as that offered within Skolon’s smart platform to create a more efficient and effective learning environment.
Skolon adheres to international standards
As digital education grows, so does the need to adhere to international and local frameworks, but each country has specific requirements, making standardisation a challenge.
Ole highlighted this, stating:
“This vital part of the ecosystem that a school can play needs to be rooted in national and international standards. For example, with OneRoster, we adhere to the international standard while also understanding that each country has its own variations. We need to be the engine in the middle that can adapt to these local specifics, like those in the UK.”
Thus suggesting that schools should prioritise solutions that bridge these varying standards, ensuring smooth implementation and reducing the complexity of managing multiple digital tools.
The only way is up…
The excitement around emerging technologies such as AI, VR, and personalised learning is justified, but without a stable foundation, these advancements will struggle to deliver real impact in the classroom.
Ole emphasised this, stating: “Once the infrastructure and the flow of information is in place, I think or hope that educators will dare to use EdTech in their everyday teaching in the classroom and beyond to engage and enhance the learning outcomes. So that is like the basics needs to be addressed more thoroughly than they have been before.”
For technology to truly support teaching and learning, schools must first focus on the fundamentals—stable networks, accurate data, and secure, seamless access to resources.
When these essentials are in place, teachers can confidently embrace digital tools, unlocking their full potential to enhance learning and better prepare pupils for the future. To learn more about how Skolon can support you on your digitisation journey, use the button below.
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Despite the rapid advancement of technology, education remains one of the most under-digitised sectors.
During Bett 2025, we heard of a primary school with just thirty computers for the entire school – which quite simply – isn’t enough, suggesting the gap between innovation and implementation remains stark, leaving educators without the integrated tools they need.
We caught up with Skolon’s Chief Product Officer, Ole Lidegran, who shared his insights on why schools are still under-digitised, the key challenges they face, and how investing in the right infrastructure can bridge the gap between innovation and everyday classroom reality.
The current state of edtech
Research published by HolonIQ highlights that less than 4% of global expenditure goes towards edtech – compared to the 96.4% in other industries. While this figure’s gradually increasing, investment still remains limited – which is reflected in the classroom of today. On this, Ole said
“It’s a very low figure compared to other industries like the car industry, where everything is automated, and the people are long gone from the production line… At schools, we have the same number of teachers per 100 pupils as we had 20 years ago. So tech hasn’t really changed the foundations of how we teach.”
This is emphasised by recent government reports in the UK that show the number of teachers per 20 pupils has risen by just 0.1%, suggesting that despite the advancements in technology, the fundamentals of teaching have not significantly changed.
The importance of infrastructure
A strong digital infrastructure is essential for ensuring the stability and quality of information flows within schools.
On this, Ole elaborated that:
“The school ecosystem we’re discussing refers to the stability and quality of digital tool delivery. This includes everything from rolling out new devices to pupils and fixing account issues—like ensuring email addresses are correct—to maintaining reliable wireless connections. When these systems work seamlessly, teachers can begin to trust the digital world as much as they trust the physical classroom environment.”
Not forgetting flows…
Ensuring secure, reliable, and up-to-date data is crucial for schools, yet many have trouble synching data. On this, Ole remarked:
“Schools or MATs typically struggle with keeping data synced between platforms, and that is one thing that we can help with at Skolon, to manage the data flows and to ensure that it’s secure, reliable and accessible.”
“These three things are really important for all schools and maybe they haven’t acknowledged that yet.”
For digital learning to thrive, schools must enable real-time synchronisation across systems, such as that offered within Skolon’s smart platform to create a more efficient and effective learning environment.
Skolon adheres to international standards
As digital education grows, so does the need to adhere to international and local frameworks, but each country has specific requirements, making standardisation a challenge.
Ole highlighted this, stating:
“This vital part of the ecosystem that a school can play needs to be rooted in national and international standards. For example, with OneRoster, we adhere to the international standard while also understanding that each country has its own variations. We need to be the engine in the middle that can adapt to these local specifics, like those in the UK.”
Thus suggesting that schools should prioritise solutions that bridge these varying standards, ensuring smooth implementation and reducing the complexity of managing multiple digital tools.
The only way is up…
The excitement around emerging technologies such as AI, VR, and personalised learning is justified, but without a stable foundation, these advancements will struggle to deliver real impact in the classroom.
Ole emphasised this, stating: “Once the infrastructure and the flow of information is in place, I think or hope that educators will dare to use EdTech in their everyday teaching in the classroom and beyond to engage and enhance the learning outcomes. So that is like the basics needs to be addressed more thoroughly than they have been before.”
For technology to truly support teaching and learning, schools must first focus on the fundamentals—stable networks, accurate data, and secure, seamless access to resources.
When these essentials are in place, teachers can confidently embrace digital tools, unlocking their full potential to enhance learning and better prepare pupils for the future. To learn more about how Skolon can support you on your digitisation journey, use the button below.
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