In a world where technology is shaping nearly every aspect of modern life, the classroom cannot and should not be an exception. The right classroom technology can empower teachers, enhance learning outcomes, and equip students with skills that are essential for their future success in a digital world. Most education institutions in the UK have some form of technology in their classrooms, whether that’s a projector, student or teacher computers, or interactive displays in place of traditional whiteboards. But this brings IT teams new problems.
More technology doesn’t have to mean more IT problems
The 2025 Cyber Security Breaches Survey found that education institutions in the UK were more likely to suffer a cyber-attack or breach than UK businesses overall. For primary schools, this figure was 44% compared to 41% of businesses, and for secondary schools and further education institutions these figures were 60% and 85% respectively.
Because of this, some interactive display manufacturers on the market have started to claim that the fact that their boards don’t have the capability to connect them to the internet makes them more secure, but this simply isn’t true. These manufacturers sell boards without a built-in operating system (OS), which means that to connect to the internet, they need to plug in a separate PC. In theory, if there’s no PC plugged in, then the risk of a cyber-attack or breach taking place is much lower.
But this sense of safety is misleading. Without the right technology in place, schools often see fragmented setups emerge in classrooms. Unable to connect to the internet on their classroom interactive displays, teachers instead rely on personal devices that may have outdated hardware or increased security vulnerabilities, making IT management far more complicated than it needs to be.
Limiting classroom technology doesn’t eliminate risk
Limited technology in the classroom simply reduces a school’s ability to manage risks effectively. Without connected, integrated systems, IT teams lose visibility and control as security patches and critical updates can’t be deployed remotely, there’s no option centrally manage user access, and safeguarding becomes reactive rather than proactive.
By investing in interactive displays with a built-in operating system, schools are granted centralised oversight of their whole IT infrastructure, automated updates, and enhanced user access management. This allows teachers to create a learning environment that is more engaging and means that the security of the school’s network is vastly improved and significantly more secure.
Schools that embrace and integrate technology strategically and securely are not only much safer and more efficient but are setting their students up for future success in a workforce that is increasingly placing value on digital skills.
Investing in the future means investing in technology
That’s because digital literacy is no longer a ‘nice to have’, it’s a ‘must have’ in the workplace. A 2025 report by the World Economic Forum (The Future of Jobs Report 2025) found that 60% of employers are expecting the trend of ‘broadening digital access’ to transform their business by 2030. This is alongside other advancements in technologies such as AI and information processing (85%). It’s expected that these trends will have a major impact on jobs and will help to fuel the demand for technology-related skills – especially in the areas of AI and big data, networks and cybersecurity, and technological literacy.
With almost every student set to enter a role that will be shaped by technology, if classrooms don’t have modern, interactive technology then these children are missing out on developing vital skills that will set them apart in the future. Outdated learning environments mean that access to engaging resources is limited, collaboration is restricted and can ultimately lead to students falling being their peers in schools that are more digitally advanced.
A crucial disconnect
On top of this, today’s students are digital natives. They have never known a world without the internet, and they live, socialise, and will go on to work in environments that are shaped and dominated by technology.
If they walk into a classroom that lacks modern education technology, then the disconnect may be instant. Teachers could see engagement begin to suffer, learning opportunities and outcomes shrink, and students miss out on critical chances to develop the digital skills and literacy that they will need in the workplace beyond their school years.
Over the last few decades, education institutions around the world have embraced technology and taken large strides to keep up with innovation and the future of technology. However, this momentum must be maintained in order to avoid undoing generations worth of work.
Preparing tomorrow’s workforce with yesterday’s tools
By choosing outdated technology and building under-equipped classrooms, schools aren’t just running the risk of students not reaching their full potential, they’re creating the perfect conditions to set learning outcomes back by an entire generation.
To truly prepare children for the world that they will all one day enter, schools must make sure that they’re providing classrooms that accurately represent the new realities of the working world. That means providing modern, interactive technology, a strategic, secure digital infrastructure, and embracing the fact that less technology doesn’t equal more secure.
By restricting the technology in classrooms, schools are introducing barriers of success that must be removed. The students learning in classrooms today deserve to be given every opportunity to thrive in the future and in an increasingly digital world.
For the sake of our children’s future and their success in later life, the right technology in the classroom is no longer optional, it’s non-negotiable.
