A NORTH-East college has been given £150,000 as part of a programme to train teachers to make the most of technology to help them teach children at home.

Darlington College is one of 20 providers in England to get the Government funding to train teachers how to access and use Google and Microsoft’s education platforms so students can be taught effectively at home.

The EdTech Demonstrators programme was announced last year but has now been tailored to help schools and colleges remotely in light of the nationwide shutdown.

Carole Todd, Darlington College’s deputy principal, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be selected to be in the vanguard of this revolution in education.

“We decided some years ago to invest in the latest technology and this is now paying dividends with the successful delivery of our own remote learning practices and in helping schools and businesses across the country.

“Our staff are completely comfortable using the latest technology, which is proving to be exceptionally engaging with students, with many lecturers reporting 100 per cent attendances for online sessions.

“I believe the pandemic has pushed us beyond the watershed and that learning in this country will never be the same, it will involve the latest technology and the ability to teach remotely. So we are delighted to be chosen to lead this sea-change in learning and offer our expertise to help get remote learning up to full speed.”

Liz Sproat, head of education at Google EMEA said: "This is a challenging time for UK schools, educators, parents and students and this initiative by the Department for Education provides vital support to schools seeking to enable remote learning.

"We are delighted that our suite of tools, resources and our partners can help schools maintain learning during these difficult times.

Cindy Rose, chief executive of Microsoft UK, added: "Schools across the UK are facing unprecedented challenges as their staff demonstrate incredible resilience, imagination and passion to ensure children are safe and able to keep learning while at home.

"We’re proudly working with the Department for Education to support the roll out of remote learning technology to those who need it.

"For some time now, Microsoft has offered Office 365 for Education free for schools and we continue working on a number of fronts to support the education community with the latest technology during this difficult time."

On Friday, the Department of Education said it had committed £100m to providing devices and internet access to help schools provide remote education.

The Government has made a bulk order for devices and has written to local authorities, trusts and other organisations overseeing schools and children’s social care outlining how to order them.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said: "As schools, parents and children adapt to the changing environment we are all faced with, it is vital that we provide them with the right support so young people are able to continue their education.

"Through close partnership with the education sector and two of the world’s biggest tech companies, we are working to ensure that children can continue their studies while they are at home.

"Laptops and tablets for vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils are on their way and will begin being distributed in weeks, enabling those most in need to access online resources."