HUNDREDS more teachers across North Yorkshire will get laptop computers as the technological revolution continues to sweep across the county.

The laptops, complete with software, will be given to more than 700 teachers at a cost of £700,000.

It will take the total number of computers issued over two years to more than 1,430.

The cash allocation from the Government for the laptops over the same period has been £1.44m.

Over four years the county's education department will get £3.5m which means laptops will be issued to many peripatetic staff and support workers.

County council spokesman Dudley Bason said: "The Government wishes to relieve the burden of school work for teachers outside the classroom and giving them a laptop will help them with this."

The portables are part of the hi-tech revolution in schools. Broadband technology is also being installed giving youngsters faster and more efficient access to the internet.

The county has to meet Government targets of providing one computer for every five secondary school pupils and one for every eight primary youngsters and by the end of this year 220 of the county's 390 schools are expected to be on broadband.

Mr Bason said: "By next Easter there will be fewer than 15 per cent of North Yorkshire pupils still without broadband access to the internet."

The county's head of education finance, George Bateman, said: "There is an amazing array of on-line curriculum material out there.

"For instance we are soon to put aerial pictures of the whole county on there which will be used as research work to study the growth of settlements.

"Our job is to show the children how to access this amazing world library."