Moray schools experiencing 15-minute waits to access internet

Moray’s schools continue to face slow internet connections despite a number of network improvements.

Reports from last year indicated that staff had to wait for up to an hour sometimes in order to login and access online education services. The situation has since improved, but waits of upto 15 minutes are still occuring during busy times of the day.

Moray Council’s education committee was told during a meeting on Tuesday that, due to archaic tech systems, common modern-day practices such as making a video call, could cause problems.

For instance, just one staff member being in an online meeting could disrupt reception for the rest of the school.

However, it was added, a roll-out of improvements across education services in Moray is currently underway, starting in the region’s secondary schools.

Since ditching old internet supplier Capita, the council has now contracted in BT to complete the improvement works.

Denise Whitworth, the council’s deputy chief executive, said: “Our pupils in Moray should not be experiencing anything less, digitally, than in other parts of Scotland.”

Meanwhile, Kathleen Robertson (Forres, Conservative), the council’s leader, said the issue was not limited to Moray and would also be discussed by HIghland Council in May.

She added: “Enhancing digital connectivity in our schools is a key priority. While we recognise there are still challenges to overcome, the additional bandwidth and ongoing updates should help improve connectivity.”

The council will be presented with a further connectivity update in September.