Aberdeen Council to spend £860k on school phones A SCOTTISH council, which is currently consulting on a series of controversial school closures, sparked outrage today by announcing proposals to spend an estimated £860,000 to ensure every pupil has access to a smartphone in the classroom. Plans to provide pupils at council's 62 schools with smartphones Opponents says scheme poor use of limited funds Council schools chief says plans designed to address "digital divide" between rich and poor pupils Education chiefs at Aberdeen City Council are drawing up radical plans to buy mobile phones for pupils whose parents cannot afford to purchase a device. The aim is to allow both primary and secondary pupils to use their handsets in class, utilising new wi-fi systems which will enable schoolchildren to connect their phones to the Internet for classroom research. A mobile device management system will filter which sites pupils can use, and pupils will not be allowed to use their phones to make phone calls. The scheme will cost £30,000 to put in place at each of council's twelve secondary schools and £10,000 at each of the 50 Aberdeen primaries, and it could be rolled out on a school by school basis after the summer holiday break. Opposition councillors, angry parents, and members of the public today united in condemning the proposals. Councillor Gordon Townson, the SNP Group's education spokesman, said: "This is a kick in the teeth for the parents who are opposing the school closure plans. I am all for technology but in the current climate and the way things are moving it might not sit well with parents in both the primary and secondary sector. He added: "We have a current situation on the new build for the combined secondary for Torry and Kincorth academies on the south side of the city where we are struggling to get transport payments for children of impoverished parents to go to the new academy. I wonder at the wisdom of committing that amount of money when we have other pressures on us in regard to school closures and school transport problems. Councillor Ian Yuill, the leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, said: "My immediate reaction is that, whilst we want to make sure that children in Aberdeen schools have access to the best possible equipment and technology to aid their education, we would want to be very sure that this represents best value for the council and was the best way of spending the council's very limited budget. I can understand why parents and other are surprised by this proposal. I know that my colleagues on the education committee will be asking very searching questions about this proposal. Martin Greig, another Lib Dem councillor, claimed the council's spending priorities on education were "misplaced." He said: "The increasing use of electronic technology seems an inevitability in education but basic school repairs should always come first. Parents want safe and watertight school buildings as an essential necessity. Maintenance problems in schools should be fast tracked before the council rolls out new funding projects. The emphasis should be on bringing buildings and facilities up to a decent level so that pupils have a suitable learning environment. Parents also flooded social networking sites to criticise the plan. Charlene McConnachie declared: "This is another waste of tax payers money from a council who already don't have enough money to do things that Aberdeen actually need." Kelsey Stewart posted: "There are schools being shut down but they are choosing to spend money on this.. Makes a lot of sense. And Fiona Clark said: "What next? And the council says they have no money! However, David Leng, the city council's head of schools, defended the scheme. He said it was time schools stopped trying to prevent pupils using their phones and instead embraced their potential as a tool for learning. He said: "Our view on smart phones is that, rather than being a problem we need to protect people from, they could actually be an advantage." The education chief said he could not stand by and allow a "digital divide" to open up between those families who can and cannot afford the latest technology. And he continued: "Let me be crystal clear - we are not saying you need to have a mobile phone or a laptop to be able to function in class. We will ensure that everyone has access to devices. We will support and supply to those who do not have their own, Mr Leng stressed that a mobile device management system would filter which sites pupils can use and explained: "Nobody will be accessing the Internet in a classroom without supervision. And when they do it in the playground, they will be going through the school's Wifi, which is filtered. Mr Leng added: "We understand that there is anxiety about the potential abuse of social networking sites and things like that, but we are not sensing that the risks are so big that we can't cope." Aberdeen City Council is currently consulting on a series of closures, mergers and changes to zoning policies, They include proposals to merge the Quarryhill and Bramble Brae primaries, merging the Middleton Park and Glashieburn primaries, and closing Abbotswell and Kirkhill primaries, with a new school on an as yet unidentified site.