The article discusses the surge in educational technology products during the pandemic, emphasizing the absence of a mandatory licensing system to ensure their efficacy and safety. As K-12 schools and universities face numerous sales pitches for various edtech tools, educators express concern over the lack of regulation, which has led to potential risks to children's privacy and well-being. A UNESCO report underlines these risks, alongside findings from a Human Rights Watch investigation, pointing to serious issues with products backed by official agencies. Calls for the establishment of licensing bodies for edtech are growing amid these concerns.
"We put more thought as institutions into buying tea bags than we do technology," said Anne-Marie Scott, an open education advocate who previously led ed tech purchasing for universities in the U.K. and Canada.
"Children's privacy, safety and well-being are at risk due to lack of oversight of the education technology industry," highlighted a report released by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Experts are calling for countries to establish mandatory licensing processes for educational technology, as voluntary industry-funded certification programs are currently inadequate.
The recent investigations found that many ed tech products endorsed by government agencies were potentially snooping on kids, raising serious concerns about their safety.
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