PSP to be used in schools

The Daily Mail let loose today that a pilot program is underway to introduce the Sony PSP into classrooms across the country as a teaching aid.

Intended to help students learn French, history and geography, the scheme is being tested out at Holyhead Secondary School, Birmingham. Staff and faculty members there have recently returned from a two week training course on the PSP where they have learnt to harness the multimedia capabilities of the gaming platform, which cost £150 each.

Staff members at the school have embraced the idea with one teacher going on to say that "The console is just like a minicomputer but fast and you can use it to tailor-make lessons for pupils who need support or stretching.

"Some people think it is an exclusively a gaming machine and don't realise all the things it can do. It can access the Internet and process information.”

The school has recently applied for government funding in order to raise the £4,500 needed to purchase 30 units for the classroom.

We have to admit that the PSP seems like an odd choice to us. After all, a Pocket PC would provide the same interaction with better support and a Nintendo DS would give students a more involving experience via the microphone and touch-screen interface as well as clocking up at £1,500 cheaper on bulk.

Don't want your kids using the PSP in the classroom? Think the money could be better spent elsewhere? Have any opinion at all?Drop by the forum and let us know