Study shows that Android is losing the battle to Apple iOS in the classroom
UK schools are overwhelmingly choosing iPads over Android tablets in primary and pre school education
London, October 3rd – A recent survey has shown that primary schools using iPads outnumber primary schools using Android tablets by 14:1. Education App developer Apps in My Pocket was researching its market to evaluate the need for an Android version of their phonics literacy software.
The findings surprised even the developers, with Apps in My Pocket Director John Friend, noting that “I am struggling to see any evidence that Android devices are making any headway to our market. It’s impossible to justify developing for that platform at the moment.”
The study asked current owners of the software, parents of youngsters in the 3-7 year old age group, how their primary and pre schools are using tablets for education. Respondents indicated that around 40 per cent of primary schools are starting to use iPads in the classroom, while only 3.3 per cent of schools were trialing Android tablets. In all the survey uncovered 87 primary and pre school implementations of iPads, with only six primary schools using Android tablets.
John Friend commented that, “Android tablets might be beating iPads for market share in most situations. But in education they barely have a foot in the door. I think this is down to a number of factors. Not only does Apple have a good track record of education support, but I think Android and Windows 8 are caught in a catch-22 for education. Schools won’t buy their tablets because they don’t have the popular educational apps, and developers won’t port their apps because schools are just buying iPads.”
The company that conducted the survey, Apps in My Pocket, has been creating Apps to deliver best educational practice since 2008. It’s bestselling literacy product, PocketPhonics is used both by parents, and in schools to teach 3-7 years olds how to read and write. This is giving some children of more affluent backgrounds an early advantage if they use the App before the reach school.
However Director John Friend is keen for schools to implement tablet based learning to level the playing field for less well off families that don’t have access to tablets or smartphones before they reach school.
He has suggested that the digital divide being created by this situation could be negated by implementation of iPad based learning in schools. In particular schools with disadvantaged children could use some of the Pupil Premium*, an additional source of funding, to buy iPads for schools.
The survey was conducted with 456 parents that use educational apps at home.
* The Pupil Premium is a payment made to schools for each qualifying child. These are disadvantaged children who have qualified for Free School Meals, or children who are in care that have been looked after by a Local Authority for more than six months. http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/p/pupil%20premium%20faqs.pdf
Media Enquiries
Tin Drum
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About Apps in My Pocket
Apps in My Pocket Ltd is a UK based company established in 2008 to create apps for iOS that deliver best educational practice. PocketPhonics’s educational excellence has made it one of the best-selling apps for teaching kids to read and write. More than 1.2 million Apps have been downloaded including over 400,000 of the paid version, and 700,000 of the free “Lite” version. PocketPhonics is used in hundreds of schools and pre-schools around the world.
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