Scottish city providing 52,000 iPads to students and teachers

Under the scheme, 47,100 student iPads will be handed out, with another 4,900 provided to teachers. The full rollout for the scheme, which has already been tested in some primary and secondary schools, should be completed across Glasgow by 2021.

Current estimates suggest approximately 70,000 children will benefit from the scheme, which is believed to be the biggest Apple education project in Europe, reports the BBC. The deal between the council and CGI, a Canadian IT firm, will last for seven years, and will also provide faster internet connections and Wi-Fi in every classroom.

Glasgow joins a number of other local governments to offer more digital prospects to its students, with similar initiatives to provide secondary pupils iPads already operating in Edinburgh, Perth and Kinross, and the Scottish Borders.

While the project is claimed to be worth more than $369 million, the cost for the iPad element of the scheme was not revealed. The cost is likely to include a service contract for the iPads, plus remote management facilitating council monitoring of the program. The iPads will be locked down to prevent pupils from accessing social media or inappropriate websites, among other restrictions.

"We want our children and young people to be equipped with the skills that will make them shine as digital citizens both now and later in their working lives," said Glasgow City Councillor Chris Cunningham. "We are aware that 90% of jobs in Scotland involve digital work and so our pupils will be well equipped for the workplace."