Playstation in the classroom

The PlayStation games console could be developed into a learning tool for teenagers, a headteacher said.

Ged Lee, head of Hirst High School, Ashington, Northumberland, has been in talks with manufacturer Sony, as well as education experts at Liverpool University and software specialists, about developing programs for the console which will stimulate learning.

He began the project two years ago when he found that almost all his students had access to a PlayStation but only one in five had a personal computer at home. Mr Lee hopes to spark the interest of thousands of disaffected pupils across the country who could learn through computer games.