Education is at the top of everyone's agenda and education is going digital. Rather than the "talk and chalk" style of teaching, multimedia offers us the chance to learn by active participation.

There is no question that new technologies have the potential to revolutionise the educational experience. Add one child to one PC and factor in the Internet, and the result is almost infinite possibilities.

Of course, parents as well as children have an interest in education and, earlier this year, BT launched HomeCampus to help them get more involved and to work with their children.

UK children had the chance to cast their vote before the grown-ups in the recent UK general election. By connecting to CampusWorld, BT's on-line education service, children in schools across the UK were able to learn about election processes and party politics. The result: Labour won, but failed to achieve a clear majority!

But, of course, education is not just something that ends in the classroom. Report after report suggests that one of the biggest threats to UK competitiveness in world markets is the lack of suitably-trained people in British companies. And, here again, communications technology may be the key. For example, BT is currently working with Suffolk College to develop a "televersity", enabling small companies to acquire up-to-date management, IT and engineering skills.