... " the news that Becta would be shut down was nonetheless further evidence of the coalition government's new broom whooshing into action. Although there seems to be a wide range of views on whether this is a good or bad thing - see this post and its comments for a representative selection - for me Becta was pretty much an unmitigated disaster for free software in this country, and I'm glad to see it go."
it may turn out that removing a body that was meant to make it cheaper for schools to get computers, allows them to get a wider variety. And for children preparing for a computer-driven world, it might will be a boon if it can bring a more creative approach to how they use the machines in schools.