Digital Curriculum is a new digital learning resource aimed at teachers, students and individual learners.

A total of 18 conditions have been attached in giving the approval to BBC Digital Curriculum, to make it distinctive from and complementary to services provided by the commercial sector.

The conditions set include requirements to:

· Innovate and promote educational and technological experimentation- the service must innovate continually, and exploit the extensive archives of the BBC and its media rich resources, and promote technological and educational experimentation.

· High standards – the BBC must ensure that the new service maintains high general standards of content, quality and editorial integrity, which stimulate, support and reflect the diversity of the UK.

· Work closely with the DfES Curriculum Online Content Advisory Board – the BBC must follow the Board’s recommendations, where possible. Curriculum Online is a DfES initiative providing access to high quality digital content to all teachers.

· Publish annual plans for BBC Digital Curriculum – the BBC must publish and adhere to annual commissioning plans, setting out the subjects they intend to cover over the following five years.

· Report annually on the service’s performance – the BBC Governors must monitor the implementation of the service and report each year in their annual report on its delivery in line with the BBC’s commitments and the conditions set.

· A review of the service after two years – this will monitor whether the BBC is meeting the conditions set out in granting approval.The review will include an independent assessment, which will look at the impact of BBC Digital Curriculum on the educational software market, and a public consultation.Both the DfES and OFCOM will participate in the review.Its conclusions will contribute to the wider Charter review process.

In addition, the BBC has made a commitment – set out in their original proposal for the service – to spend half of the £90 million budget for content on commissioning services from the private sector.

Announcing the decision, Tessa Jowell said:

“I’ve listened to the concerns of commercial providers of digital learning resources about the impact of Digital Curriculum will have on the market. The industry is a rapidly expanding one.There is room for everyone.These conditions will prevent the BBC from dominating this market, but it’s right that it should play an important role in a competitive and growing market for digital learning resources.

“Funding for Digital Curriculum has been made available from the BBC’s funding settlement 2002, which enables the BBC to develop new digital services.

“Extensive discussions with the BBC, the digital learning resources industry and education professionals have ensured that the new BBC service is complementary to the services available from the commercial sector in what is a rapidly growing market.

“The BBC has much to office as a provider of digital learning resources. I envisage it, working alongside the commercial sector to improve the breadth, variety and quality of digital education.

“As with all new services, I expect the BBC to ensure that the high general standards of content, quality and editorial integrity of Digital Curriculum will be maintained, and that the service will stimulate, support an reflect the diversity of the UK.

“The Digital Curriculum will play an important role in Curriculum Online, the DfES initiative providing access to high quality digital content to all teachers.I believe that the BBC will make a valuable contribution by offering additional free resources alongside priced resources available to schools through Electronic Learning Credits.”

Education and Skills Secretary Charles Clarke welcomed the announcement, saying:

"The approval of the BBC Digital Curriculum is an important step in the drive to offer the widest choice of quality teaching and learning materials to schools. It will complement the Department for Education and Skills' Curriculum Online service to create a balanced, dynamic market for top quality priced and free digital learning materials for teachers.

"Schools now have easy access through Curriculum Online to a choice of innovative and professional digital resources to help transform classroom practice and raise standards still further. We want to ensure coverage across the whole of the National Curriculum and we look forward to seeing materials that will build on the BBC's media-rich archives."