SAN FRANCISCO — There is a revolution under way in the classroom with the Terminator in the vanguard. Arnold Schwarzenegger is throwing textbooks out of schools in a move that head teachers say could be followed in Britain. The attempt to save much-needed cash was announced by Mr Schwarzenegger, the Governor of California, on a school visit in Los Angeles – and dressed up as advantageous for pupils burdened with piles of books. The governor is struggling to plug a 24 billion pound gap in state funding for the coming year. He said: ‘Kids are feeling as comfortable with their electronic devices as I was with my pencils and crayons. So why are California’s school students still forced to lug around antiquated, heavy, expensive textbooks?’ It is a question asked increasingly in British schools. Many teachers are turning to worksheets that children print from the internet, rather than insisting on bulky books for each subject. Companies have sprung up offering specialist websites for schools, allowing pupils and parents to download information on different academic subjects, test papers and access chat rooms. Yet many say this puts pupils from poorer backgrounds at a disadvantage, as they are […]