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 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 less likely to have access to the internet or a home computer.

The British Government recognises that computers are vital in education. Jim Knight, the former schools minister, said last year that internet access was as essential as a pen and paper in modern learning.

Children with unemployed parents or from low-income families will, from the autumn, begin receiving free computers and broadband access in an attempt to close the gap between them and wealthier classmates.

The poverty problem is not confined to Britain. In many rural areas of California few children have computers at home. Yet state officials say the average textbook costs $75 to $100 — far more than its digital equivalent. Replacing textbooks could help a cash-strapped school district to save up to $2 million, Mr Schwarzenegger said.

His plan is to give high-school students access to free science and maths digital textbooks from September. In the second phase, the programme would be expanded to other grades and subjects.

If introduced in Britain, it is likely to prove more popular with children than teachers.

Mick Brookes, the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said many pupils were “digital natives” who readily accepted internet teaching. He said: “Young people are much more comfortable in receiving information in that way. This is part of the digital revolution. The progress towards it has to be evolution rather than revolution. We’re only just scratching the surface of the internet at the moment.”

Textbooks would probably be phased out eventually, he said, adding: “Children will not have to lug around great sackfuls of books. Whatever way you look at it, this is the future.

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