A school can buy or expand a VR kit, but funding must be confirmed before ordering. The inclusion of headsets in the Laboratories of the Future catalogue does not mean that applications are open or that previous funding can still be spent. Zenith XR helps select equipment for lessons and prepare a kit specification. If the school already has headsets, we start by identifying what is needed to bring them back into use.

What is the programme?

Laboratories of the Future is a programme equipping primary schools with tools for learning and developing technical skills. Funding was awarded to school governing bodies, which could delegate purchasing to headteachers.

Are VR headsets included in the programme catalogue?

They are not part of the core equipment. The catalogue lists four mandatory groups: 3D printers with accessories, microcontrollers with sensors and prototyping boards, recording equipment (cameras, microphones, lighting) and soldering stations. It does not list VR headsets, VR glasses or virtual reality in this section.

So why are there headsets in schools? They came from the optional section. Beyond the mandatory set, schools selected equipment themselves, and VR sets were purchased from this allocation. This is why school websites across Poland feature reports of lessons using headsets as an outcome of Future Laboratories, even though the equipment itself is not on the mandatory list.

Past funding deadlines and buying equipment today

The programme website gives the spending deadlines: schools run by local authorities had to spend the funds by 31 August 2022, with 60 per cent spent by the end of 2021, while other schools had until 30 June 2023. The catalogue gives 30 June 2023 as the date by which core equipment was to be available in every primary school.

Practical conclusion: if you are planning to buy headsets today, do not assume that Future Laboratories will fund them. Check current announcements on the programme website and from the regional education authority, while also considering other sources: the budget of the body responsible for running the school, parent council funds, municipal and EU projects delivered by the local authority, and sector-specific projects for secondary schools. We do not give funding amounts or call names here because they change every school year.

An obligation that is easy to overlook

The programme requires schools to use the purchased equipment for at least five consecutive school years, averaging at least three teaching hours per school week. This applies to programme equipment and should not be presented as a separate three-hour weekly requirement for every headset.

In practice, this means that a VR set sitting in a cupboard is more than an educational problem. If you have Future Laboratories headsets that nobody uses, it is worth returning to them sooner rather than later: select applications for specific subjects, train teachers and include VR in lesson plans. The most common reasons why headsets are set aside are a lack of Polish-language lesson materials, no person responsible for the equipment and the difficulty of charging several units at once. All three can be solved without buying new devices.

What schools buy

Reports published by schools show a recurring pattern: several standalone headsets, used in rotation during lessons in subjects such as biology, geography, physics and history. Pupils work in groups and the equipment moves between classes. Large labs with a dozen or more sets are less common.

For this use, choose headsets that do not require a computer. In our range, schools most often choose Meta Quest 3S (the same processor as Quest 3), Meta Quest 3 (sharper image, 512 GB) and PICO 4 Ultra as an alternative that does not require a Meta account.

How to prepare a specification for a request for quotation

Whatever the funding source, the request should describe the entire set, not only the headsets. Items schools most often overlook:

1. Number of headsets plus one spare for every 8–10.
2. A standalone model requiring no computer, with interpupillary distance adjustment from 58 mm.
3. Charging and storage: transport and charging case for 4–10 headsets or charging cabinet for 20 units, lockable.
4. Hygiene: silicone facial interfaces and disposable masks.
5. Device management for 10 or more headsets (install applications from one dashboard, kiosk mode).
6. Configuration of school accounts and teacher training included in the delivery price.
7. Warranty, servicing and support contact.
8. VAT invoice issued to the school or the body responsible for running it.

For details about headsets per class, apps to start with and the difference between a case and a cabinet, see our separate guide to choosing a school VR kit.

What the programme website does not say

You must establish three points independently because the programme materials do not cover them: the current status of funding calls and any continuation in the current school year (check the programme website and announcements from the regional education authority), how purchases are accounted for in your municipality, and whether the bodies responsible for running your school allow educational software licences to be purchased alongside hardware. The last item is often overlooked, and without lesson content the headsets remain in the cupboard.

FAQ

Can VR headsets be bought through Future Laboratories?

The core equipment catalogue does not list them. Schools bought them through the optional section, which they selected themselves. The programme's spending deadlines passed in 2022 and 2023, so a purchase today requires checking current announcements and usually a different funding source.

What is included in the programme's core equipment?

3D printers with accessories, microcontrollers with sensors and prototyping boards, recording equipment and soldering stations.

How long must equipment from the programme be used?

The programme requires equipment to be used for at least five consecutive school years, for an average of at least three hours of classes in each teaching week.

We have headsets from the programme, but they are sitting unused. What should we do?

Start by selecting applications for specific subjects and providing brief teacher training, then address charging and storage. This is usually enough to bring the equipment back into lessons without buying anything new.

Who formally buys the equipment: the school or the municipality?

Purchases are made by the bodies responsible for running schools, which may entrust them to headteachers.

See the related guides: VR age limits and safety for children.

Current models and accessories: VR headset models.

Planning a purchase or bringing school headsets back into use? Ask about a school VR kit.