East Renfrewshire Council is providing virtual reality headsets to each of its schools in a hi-tech effort to bring learning to life.

A total of £250,000 is being spent on more than 900 of the ClassVR headsets to provide a set of the devices for all 30 of the area's primary and secondary schools.

Council chiefs have said East Renfrewshire is the first local authority in the UK to make this type of commitment to virtual reality.

The move comes after a pilot project showed “a significant increase in engagement and knowledge retention” from pupils using the headsets.

Designed by educational technology company Avantis, the devices give pupils access to hundreds of virtual and augmented reality activities.

Councillor Paul O’Kane, East Renfrewshire’s education convener, said: “We are committed to providing the best learning experiences possible for all our pupils. By investing in this kind of immersive technology, it will provide our children with experiences and sensations that they may never experience in reality and brings learning to life in a way that ignites their imagination.

"As the first local authority in the UK to make this commitment to virtual reality, there is no doubt that East Renfrewshire will continue to be at the very forefront of digital learning in the country.

"Combined with traditional teaching methods, these virtual reality headsets will enhance our pupils’ learning experiences and push them to new heights."

The council has said "full and comprehensive" training will be provided to school staff to help them get the most out of the new technology.

Cllr O'Kane added: "This initiative will equip our young people for the increasingly digitised world in which we live and I’m sure the benefits will be fantastic."

Since the announcement, many residents have taken to social media to voice their opinions on the £250,000 spend.

Julie Smith tweeted: "What about the appalling state of the roads? What about improving school buildings and paying for extra teachers? The list of necessities is endless and VR headsets should not be on it - shameful!"

Susie Rodgers added: "A raise my council tax by 3 per cent and waste money on these things. Disgraceful."