In an era of blended and hybrid learning, the digital divide has become an ever-growing barrier to education for many pupils, especially those who are disadvantaged.
Ofcom says that almost 1.8 million children do not have access to a laptop or computer at home. This is 9% of all households with children and it does not take into account those without sole access to a device.
Furthermore, around 560,000 children had no internet access at all and 900,000 or so were only able to access the internet through a mobile network.
The government’s “free laptops and routers” roll-out during the pandemic has helped – but has not solved the problem.
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