Asked by: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2020 to Question 81506, if he will make it his policy to extend the eligibility for technology support for 16 to 19 year olds to under-16-year olds who are not eligible for a student bursary.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department has already delivered over 220,000 laptops and tablets and over 50,000 4G wireless routers to children and young people who would not otherwise have online access, as part of over £100 million invested to support remote education and access to online social care. This included devices for children aged 0 to 19 with a social worker, care leavers and disadvantaged pupils in year 10.
The Department is now supplementing this support by making available additional devices – initially 150,000 – in the event that face to face schooling is disrupted as a result of local COVID-19 restrictions and children become reliant on remote education. This scheme is intended to enable schools to support disadvantaged children in year 3 to year 11 who cannot afford their own devices. Schools will also be able to order devices for disadvantaged children across all year groups who are shielding as a result of official or medical advice, all year groups who attend hospital schools and those completing their Key Stage 4 at a further education college.
In addition to providing laptops, tablets and 4G wireless routers, the Department is piloting two methods to provide internet connectivity to families with children and young people up to 16 years old. In partnership with BT, we are piloting a service to provide children and young people free access to BT Wi-Fi hotspots. Through the pilot, up to 10,000 families are able to access a BT Wi-Fi connection. We are also working with the major telecommunications companies to pilot an approach where mobile network operators are providing temporary access to free additional data, offering families more flexibility to access the resources that they need the most.
Asked by: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data his Department holds on the number of pupils without access to an (a) internet-enabled laptop or (b) tablet at home.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department has allocated a number of digital devices to each school in the case that they experience disruption to face-to-face education because of COVID-19 related restrictions.
To arrive at this allocated number, the Department used data on the number of pupils eligible for free school meals in each school, alongside an assumption that pupils’ device needs will be met to some extent by the device endowments of schools and colleges. To construct this assumption, the Department used the British Educational Suppliers Association ICT 2019 survey data on the average number of laptops and tablets in primary and secondary schools and assumed that these are distributed between teachers and pupils. The Department also referred to the Teacher Tapp survey from March 2020, which shows the proportion of teachers provided with a device by their school.
Schools can access their allocated number of devices from the 150,000 devices available when they experience disruption to face-to-face education and become reliant on remote education. They are able to request additional devices if their original allocation by the Department does not meet their needs.
The devices are an injection of support, alongside local initiatives, and are in addition to the 220,000 laptops and tablets the Department has already delivered to local authorities, academy trusts and schools between May to July.
Asked by: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2020 to Question 81506 on Education: Digital Technology, what was the source of the data his Department used to estimate the 150,000 devices required for children eligible for technology support in the event of disruption to face-to-face learning.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department has allocated a number of digital devices to each school in the case that they experience disruption to face-to-face education because of COVID-19 related restrictions.
To arrive at this allocated number, the Department used data on the number of pupils eligible for free school meals in each school, alongside an assumption that pupils’ device needs will be met to some extent by the device endowments of schools and colleges. To construct this assumption, the Department used the British Educational Suppliers Association ICT 2019 survey data on the average number of laptops and tablets in primary and secondary schools and assumed that these are distributed between teachers and pupils. The Department also referred to the Teacher Tapp survey from March 2020, which shows the proportion of teachers provided with a device by their school.
Schools can access their allocated number of devices from the 150,000 devices available when they experience disruption to face-to-face education and become reliant on remote education. They are able to request additional devices if their original allocation by the Department does not meet their needs.
The devices are an injection of support, alongside local initiatives, and are in addition to the 220,000 laptops and tablets the Department has already delivered to local authorities, academy trusts and schools between May to July.
Asked by: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many student bursaries were awarded to 16- to 19-year olds between 23 March and 1 September 2020; and what comparative assessment his Department has made of that figure and the number of those bursaries awarded during the same period in each of the past five years.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
16 to 19 Bursary funding is designed to help students overcome the individual financial barriers to participation that they face, and institutions must ensure the funds go to those who genuinely need them. It has 2 elements, the discretionary bursary, and the bursary for defined vulnerable groups.
Education providers draw down the funding for the bursary for defined vulnerable groups when they have identified an eligible student. Information on this element of the bursary fund is below (latest full year data is not yet available).
Academic Year | Number of students |
2014/15 | 23,205 |
2015/16 | 22,160 |
2016/17 | 21,354 |
2017/18 | 21,377 |
2018/19 | 21,120 |
The discretionary bursary funding element is allocated to individual education institutions for them to administer to students. Because this is devolved to individual providers, the Department for Education does not hold information about the number of discretionary bursaries awarded or the total overall number of bursaries.
Asked by: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on what date the temporary extension of free school meals for children in families with No Recourse to Public Funds conditions will cease; and if he will publish a Children’s Rights Impact Assessment on the ending of that extension.
Answered by Vicky Ford
We are working with departments, across government, to evaluate access to free school meals for families with no recourse to public funds. In the meantime, the extension of eligibility will continue with the current income threshold until a decision on long-term eligibility is made. As part of this process, we will consider whether it would be appropriate to complete a Children’s Rights Impact Assessment.
At this point data is not currently available regarding the current costs of providing free school meals to certain groups of children subject to the no recourse to public funds condition.
Asked by: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the cost of temporarily providing free school meals to certain groups of children subject to the No Recourse to Public Funds condition.
Answered by Vicky Ford
We are working with departments, across government, to evaluate access to free school meals for families with no recourse to public funds. In the meantime, the extension of eligibility will continue with the current income threshold until a decision on long-term eligibility is made. As part of this process, we will consider whether it would be appropriate to complete a Children’s Rights Impact Assessment.
At this point data is not currently available regarding the current costs of providing free school meals to certain groups of children subject to the no recourse to public funds condition.
Asked by: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the charitable status of independent schools.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department has made no recent estimate of the cost to the public purse of the charitable status of independent schools.
In May 2018, the Department for Education and the Independent Schools Council (ISC) agreed a joint understanding designed to expand the participation of independent schools across the system through cross-sector partnerships and initiatives such as targeted bursaries. The Government continues to work constructively with the independent schools’ sector, in line with the joint understanding, to maximise the social benefits that can be generated for their communities.
Asked by: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which (a) local authorities, (b) Academy Trusts and (c) other relevant organisations overseeing schools and social care responded to his Department’s invitation to order devices to assist with digital learning; and how many devices were requested by each respondent.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department has delivered over 220,000 laptops and tablets and over 50,000 4G wireless routers to children who would not otherwise have access, as part of over £100 million invested to support remote education and access to online social care.
The devices were an injection of support to help local authorities (LAs) and academy trusts (trusts) to provide access to education and social care during the COVID-19 lockdown period. LAs and trusts were responsible for distributing the devices as they are best placed to know which children and young people need access to a device.
On 27 August the Department published information on which LAs and trusts had received devices through the programme. This information can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/laptops-tablets-and-4g-wireless-routers-progress-data
We are now supplementing this support by making an initial 150,000 additional devices available in the event face-to-face schooling is disrupted as a result of local Covid-19 restrictions this academic year, resulting in children become reliant on remote education.
This scheme will enable schools to support disadvantaged children in years 3 to 11 who cannot afford their own devices. Schools will also be able to order devices for disadvantaged children across all year groups who are shielding as a result of official advice, all year groups who attend hospital schools and those completing their Key Stage 4 at a further education college.
Asked by: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans his Department has to hold discussions with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on that Department's digital strategy which is planned to be published in autumn 2020.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Digital Strategy addresses the increased importance of digital technology and the crucial role it must play to drive growth in the tech sector, especially as digital technology has been at the centre of support through the COVID-19 pandemic. We recognise the critical importance of digital skills both in everyday life and for the wider UK economy. Alongside other Government Departments, we are working with DCMS to support their vision for digital driven growth through the Digital Strategy.
We have already made significant investments in digital skills that supports the acquisition of digital skills from foundation level right through to those required for cutting edge digital industries. The new computing curriculum (introduced from September 2014) ensures pupils have the broad knowledge and skills they need to go on to specialise in innovative technologies and become active creators of digital technology. This new curriculum is supported by the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE), which has been set up with £84 million of government funding. The NCCE are delivering a comprehensive programme to improve the teaching of computing and drive up participation in computer science, particularly amongst girls.
We are investing an additional £500 million per year on the implementation of new T Levels. The first of three new Digital T Levels (Digital Production, Design and Development) will be introduced this September with a further two (Digital Support and Services and Digital Business Services) to follow in 2021.
The Government is also investing up to £290 million of capital funding to establish 20 Institutes of Technology. These institutes will be the pinnacle of technical training, with unique collaborations between further education colleges, universities and businesses offering higher technical education and training in key sectors such as digital; digital is a popular sectoral specialism with 30% of the provision of the first 12 IoTs aligned to the digital technical route.
Finally, the Government introduced a new digital skills entitlement based on the new national standards in August 2020. Adults with no or low digital skills will have full funding to undertake improved digital skills qualifications, based on new national standards for essential digital skills, up to Level 1. The Government is also providing £2.5 billion (£3 billion when including Barnett funding for devolved administrations) for a new National Skills Fund to help adults learn new skills and prepare for the economy of the future. We will be consulting on the National Skills Fund in due course when those with an interest are better able to actively engage with it.
Asked by: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions his Department has had with representatives of internet providers on (a) providing internet access and (b) adequate devices for disadvantaged children who are out of school.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Government wants to do everything it can to support schools and families to continue children’s education while they are at home.
We have committed over £100 million to support remote education. We are making laptops and tablets available to disadvantaged children who would otherwise not have access and are preparing for examinations in year 10, and to those receiving support from a social worker, including pre-school children, and care leavers.
Where care leavers, children with a social worker at secondary school and disadvantaged children in Year 10 do not have internet connections, we will be providing 4G wireless routers to them so that they can learn at home.
In May, the Department invited local authorities to order devices for the most vulnerable children first - children with a social worker and care leavers. In June, the Department started inviting academy trusts and local authorities to order their devices for disadvantaged year 10 pupils. The Department has published information about how many laptops, tablets and 4G wireless routers we have delivered or dispatched to local authorities and academy trusts as of 30 June, which can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/laptops-tablets-and-4g-wireless-routers-progress-data.
The Department is working with the major telecommunications companies to improve internet connectivity for disadvantaged and vulnerable families. For families who rely on a mobile internet connection, mobile network operators are working to provide access to free additional data while the COVID-19 outbreak requires children to learn from home and more social care services are online. In partnership with BT, the Department is also providing disadvantaged children and young people with free access to BT Wi-Fi hotspots.