Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of the 18 January 2021 to Question 134396 on Children: Computers, how many schools in Birmingham have been in contact with his Department regarding a shortage of electronic devices during the covid-19 outbreak.

The Government is investing over £400 million to support access to remote education and online social care services. The Department is securing 1.3 million laptops and tablets for disadvantaged and vulnerable children and young people through the Get Help With Technology programme. This programme enables schools to support disadvantaged children in Years 3 to 11 who would not otherwise have access to an appropriate device for online learning.

As of Monday 8 February 2021, this includes over 980,000 laptops and tablets that were delivered to schools, academy trusts and local authorities.

All schools, academy trusts, and local authorities have now been given the opportunity to order devices. Laptops and tablets are owned by schools, academy trusts or local authorities to lend to children and young people who need them most during the current COVID-19 restrictions.

Figures on the number of devices already delivered is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/laptops-and-tablets-data.

The Department is also able to supply routers and mobile data through this scheme. We have partnered with the UK’s leading mobile operators to provide free data to help disadvantaged children get online as well as delivering 4G wireless routers for pupils without connection at home. We are grateful to EE, O2, Sky Mobile, Smarty, Tesco Mobile, Three, Virgin Mobile, Vodafone, BT Mobile and Lycamobile for their collaboration. The Department is currently engaged with additional mobile network operators and continues to invite a range of mobile network providers to support the offer.

Information and guidance for schools on how to register with the scheme and apply for devices and connectivity support can be found at: https://get-help-with-tech.education.gov.uk/.

Where schools need additional devices, above their allocations, they should contact the Department’s service team at covid.technology@education.gov.uk. They should include the number of disadvantaged pupils in Years 3 to 13 who require support and an explanation of how they have gathered this evidence.

This injection of devices is on top of an estimated 2.9 million laptops and tablets already owned by schools before the start of the COVID-19 outbreak.