Children: Computers

(asked on 24th September 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many laptops his Department has provided to children since the start of the covid-19 outbreak.


Answered by
Nick Gibb Portrait
Nick Gibb
This question was answered on 29th September 2020

During the summer term, the Department delivered over 220,000 laptops and tablets and over 50,000 4G wireless routers to local authorities and academy trusts. The number of devices delivered to each local authority and academy trust can be viewed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/912888/Devices_and_4G_wireless_routers_progress_data_as_of_27_August_2020.pdf.

The Department is now supplementing this support by making 150,000 additional devices available in the event 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 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 or medical advice, all year groups who attend hospital schools, and those completing their Key Stage 4 at a further education college.

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