Digital Technology: Disadvantaged

(asked on 22nd June 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by UNICEF and the Carnegie UK Trust Closing the Digital Divide for Good: An end to the digital exclusion of children in the UK, published on 21 June.


Answered by
Baroness Berridge Portrait
Baroness Berridge
This question was answered on 6th July 2021

Building on the government’s £400 million investment in devices, connectivity, training and support for remote access to education and children’s social care services during the COVID-19 outbreak, the department is developing an evidence-based and strategic approach for technology use in the education sector. We will explore options that create a more resilient, digitally enabled system. This approach will include consideration of devices and the infrastructure and capability required to make the best use of these devices. The department will take into account the recommendations of the UNICEF report in developing this strategy. We may need to prioritise our interventions and will take an evidence based and user-centred approach in collaboration with industry and experts.

The department’s strategy will align with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s top ten priorities for technology. We continue to work closely with them as the lead department on digital inclusion, and through their relationship with Ofcom for data on availability of technology in homes in England.

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