The Government has announced plans to provide disadvantaged children in England with free laptops and tablets for online education.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said it will provide 4G routers as part of the effort to support their learning through the coronavirus lockdown.
The devices will be made available to children who receive support from social workers and care leavers, with major telecommunications providers temporarily exempting their families from data charges on selected educational resources.
In addition, the Oak National Academy has been launched today, bringing together 40 teachers from leading schools to provide 180 video lessons a week on a range of subjects for every year group from reception to year 10.
This has been accompanied by the Government providing a list of resources and the BBC launching its own education package online.
Williamson said: “Schools will remain closed until the scientific advice changes, which is why we need to support the incredible work teachers are already doing to ensure children continue to receive the education they deserve and need.
“By providing young people with these laptops and tablets and enabling schools to access high quality support, we will enable all children to continue learning now and in the years to come. We hope this support will take some of the pressure off both parents and schools by providing more materials for them to use.”
Schools and colleges will be able to keep their laptops and tablets once they have reopened.
- Image by Richard Townshend, CC BY 3.0
