Laptop woes of 1 in 4 vulnerable children

A QUARTER of vulnerable children are still struggling with laptop access for remote learning, Ofcom figures have revealed.

The regulator said that the lockdown had ‘only served to intensify the digital divide’ for pupils from the most disadvantaged backgrounds.

Former prime minister Gordon Brown is today calling on the Government to set up a taskforce to tackle the problem and put it at the heart of its pandemic recovery plan.

Children are facing the mammoth task of catching up on months of lost learning – but the challenge is more difficult for some.

Around 1.5million households still do not have the internet while an estimated 400,000 schoolchildren do not have consistent access to a device to work on at home.

The Daily Mail’s Computers for Kids campaign saw readers, philanthropists, and corporations help plug this gap with donations in cash and computer pledges reaching £13.1million. Ofcom found the UK’s digital divide had broadly narrowed over the past year, with the proportion of UK homes without internet falling from 11 per cent to 6 per cent.

But it was access to a device that appeared to remain the biggest barrier for children working from home. some 17 per cent did not have consistent access to a suitable device to do school work while at home, the research revealed.

This increased to 27 per cent for children from households classed as the most financially vulnerable. At least 400,000 children are still without access to devices to support their education at home, according to a report by the Alliance for Full employment, also released today. Mr Brown, who co-founded the campaign group, has called on the Government to set up a digital inclusion taskforce chaired by the Prime Minister.

The report also calls for every child to have access to a free laptop at home and in class. These recommendations are backed by Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the world wide web, and Martha Lane Fox, the former UK digital tsar and Open university chancellor.

Yih-Choung Teh, of Ofcom, said: ‘For many people, lockdown will leave a lasting legacy of improved online access and better digital understanding. But for a significant minority of adults and children, it’s only served to intensify the digital divide.

‘We’ll continue to work with the Government and other partner organisations to promote digital literacy and ensure that people of all ages and backgrounds are empowered to share in the benefits of the internet.’