Nus Ghani, MP for Wealden, has welcomed the announcement that pupils across East Sussex have benefited from 3,729 laptops and tablets to date, as the Government hits an important milestone in its rollout of devices to support disadvantaged young people.
More than 1 million laptops and tablets have now been delivered to schools and local authorities across England, as part of a £400 million investment that will support schools and young people for years to come.
The news comes after the Department for Education last month announced a further 300,000 laptops and tablets to help even more disadvantaged children and young people learn at home.
Schools are already receiving top ups to their original allocations, with those with the highest proportion of disadvantaged pupils being prioritised first.
The 1.3 million devices that the Government is providing sits alongside a package of extensive support for the most disadvantaged children. This includes partnering with the UK’s leading mobile network operators to provide free data to disadvantaged families, alongside a further £300 million being invested in tutoring programmes building on the existing £1 billion Covid Catch Up Fund.
To further strengthen remote education provision, the Government has also provided more than 54,000 4G routers to schools and colleges across England, ensuring no child is prohibited from receiving a quality education due to a lack of internet access.
Nus Ghani said: “While nothing can ever replace the benefits of learning in a classroom for our children and young people, it is vital that we do all we can to give every child access to a high-quality remote education until schools re-open next month. No child should miss out as a result of the disruption caused by this pandemic and I am pleased that young people across East Sussex continue to benefit from the Government’s measures to help schools deliver high-quality learning. The 3,729 devices will ensure no child’s education is hindered, regardless of their background or circumstance and will equip those children most in need with the resources they need to succeed.”
