Report highlights impact of digital poverty on education

The Digital Poverty Alliance (DPA) has documented the experience of families that have been helped by its Tech4Families initiative – a partnership with electronics retailer Currys that raises money to provide eligible families with laptops – and collated various other pieces of related research to draw attention to the UK's digital divide and its effect on educational outcomes.

It says nearly 80% of students require online access to complete homework at least once per week. For teenagers, 84% need to get online several times per week to complete their homework.

That has serious implications considering 30% of those who have received a laptop from Tech4Families were previously unable to access school work at all. 58% of those that could access it were doing so with another device – mainly smartphones – which don't lend themselves well to actually carrying out the assignment.

Of those without a laptop, 86% cited cost as the main barrier to ownership, and 88% said the lack of a laptop left their child at a substantial disadvantage. Worryingly, anecdotal evidence gathered by the DPA suggests that schools don't systematically check whether pupils have access to a computer at home.

"The cost-of-living crisis has exacerbated digital exclusion across the UK, forcing families to choose between basic necessities and access to technology. This digital divide not only hampers children's education but also jeopardises their future opportunities," said DPA chief exec Elizabeth Anderson. "Through the Tech4Families initiative, we are working to bridge this gap by providing access to digital devices and fostering essential digital skills within disadvantaged communities."

DPA said Tech4Families has handed out 1,758 laptops since its inception in May 2022. 74% of those devices are shared between more than one child, while 40% are shared by three or more – extending the benefits of ownership to multiple people.

According to its survey of 180 of the families it has helped, 92% of parents reported an increase in their child's motivation to learn after one month of ownership, rising to 95% for 10-16-year-olds.

"This report has outlined the challenges faced by young people who do not have access to laptops to complete homework and develop their digital skills outside the school setting, showing how limited access on a smartphone is insufficient in today's educational environment," the report said. "These digital inequalities are not experienced equally, with children from poorer regions, socio-economically deprived households, and certain ethnic groups being hit hardest."

The DPA has recommended mandating schools to check if parents have access to digital services and devices at home. In schools where there are a high number of pupils without access, the DPA recommends they provide alternative offline methods for completing assignments.

It is also calling on school governors and parents to come up with schemes to improve access to keyboarded devices, and urged the government to increase school budgets. It also wants digital and media literacy to be part of the National Curriculum. The full report is available here (PDF).

Meanwhile, affordable laptops are not the only problem faced by low-income households.

According to second-quarter figures published late last month by Point Topic, broadband prices are creeping up across the UK.

It found that cheaper entry level broadband tariffs that fall in the range of £20-£24.99 per month are available in 24 percent of so-called 'small areas' of the country (a small area consists of 650 households or 1,500 residents), down markedly from 58% in Q1.

Conversely, more expensive packages priced at £25-£30 are now the norm in 54% of small areas, up from 27% in Q1.

If this concerning trend continues, more and more families will find themselves struggling to afford connectivity, to the detriment of children's education and their future prospects.