Low-income homes to trial free web-access scheme
Kable
Published: 22 Oct 2008 15:11 BST
The government has chosen the first two areas, Oldham and Suffolk, where school pupils will get free access to computers and the internet at home.
Schools minister Jim Knight said that the 'home access' pilots will start in February next year and provide up to 20,000 seven- to 18-year-olds from low-income families with financial support to get online.
They will receive a grant to pay for a computer, software and internet access for one year, plus technical support for three years. Parents who want their children to have higher-specification equipment will be allowed to top up the grant to cover the cost.
Local advertising campaigns in schools and communities will tell families about the scheme and the potential educational benefits of home internet access. The campaigns will be supported by dedicated advisers and a helpline.
Knight said that funding of £30.3m will be available to support the Oldham and Suffolk pilots, along with a 'quality badge' scheme for approved IT suppliers and funding for local authorities to allocate grants to specific groups of children currently without a computer or broadband at home.
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Knight said: "The bottom line is that having home access to the internet or a computer is no longer an optional extra for school work — it is fast becoming essential."
"Schools are revolutionising how they educate, faster than many families realise. There is no substitute for good classroom teaching, but day-to-day school work is increasingly web- and computer-based — and it is clear that students get better results where technology is used effectively at home to study, research and communicate," said Knight.
Today's announcement is the first part of a £300m programme, announced by prime minister Gordon Brown in September, to make sure all children have home computer access. About one million children do not have access to broadband at home.
Stephen Crowne, chief executive of Becta, said: "There's clear evidence to show that effective use of technology really does boost a child's achievement."
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