bbc.co.uk/news/education-53947982

[Apc2604]

//The learning gap between rich and poor pupils has grown by almost half since schools closed in March, teachers said.//

Why? Is this down to parenting? All children were set work by schools, rich and poor alike.

[youngmafbog]

Are you for real jno?

Even the most ardent anti British lefty like you much surely accept that 91% of pupils had no internet access is garbage.

[Togo]

""The Department for Education (DfE) is providing laptops and tablets to help children and families access remote education during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

This offer is in addition to 200,000 devices and 4G wireless routers already distributed during May to July 2020 by DfE to local authorities and trusts for pupils in year 10, care leavers and young people with a social worker.""

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/get-laptops-and-tablets-for-children-who-cannot-attend-school-due-to-coronavirus-covid-19

[sherrardk]

You left out this bit - Devices will be available for disadvantaged children in certain year groups who are affected by disruption to face to face education at their school, or have been advised to shield because they are clinically extremely vulnerable.

[Mamyalynne]

The 9% Jourdain mentioned was the take up of one teacher's lessons in one comprehensive and is purely anecdotal.

There's no doubt some pupils haven't applied themselves but a great many have and you certainly don't get an A* or anything like it if you are a bone idle student.

[AuntPollyGrey]

Dannyk13 //Many of those on benefits cannot afford £20 per month(£5 per week) on top of the cost of buying a computer. I think you are being a bit harsh there.//

You don't need a computer to access the internet. Are you presuming no-one on benefits has a computer? I think its a bit naïve to think families on benefits can't afford £5 a week for internet access. Families in real need were offered free PC loans. This is not about money its about attitude to learning. It just happens that some parents seem to have a more elevated sense of the importance of education .

[Togo]

They were not only offered laptops but 4G wireless routers that are a damned site better than some landline routers and cost about £100 a pop.

[ichkeria]

It’s nothing to do with parents’ attitude and precious little to do with income, other than the fact that if there are expensive short cuts in offer guess who benefits.
It’s the fact that : take kids out of school and the vast majority won’t want to know about lessons.
Who knew?

[bednobs]

the IT will belong to the school, who will take it back when the child leaves or it's no longer required, and it will remain their asset. They are not given away they are leant.
we found ourselves at the beginning of lockdown with no laptop
access for our daughter - we both have laptops but they were both required by us to WFH. Luckily we could afford the £450 to get a laptop for her (and roll it up into a birthday pressie) so she got one. We also had to buy her a desk and make space for her to work in the living room - luckily we were able to do that as well, but I could see that many families (not just poor ones) would struggle to be able to do both those things, especially at a time when jobs were being lost left right and centre