Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 22
22
In their written evidence, the National Association of Head Teachers and The Children’s Society told...
Conclusion
In their written evidence, the National Association of Head Teachers and The Children’s Society told us that the limited scope of the Department’s provision in the spring and summer of 2020 meant that many children did not have the devices or internet access they needed.41 The Department told us that it had been up against global supply constraints, meaning that it had not been able to distribute equipment as quickly as it had wanted. We asked the Department about reports of large families having to share one laptop between many children. The Department explained that if all the children in 33 Qq 78–80 34 Qq 112–113; Letter to Committee from DfE dated 22 April 2021 35 Q 77 36 C&AG’s Report, paras 2.18, 2.19 and Figure 6 37 Q 58 38 C&AG’s Report, para 2.22 39 Q 58 40 Q 66 41 COE0003 National Association of Head Teachers submission, page 4; COE0011 Children’s Society submission, pages 3–4 COVID-19: Support for children’s education 13 a family were receiving free school meals, it would hold information on them separately, and each would be eligible to receive a device. It said that schools were still (at the time we took evidence on 25 March) able to order more devices if they needed them.42
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
4.1 The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation. 4.2 The government has invested over £400 million in devices, internet access and training to support access to remote education and online social care services for disadvantaged children and young people. This injection of 1.3 million laptops and tablets to schools, trusts, local authorities and further education colleges supplemented the 2.9 million devices that were already in the system. 4.3 Devices are owned by the institutions to which they were allocated. They are responsible for maintaining the devices and ensuring they are put to good use, and they may have valid reasons for restricting their devices to onsite use while face-to-face education is not disrupted. 4.4 The department will build on the foundations of this investment in technology by developing an evidence-based strategic approach to technology use in the education sector, and will explore options that create a more resilient, digitally enabled system. This approach will consider devices and the infrastructure and capability required to make the best use of these devices. 4.5 The department will evaluate the impact of the Get Help with Technology intervention and take this into account when developing its future policies on digital inclusion and use of technology in education and children’s social care. 4.6 The department may need to prioritize its interventions and will take an evidence based and user-centred approach in collaboration with the sector and with industry. The Committee’s recommendation will be taken into account as the department develops its approach.