Recommendation 22

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