School laptops count for nothing if there’s no broadband for remote learning – Bill Jones

NOT having a device is just one of the barriers students face when it comes to accessing remote learning.
Schools and coleges are coming to terms with a significant digital divide.Schools and coleges are coming to terms with a significant digital divide.
Schools and coleges are coming to terms with a significant digital divide.

So while the release of thousands of laptops by the Department for Education is a step in the right direction, it doesn’t effectively tackle the issues some students will be experiencing.

Communications regulator Connected Nations has reported in the last month alone that around 190,000 properties across the UK cannot access a decent broadband connection. That is on top of up to 1.78 million young people not being able to use a laptop, desktop or tablet.

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The emphasis on devices is completely right but what happens once that device lands in a student’s hands?

Bill Jones is Deputy CEO at Luminate Education Group and Principal at Leeds City College.Bill Jones is Deputy CEO at Luminate Education Group and Principal at Leeds City College.
Bill Jones is Deputy CEO at Luminate Education Group and Principal at Leeds City College.

We need to acknowledge the additional hurdles to be overcome, such as limited broadband, sharing devices between families, unsuitable learning environments and parents and carers who have limited knowledge on digital access.  

The statistics make it clear that the short supply of devices is only part of the problem. Before the election, Labour’s  plan to offer free broadband to all was ridiculed. Now it is looking like a very pragmatic solution in providing inclusivity for those on the wrong side of the technology divide.

Members of Luminate Education Group include Harrogate College, Keighley College and Leeds City College, as well as three 11-16 secondary academies, so we are seeing first hand how the digital dilemma is impacting our students.

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As expected, those students in North Yorkshire are less impacted in terms of devices but for those from low-income households the situation is stark. 

How can education's digital divide be overcome?How can education's digital divide be overcome?
How can education's digital divide be overcome?

Ultimately, remote learning affects all students, irrespective of their background, but a spotlight needs to be placed on those who are only further disadvantaged with the added limitations of not being able to use IT in the same way when at home. Those students run the risk of falling even further behind and their futures impacted if we cannot find a way for them to continue their learning. 

To make the most of the welcome investment in devices, it is crucial that the Government and the Department for Education lead a national effort to galvanise the private sector, education providers, local digital skills partnerships, as well as charities and third-sector organisations, to create a unified approach.

It’s an issue so deep that tackling it at all different levels is the only way we are going to make an impact.

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We also need to secure whatever funding we can to provide students with the necessary equipment, including laptops and internet access. We have to ensure learners, as well as parents and carers, are aware of all the additional funding schemes – for example the 16-19 Bursary Fund – they could be eligible for.

As a group, we have invested over £200,000 to provide additional devices and WiFi dongles for our students.

Alongside others in the region, we have launched an initiative to gather devices from staff members, partners and members of the public as another way of supporting our students who are currently being excluded digitally. 

In partnership with IBM and key stakeholders across the group, we are rolling out the Open P-Tech platform, which has a range of courses on technology-based topics and professional skills to be completed by students at their own pace and in their own time.

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This allows them to gain accredited badges which can be added to CVs and LinkedIn, preparing them for their next steps after college. It is a free resource for all staff and students and will upskill both students and parents.

However digital skills should have the same level of focus as we place on English and maths.

Those in the education sector can collectively promote the offer of free digital courses to parents/carers and the community to develop a broad depth of understanding, knowledge and skills across the region.

Every education provider will undoubtedly be putting in place a whole host of solutions to help students continue their learning journey, some of which will be very similar to what we have done.

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What we want to see from our government is a clear and timely response to the digital divide that builds on the handing out of devices, which is only part of a complex problem.

Time to get radical!

Bill Jones is Deputy CEO at Luminate Education Group and Principal at Leeds City College.

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