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<p>The Department has already delivered over 220,000 laptops and tablets and over
50,000 4G wireless routers to disadvantaged children who would not otherwise have
had online access, as part of over £160 million invested to support remote education
and access to online social care.</p><p>The Department is now supplementing this support
by making an additional 250,000 laptops and tablets available in the event that face-to-face
schooling is disrupted as a result of local COVID-19 restrictions and children become
reliant on remote education. We are also working with the major telecommunications
companies to improve internet connectivity for disadvantaged and vulnerable families
who rely on a mobile internet connection.</p><p>The laptops and tablets are an injection
of support to help local authorities and academy trusts to provide access to remote
education and online social care services during the COVID-19 restriction period.</p><p>The
Department arrived at an allocated number of devices by estimating how many pupils
are without access to a device. The Department did this by combining data on the number
of pupils eligible for Free School Meals in each school, with an assumption that some
pupils’ needs will be met by the devices provided by the schools. The Department used
the BESA ICT 2019 survey data on the average number of laptops and tablets in primary
and secondary schools and assumed that these are distributed between teachers and
pupils.</p><p>The Department has published data about the delivery of laptops and
tablets, which can be viewed here: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/912888/Devices_and_4G_wireless_routers_progress_data_as_of_27_August_2020.pdf"
target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/912888/laptops
and tablets_and_4G_wireless_routers_progress_data_as_of_27_August_2020.pdf</a>.</p><p>
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