By Rachel Hope, Deputy director at the UK Department for Education.

This "My Take" was written for Digital access for all, Trend #8 in the Government Trends 2022 report.

View the Government Trends 2022 report here >

Read the Executive Summary >

The pandemic had an unprecedented effect on children’s education, with nationwide school closures from March 2020 and again in January 2021 as well as periods of self-isolation resulting in many children learning from home for months. This disruption was felt disproportionately by pupils from disadvantaged families with less access to devices (laptops, tablets, or a computer), the internet, or a suitable home-learning environment.

In the Department for Education, we delivered more than 1.7 million laptops and tablets to disadvantaged children. We provided 4G routers and partnered with mobile network operators to provide free-data allowances and set up nearly 6,000 schools on Google or Microsoft education platforms for remote and blended learning. We funded a network of “demonstrator” schools and colleges to support others in using technology effectively and to provide advice on remote teaching.

The Get Help with Technology program was a welcome rapid injection of support alongside many great local initiatives.

But what comes next?

Technology can have benefits inside and outside the classroom. In education, it’s about how school and college leaders use technology to save time, access the best curriculum content available, target learning interventions at vulnerable or disadvantaged pupils, support inclusion, communicate and engage with parents, and, ultimately, realize the potential of every child and learner. When applied with skill, technology offers huge opportunities for the educational sector, but it hasn’t been universally embraced.

(Image Credit: Unsplash)

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