More than a third of low-income families missing out on digital resources our new report shows
Governments, local authorities and schools must make a concerted joint effort to equip families for future home learning by fully addressing their digital needs, a survey of families in the last lockdown suggests.
A joint survey of 1,570 parents and 785 children by our charity and Child Poverty Action Group found 35 per cent of low-income families didn’t have the home learning equipment they needed in the last lockdown. Most commonly, they lacked devices such as a laptop or a tablet.*
A quarter of pupils on free school meals said they had to share a device with other family members.
Parents described facing impossible choices around home learning because of scarce resources, higher bills, inadequate space and juggling schooling with their work. This ‘permanent battle’ caused stress and guilt for parents and often left less time to focus on learning. The lack of digital tools made it more challenging for pupils to participate in learning from home as they struggled to access online lessons and materials.
We believe that local lockdowns, contact tracing and household isolation mean some pupils will inevitably have to learn from home in the coming months, and so they should be properly equipped to do so.
Disadvantaged families worrying more about costs
Our joint survey found that:
- More than a third of low-income families are missing essential digital resources for future home learning
- Parents had to make ‘impossible choices’ to decide who got access to digital devices and bandwidth while schools were closed
- Concern about money is higher than last year among poorer families
- 90 per cent of low-income families spent more on bills with children at home in lockdown
- Families prefer cash to vouchers to replace free school meals
- Schools have helped to plug gaps but lack of digital resources and financial worries impacted home learning
- Increasing school-related costs have contributed to financial pressures on families
Low-income parents reported being more concerned about money than last spring, and the vast majority (90 per cent) had spent more on bills with children at home. Many had faced higher return-to-schools costs in September compared to the previous year, and had spent more on uniforms, extra clothing for outdoor learning, stationery, face masks and hand gel.
Where schools had reduced costs – for example by relaxing uniform policies or loaning out digital devices – parents said it had made a positive difference.
The survey showed that free school meals were valued by families who receive them as they helped them make ends meet, both in normal times and through replacement options when schools were closed. Cash payments directly into parents’ bank accounts were the most favoured replacement option, with 75 per cent of families receiving direct payments saying this was working well or very well for them; this compared to just 40 per cent who said other methods like vouchers and food deliveries were working well. Many low-income families who were not eligible for free school meals said they would have benefited greatly from the extra help.
Based on these findings, CPAG and Children North East want to see:
- a concerted effort to ensure pupils have the learning tools they need at home
- reductions in the cost of the school day
- a review of the free school meals eligibility threshold to include more families
- greater financial support to families to help them recover from the crisis (by improving the social security system)
- support to families to be made through cash payments
Luke Bramhall, Poverty Proofing and Participation Service Manager at Children North East, said:
“The findings from the Cost of Learning in Lockdown report have been invaluable for us and for schools across the country in shaping their response to the latest lockdown and the pandemic as a whole. It is sadly no surprise that children caught in the grip of poverty are drowning as they continue to suffer from the digital and resources divide which has been highlighted by the Covid-19 crisis. We encourage schools to take these findings and consider how they can inform the great work they are doing to support the most vulnerable children in our society.”
Alison Garnham, Chief Executive of Child Poverty Action Group, added:
“School disruptions have had a big impact on family life, from finances to learning. The digital divide was exacerbated during school closures, but it didn’t start with lockdown and it won’t go away with pupils back in the classroom. We must bridge the gaps in resources so pupils can fully access their education – whether at school or at home.
We have seen some great examples of schools working alongside families to make learning during lockdown easier. However, the pandemic has hit hard and low-income families need far more financial support from government itself. By providing that support and reducing the cost of the school day, all children can have a chance at fulfilling their potential in life.”
- *Parents either said they did not have any of these devices, or they did not have enough to meet the needs of their family.
Want to help?
Our Computers for Kids campaign is encouraging local businesses to donate to help buy devices for disadvantaged families. Computer company, Sage, recently made a £30,000 donation and urged other companies to follow suit.
