Ensure disadvantaged children have access to participate in virtual schooling

The government currently has plans to allow schools to apply for funding for laptops for students who currently receive free school meals. This plan will not be implemented until Spring 2021. Almost 75% of children who lack a device for virtual schooling do not receive free school meals.

This petition was rejected on 18th Jan 2021 as it duplicates an existing petition

The Petition Committee commented:
You may wish to sign some of these petitions: Provide disadvantaged children with a connected laptop to access home learning: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/563639 Expand the free laptop scheme for children to one per family so all benefit: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/334273 Fund a PC laptop for remote learning for every child/student: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/566856

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Official Petition Site

Disadvantaged children currently have little or no access to a computer which limits their participation due to no fault of their own.

Once the governments current plan comes into effect, these children would have missed out on a significant portion of their education in comparison to their peers.

These children are currently being denied education because they were born into disadvantaged families.

The plan must be brought forward or interim measures introduced as a stop gap.