Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of the use of satellite technology in delivering remote learning to children that are not attending school as a result of (a) the covid-19 pandemic and (b) other reasons.

DFID is helping to deliver remote learning to children during the COVID19 crisis through radio, television and many mobile telephone networks that are providing educational applications free of charge.

Satellite internet technology has specific potential benefits in reaching children in remote areas where mobile telephone coverage is limited. The DFID-funded EdTech Hub is researching how to effectively scale this type of learning in low income countries, with a key focus on the Value for Money compared to non-tech interventions.