Government Set Six Standards to Tackle Digital Divide in UK Schools
The UK Government’s Department for Education (DfE) has today set out “six standards” that it hopes will end the “postcode lottery of school technology” and help to close the digital divide. The standards cover broadband internet, wireless networks, network switches, digital leadership, plus two safety requirements: cyber security and filtering and monitoring to keep pupils safe online.
The government states that, across the country, there are still “stark inequalities” where some pupils suffer from basic digital access whilst others benefit from cutting-edge technology, including AI – creating unfair barriers to learning and future opportunities. The goal of the new standards is to help ensure that every school has access to “reliable, safe tech” in classrooms and to “ensure no child is left behind“.
Schools and colleges will be expected to meet these new expectations by 2030, although it’s unclear what happens if they don’t. One possible catch here is that the government recently delayed their plan for achieving nationwide (99%) UK coverage of gigabit-capable broadband from 2030 to 2032, which now seems to be out of alignment with the six standards (most likely only impacting a few rural areas).
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To support schools, the government will expand its Plan technology for your school service to give every school tailored support and guidance on how and where to make lasting, cost-effective improvements to their technology. This comes alongside a £45m investment from government this year to boost school infrastructure, including upgrades to fibre optic and wireless networks.
Minister for Early Education, Stephen Morgan, said:
“Every child deserves access to the digital tools that will prepare them for the modern world, regardless of which school they attend. For too long, we’ve seen a postcode lottery where some pupils thrive with cutting-edge technology whilst others are held back by outdated equipment.
Meeting our six digital standards will ensure that by 2030, all schools have the digital provision they need. We’re investing in our children’s futures, supporting pupils to get the digital access they need to succeed whilst keeping them safe online.
This is a key part of our Plan for Change – ensuring every child has the chance to reach their full potential and no pupil is left behind in the digital age.”
The work forms part of the Government’s wider plan to break down barriers to opportunity, as too many pupils currently miss out on digital skills that are essential for modern careers, creating lasting disadvantage and impacting their future. The Connect the Classroom programme has so far improved connectivity for more than 1.3 million pupils in 3,700 schools.
Jisc will also continue to support colleges with advice on the use of technology and access to Janet, the UK’s National Research and Education Network. But that’s all the info. we get from the government’s announcement.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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The DfE can suggest whatever they like, it is useful to refer to it and for Directors/Governors/Leaders to have a reference point. However, as a Director of IT in a Trust, it’s largely irrelevant – budgets are the tightest they’ve been for a long time and replacing switches and WiFi points (which are currently working, but not meeting the standards) would be great from a systems and security POV, but cannot be a financial priority. Single form entry primary schools are essentially financially unviable for example – we’re at a time when iPads and Chromebooks are seen as the cheaper alternative to teaching assistants and we can barely afford either. Schools can be ‘forced’ in to tech refreshes by linking these requirements to insurance policies (RPA), especially around cyber security. But unless funding is available, schools simply cannot afford to do so. I fear that some MSPs could take advantage of additional funding; Whilst they may be in the business to help schools operationally, knowing that often schools cannot afford the level of expertise in-house, they are still businesses there to make money. In-house IT teams can vary dramatically in abilities and those who are at a level where they have high quality staff, long term financial plans and strategies as well as robust IT systems, are in the minority. Multi Academy Trusts are often the ‘best’ available option for primaries to tap in to expertise but it’s not a universal solution or guarantee of quality. I am often frustrated at how schools outside of our Trust are incredibly varied in their approach, ripped off, unable to afford / have benefits to attract quality staff or live from moment to moment in their resources.
Ultimately, we would like to see IT tech in the hands of leaners and robust IT systems behind that, the inequalities are indeed rife, but often through a lack of capital funding in the first place – with buildings, boilers, furniture all more important.
Schools cannot sell more beans to make more money, they get what they get! Sadly, the spin around additional funding barely covers the increases seen both in staffing, energy and maintenance.
Still, at least this is on the agenda.
As someone who is also an IT Director, has been for a MAT, now for a College, I couldn’t agree more with the first comment.
There are such vast differences across different schools (& colleges). Usually those schools doing well at these IT standards have very dedicated, skilled individuals running the IT function.
It’s not all about money, certainly about who’s in post.
MSP’s, many of whom promise much, under delivery and rip off public sector just makes the situation worse – when money is “invested” it’s often poorly utilised and give out to the private sector, with little objective – maybe the standards will help this, but ask any MSP if you need new wireless – they’ll say of cause you do!!
These standards have been around for a while, I’ve been reporting these to our governors based on RAG.
There has been little assistance from government to get aging devices replaced to support Windows 11, let alone infrastructure.
The money public sector waste on IT projects with poor deliverables is nothing new (see NHS, Capita, One advanced etc.).
It’s the same as FTTP public funding, just makes private companies wealthier!
Good sign. If we’ve got the money to waste on this, we have obviously already cracked the problem of the buildings falling down then.