Bristol City Council to Help School Kids Access Laptops

Bristol City Council to distribute laptops to pupils as England enters a third national lockdown.

16:41 09 January 2021

Bristol City Council has announced it will be allocating £250,000 of Covid funding to distribute laptops to pupils without access to the required technology for their home schooling. The announcement comes as England enters a third national lockdown forcing pupils to start learning from home. 

 

Council documents explain: “This project is being set up to address digital poverty in Bristol, exacerbated by Covid 19, which means that people without digital devices, data and basic skills face significant barriers to education, training and employment – as well as access to wider services and social connections, particularly for more vulnerable people who are isolated as a result of shielding.

 

“In Bristol’s most deprived areas, where many people may have a mobile phone, there is anecdotal evidence that many households lack a computer, laptop or tablet, access to broadband, as well as the confidence and skills to fully utilise these digital devices.”

 

The council will also be providing data and support so recipients can "improve their access to education."