Learn about the developments following the release of the UK government’s Digital Inclusion Action Plan.
Technology has the potential to be a great equaliser, making learning more accessible and inclusive for students. But this only works when access to technology is equitable. If a school has poor digital connectivity and digital resources, then students end up missing out – especially if those students also don’t have access to tech at home.
To help UK schools improve their digital standards, the government will be investing £45 million into improving connectivity and making digital standards a requirement for all schools. Reliable connection is a real issue for some, with the 2023 Technology in Schools Survey finding, “just 63% of schools reported having a fully functional Wi-Fi signal throughout the school.” 1
In February, the UK government launched a Digital Inclusion Action Plan which focuses on giving the most “digitally excluded groups the confidence and skills to benefit from digitisation.” 1 From that, they have set out this new investment and opened a consultation, ‘Narrowing the digital divide in schools and colleges’. The consultation gives educators an opportunity to share their views to help form the plan for schools and colleges to meet ‘six core digital standards’ by 2030. These are outlined as: Broadband internet, wireless networks, network switches, digital leadership and governance, filtering and monitoring, and cyber security. 1
The consultation will be open for eight weeks and will gather evidence on:
- prioritising essential technology infrastructure
- managing the risks of technology
- harnessing the opportunities of technology
- the readiness of the sector to meet these six core digital and technology standards
- any barriers schools and colleges face in meeting the standards
- the support the sector requires to meet the standards
- examples of best practice in harnessing the benefits of technology
- evidence gaps that the sector would like the Department to help with filling. 2
Get involved the consultation on ‘Narrowing the digital divide in schools and colleges’.
References
- GOV.UK (2025) ‘No child left behind in plans to narrow the digital divide in education’. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/no-child-left-behind-in-plans-to-narrow-the-digital-divide-in-education (Accessed 24th March 2025)
- Department for Education (2025) ‘Narrowing the digital divide in schools and colleges’. Available at: https://consult.education.gov.uk/reliable-and-safe-technology/narrowing-the-digital-divide-in-schools/ (Accessed: 24th March 2025)
