(Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
(Lab):...During the lockdown, I had a Zoom call with the Red Cross, which
works very successfully with hard-to-reach learners. I was told
that many of those learners’ parents only had a pay-as-you-go
phone. If they were to take part in the Zoom call and get the support they
needed, their data could be gone in minutes, because a mobile
phone is not a way to try to learn. That makes it even harder for
young people to access the learning that their better-off peers
can...
...The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated the
digital divide in the country. When schools and colleges are
shut, students have to adapt to online learning
overnight, which requires access to good quality IT equipment and
reliable broadband. However, many students from low-income
backgrounds, who did not have access to a laptop or PC at home,
and had until then relied on using library computers, were left
unable to complete remote learning or had to
work from a unsuitable device, such as the small screen of a
phone...
...Students without access to effective equipment are at
real risk of being left behind if the Government do not step in
to ensure that every further education student has the tools that
they need to complete their education in these challenging times.
Funding for colleges to supply students with this equipment has
fallen short of what is necessary. Although colleges have
welcomed back students, many are moving once more to online
learning.
The Government announced, at the 11th hour, changes to the
criteria for schools to receive laptops, a decision that the
NASUWT says has meant schools receiving up to 80% less than
promised. With many pupils and students having to
self-isolate, remote learning will be a
feature of our educational system for a long time to come. The
issue is, therefore, still pertinent, and it is not too late for
the Government to step in and fix it while the academic year is
still quite new...
(Bath) (LD):...My constituency of Bath has
been no exception. Local members’ learning events have included
IT and management skills, apprenticeships and CV writing
workshops. Providers have also responded rapidly to covid. Unison
worked alongside our local authority during lockdown to help
start book clubs in the workplace. Unionlearn launched a new
campaign promoting online learning for
furloughed workers, those working from home and those who have
been made redundant. Again, that shows the need for a flexible
response and the fact that Government need to understand that
covid demands that we act flexibly...
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education
():...I thank the FE sector for its continued hard work
to make sure our learners can continue to access high-quality
education and training, which includes the move to remote
learning. The hon. Member for Hackney South and
Shoreditch (), who I always seek to remain harmonious with,
mentioned that. We have introduced a lot of flexibilities to
shift towards online and blended learning and to
increase the flex vis-à-vis attendance. Many of the colleges have
appreciated the flexibilities that we have introduced, and we
have done that all the way along...
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