Children from low-income families can benefit from a free computer and internet access to enhance their home learning environment, thanks to a new Government initiative.
Working on a first-come-first-served basis, the £300m Home Access Programme is designed to benefit both parents and children. It will provide free computers to 270,000 low-income households across England over the next two years.
The scheme forms part of the Government's drive to close the digital and educational divide between rich and poor, and its pledge to ensure that every pupil has access to a personalised online learning space.
Government figures suggest that as many as one million children are without internet access at home, despite surveys suggesting that 29 per cent of children have a computer in their bedroom and spend around 1.4 hours online a day.
Many studies have shown that children without access to a computer or the internet at home fall behind in their social and educational development, have inferior technical skills and are less likely to enter higher education. Parents may also be at risk of isolation, as many schools and early years settings use e-mails to communicate to parents and post notifications on their websites.
Children who have a home computer are more likely to have improved social behaviour, do better in maths and reading tests and have more fun learning and greater opportunities to widen their knowledge.
'ICT has a major role to play,' says Professor John-Siraj-Blatchford, much of whose research has focused upon ICT in the early years. 'While we currently don't have much evidence regarding the contribution that ICT can make to all of this in the UK, research by the United States Department of Health and Human Services' Head Start programme found that young children perform better in pre-school when their parents are actively involved with their home computer use. Similar findings have also strongly pointed to the value of pre-schools working with parents to reap the benefits of ICT in early childhood.'
Supporting families
Home Access pilots carried out last year in Oldham and Suffolk found the programme had a positive impact on both pupils and parents. Some parents found jobs after placing their CV online and many completed internet training courses.
Children who received computers spent an hour more per week learning online, compared with their classmates who already had the internet at home, and 81 per cent of parents said the scheme had increased their involvement in their child's learning.
Professor Blatchford thinks that schools and early years settings have an important role to play not just in raising families' awareness of the scheme and its benefits, but also in helping families complete application forms and in running introductory computer courses for parents.
'Parents need to know how to use a computer and the internet effectively and they should sit with children to ensure they are using it as an educational tool,' he says. 'It is important that parents get the support they need from children's centres and schools to help them use the resource properly.'
Further reading: Supporting ICT in the Early Years (Supporting Early Learning) by John Siraj-Blatchford and David Whitebread (Open University Press)
HOME ACCESS PROGRAMME
Under the Home Access programme, each qualifying family gets a Barclaycard loaded with £528 that can be used for a one-off transaction to buy a laptop with built-in Microsoft Office Home and Student, pre-installed internet with parental controls, three years' anti-virus software and a year's service support and warranty from an approved supplier.
Special needs software is also pre-installed where appropriate; those with more profound needs can apply for a local authority assessment to determine if they qualify for further assistance. Schools and local authorities can also offer to purchase equipment on behalf of families.
To qualify for the Home Access grant, families must have a child who attends a maintained school in years three to nine.
They must also receive at least one of the following.
- - Free schools meals for their child
- - Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
- - Income Support
- - Child Tax Credit but not Working Tax Credit, and an income of less than £16,040
- - Guaranteed Pension Credit
- - Income-based Employment Support Allowance
- - Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
Families wanting to request an application form can call the Home Access Grant helpline, where they will go through an initial eligibility check. If they are successful an application form is sent out. Applicants will hear if they are eligible for a grant within three weeks, and if eligible will receive a pre-loaded debit card.
The programme is intended to run until March 2011 or until the money has run out. Families can request an application form by calling the Home Access Grant helpline on 0333 200 1004 or visiting the website www.homeaccess.org.uk.