Julian Asks Secretary of State for Education about Laptop Provision for Home Learning
May 5, 2020
Julian Sturdy, Member of Parliament for York Outer, was today the first MP to participate in a new look virtual Education Questions in the House of Commons.
Mr. Sturdy used his question to raise the concerns of local Headteachers regarding the resources available to disadvantaged students whilst they are studying at home.
It comes after the Government conceded that students would have to wait until at the least the end of the month for the distribution of over 200,000 laptops under a previously announced Government scheme.
After questioning the Secretary of State, Julian Sturdy said:
“Having asked local schools in York about the challenges they are facing in adapting to these challenging times, one of the biggest issues that Headteachers have raised is their fear that students from disadvantaged backgrounds are falling behind their peers due to a lack of resources at home.
I very much welcomed the Government’s earlier announcement that 200,000 new laptops would be made available to address this, but I fear that it could prove too little too late for students that are struggling to access online learning resources now. I will continue to engage with our local schools to ensure they are properly supported both now and as they prepare to reopen in the future”.
