During the Covid-19 pandemic, we saw the impact of the digital divide as young people from lower-income families found it harder to study because they didn’t have access to the computers and broadband they needed.
Islington’s Labour-run Council worked hard to tackle this issue, distributing more than 7000 laptops to help children with their studies, but this wasn’t just a problem during the pandemic, it is one that needed a long-term fix.
That’s why, in our manifesto for the 2022 Local Elections, we pledged to make sure that every Islington young person moving into year 7 has access to a laptop or tablet at home. We are proud to say this pledge is now a reality as more than 600 pupils who started secondary school this autumn without a laptop computer of their own are being given a device. This Labour-run council is helping our young people with their studies, narrowing the digital divide between children, and helping families to cope amidst the cost of living crisis.
The council has almost finished distributing 623 Chromebook devices to local secondary schools, which estimated that around half of Year 7 pupils who started with them this autumn do not have access to their own laptop computer at home or at school.
Islington’s Labour-run Council is also tackling the digital divide by rolling out high-speed broadband to council estates across the borough, fulfilling another manifesto pledge.
Cllr Michelline Ngongo, Executive Member for Children, Young People and Families, said:
“Islington already has the highest level of child poverty in London. The cost of living crisis is hitting households right across Islington, but it’s our poorest families who are suffering the worst effects of rising prices – threatening to widen inequalities even more.
“For some, whose daily dilemma now is whether to pay for heating or eating, a laptop for their child is simply out of the question. We have stepped in to help because we’re determined to make Islington a more equal place, where all children and young people have the very best start in life, whatever their background.
“These laptops will put our children on a more level playing field as they start secondary school. None of our young people should be at risk of falling behind in their studies simply because they don’t have access to essential learning equipment.”
