As reported by Gov.uk, a new £45 million investment aims to upgrade school digital infrastructure, ensuring better connectivity for students nationwide
The government has announced a £45 million investment to improve digital connectivity in schools, helping to ensure that no learner is left behind in the modern education system.
The funding will support schools across the country in upgrading essential technology infrastructure, including £25 million dedicated to improving wireless networks this year. This initiative is part of the government’s wider Plan for Change, aimed at breaking the link between children’s backgrounds and their academic success.
The investment comes amid findings from the 2023 Technology in Schools Survey, which revealed that only 63% of schools currently have fully functional Wi-Fi throughout their premises. This lack of reliable connectivity has been identified as a major barrier to integrating technology effectively in classrooms.
Research by the Education Endowment Foundation has shown that well-implemented technology can significantly accelerate student learning. However, fast, secure, and reliable internet is crucial before schools can fully embrace digital teaching tools.
To further support digital development in education, the government has launched a consultation to gather views on its six core digital standards — a set of essential guidelines for ensuring strong tech infrastructure, connectivity, digital security, and leadership in schools and colleges. The aim is for all institutions to meet these standards by 2030.
This latest investment builds on the government’s ongoing efforts to enhance digital inclusion. So far, connectivity improvements have benefited 1.3 million pupils across 3,700 schools, with an additional £20 million allocated to complete fibre upgrades in 833 schools.
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