Schools in England are being supported by the UK Government to close the digital divide in classrooms with a £45 million investment to improve connectivity and further plans to make digital standards a requirement for schools.

As part of this, the UK Government’s Department for Education—whose remit is England due to the devolved nature of education—is also launching a consultation to gather views on a long-term ambition for schools and colleges to meet six core digital standards by 2030.

These core digital standards include broadband internet, wireless networks, network switches, filtering and monitoring, cybersecurity, and digital leadership and governance.

The UK Government is investing the £45 million to boost school infrastructure, including £25 million to upgrade wireless networks this year, to help get classrooms online and boost these standards.

It’s the latest phase of funding for the programme, which has been said to have so far improved connectivity for more than 1.3 million pupils in 3,700 schools.

This is on top of the £20 million to complete delivery of fibre upgrades to 833 schools.

It follows the UK Government’s recently-launched Digital Inclusion Action Plan, aiming to give the most digitally-excluded groups the confidence and skills to benefit from digitisation, which is a key driver of growth under its Plan for Change.

“Failing to tackle the digital divide in schools means robbing young people in those communities of the chance to succeed in the modern world. We won’t let it happen,” said technology secretary, Peter Kyle.

“Last month, we launched a Digital Inclusion Action plan setting out how we will bring everyone along with us and break down the barriers to the opportunities in the digital revolution.

“Today, we are building on that commitment to ensure the next generation can reap the benefits of the digital world, boost their life chances and have the confidence they need to thrive in today’s society.”

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According to research from the Education Endowment Foundation, an independent charity working to break the link between family income and educational achievement, effective use of tech can accelerate learning.

Though, reliable, fast, and secure internet in the classroom is essential before schools can consider fully incorporating technology into their lessons.

The 2023 Technology in Schools Survey found that just 63% of schools reported having a fully functional Wi-Fi signal throughout the school.