The solution needs better heads than mine, but these are the principles which I believe should guide:
– Each individual child should be provided with a device appropriate for learning, and for use in school and at home;
– Subsidiarity (maximum delegation locally) should apply;
– Bids should be invited from schools to establish local family hubs through which hardware and software (ownership of which would be retained by the school) would be distributed, training and maintenance support would be delivered, and wifi stations would be available for those who cannot manage adequately from home;
– LAs should be accountable for encouraging comprehensive coverage in their areas, but not involved otherwise, with a view to avoiding any local political interference (thus revealing one of my particular frustrations with public services);
– Funding should be routed to schools through existing channels, thus making governing bodies accountable;
– The service should be free at the point of use;
– Some parents may need to be incentivised to make use of the service. Merely ‘leading the horse to water’ is unlikely to be enough. Plenty of scope for ingenuity here.
Please note that I am willing to make available any amount of my time voluntarily if I can be helpful in making this happen; and that in the unlikely event of my proposal attracting a prize it would be donated to Ed-WISE IOW Ltd, our charitable community benefit society, regulated by the FCA, whose object is to enhance the education and life chances of (Isle of Wight) island children and young people.
ERH/4 Jan 21
350-11