The government are to give a free laptop computer to 270,000 low income families with school aged children. The idea, part of a £300m investment programme, is to give low income children  access to broadband and computer based learning .

Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary, said computer teaching resources were now as “essential” as books or pens yet a million youngsters had no internet access at home. Research had found a home computer could boost a pupil’s results in one subject at GCSE by two grades, he said.

Gordon Brown said  “That is why we have said that from 2010 all secondary schools – and from 2012 all primary schools – will guarantee reporting online to parents,” he said. “So the mother who’s worried about her son struggling with his reading can find out more about how she can help, or the dad who works long hours and can’t make a parents’ evening can keep in touch with his daughter’s progress, at whatever time of the day or night that he’s free.”

”It will mean all families can come together, learn together and reap the rewards together” he added – something that we at keen2learn have saying  for some time! Read more… Daily Telegraph