broadband news

Broadband scheme launches to cabinet praise

The first part of a government plan to bring broadband to the nation’s most deprived children has begun amid praise for its aims.

The plan was unveiled by Gordon Brown at the recent Labour party conference. The prime minister pledged £300million to provide one million homes with broadband connections, bringing the communication medium to some of the least privileged parts of the UK.

The first stage of the scheme is now underway, with two pilots taking place. One of them is in Oldham, Greater Manchester, an area blighted by poverty and poor education. There, underprivileged families are being given broadband connections with the aim being to bridge the digital divide.

The scheme has been praised by senior politicians. Councillor Kay Knox, a cabinet member for children, told the Manchester Evening News about the benefits parents could expect under the broadband plan. The first was, she said, that families could now be in closer contact with their children’s progress at school.

Reports suggest that the vast majority of schools now communicate with parents via email, with teachers posting reading materials and interactive lessons online.

Councillor Knox said: "We want all families to have closer links with their children’s school and more opportunities to get involved.

"Making it easier for all parents to have good home access will enable all schools to make use of technology in ways they have not been able to before, for example, giving parents the chance to check their child’s progress safely and securely at the click of a button."

27/10/2008
Author: CompareBroadbandUK staff writer

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