WIREDGOV

The Digital Poverty Alliance (DPA) yesterday launched its 2026 Schools Census Report, Smartphones Aren’t Enough: Every Child Needs a Laptop, at Parliament, setting out new evidence on why smartphones cannot be treated as a fair substitute for regular access to a suitable keyboarded device.

Sponsored by AtkinsRéalis, the report examines a part of digital poverty in education that can be easy to underestimate when access is measured by whether there is a device or connection somewhere in the household. The findings show how the absence of a suitable laptop or desktop can affect not only homework and coursework, but also a young person’s ability to apply for work, university and further education opportunities.

The research found that 95 per cent of sixth-form teachers believe lack of access to a suitable laptop or desktop device harms children’s future prospects to some degree. It also found that 30 per cent of teachers said at least 10 pupils they teach lack access to a suitable device or reliable internet connection at home.

The report describes this as the “keyboard gap”, where a child may have some form of digital access but still lack regular access to a device suitable for schoolwork. It points to the importance of laptops or desktop computers for essays and writing assignments, completing homework, submitting assignments and using online portals.

Homework and coursework are increasingly moving online. Seven in 10 parents said homework has now moved online, while almost half said their child is required to use online portals to submit coursework or homework. Among families using online learning systems, 84 per cent said children are expected to access them outside designated learning hours.

Teachers also warned that smartphones are not an adequate substitute for a suitable keyboarded device, with fewer than one in 10 saying students would be able to complete all of their coursework using only a smartphone.

Yesterday’s Parliamentary launch placed that evidence in front of policymakers at a point when digital access in education needs to be understood with greater precision. Elizabeth Anderson, CEO, Digital Poverty Alliance, said the event was an opportunity to confront a weakness that has sat inside education policy for too long: “We have been too ready to count connection as access, and access as adequacy. This report shows why that is not good enough. If a child is expected to complete coursework, submit assignments and prepare for future opportunities online, then a smartphone cannot be treated as a serious answer. Parliament is the right place to make that case, because this is no longer a narrow technology issue. It is about fairness in education.”

Many families also reported children sharing devices within households. Among parents whose child has access to a laptop, over a third said the device must be shared with others in the household. Among families with desktop computers, over two fifths said the device is shared.

Yesterday’s launch marked a significant moment in the DPA’s 25th year. The report calls for a stronger national approach to digital inclusion in education, including a statutory digital schools census, meaningful targets to end device sharing and reliance on smartphones in schools, and action to ensure children whose families cannot afford a suitable device are not left at a disadvantage.

Read the Report Here