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Broadband access 'helps improve education for children'
Friday 13th March 2009, by Daniel King
An expert has highlighted the important role of broadband in helping to improve children's education and increase their "life chances".
Niel McLean, executive director of Becta, said having access to the internet opens up a whole range of "fantastic resources" for children and could help improve their performance in school.
The company, which is leading the national drive to improve learning through technology, is currently giving away free computers to families as part of the Home Access Programme.
It hopes this will help guarantee pupils have access to the internet for school or college purposes and Mr McLean said the provision of broadband services could make a real difference for some children.
As well as helping to improve IT skills, which are becoming increasingly important for future life and employment, he claimed that there are "some fantastic resources" available online that help pupil's to learn about areas such as geography, history and science.
"We've got evidence that shows that it is probably worth half a grade at GCSE difference, if you have access to resources - online revision sites and things like that," he commented.
"It really does make a difference to kids' achievement and life chances."
According to eMarketer, broadband is becoming "increasingly vital" for consumers looking to get the most out of the internet, with the total number of UK households making use of the technology set to rise to 17 million this year.
The company said the falling cost of broadband means that the service is quickly becoming the norm for most residents, with the number of subscribers in 2009 set to rise by 6.5 per cent compared to the previous year.
Categories: Broadband
