EdTech offers solution to level the playing field for digitally excluded students

EdTech company @KajeetUK offers solution to level the playing field for digitally excluded students

US-based company Kajeet enters the UK market today to provide students without internet access the tools they need to ensure safe, online learning can continue away from the classroom. 

Remote learning has been welcomed by many during the pandemic but, for the 9 per cent of students in the UK who have no internet access outside of school this has become a significant barrier. It risks a large proportion of young students missing out on resources, tutoring and the ability to study online away from school and out of school hours. 

The Kajeet SmartSpot® provides Wi-Fi access to students who would otherwise go without and risk falling behind their peers. The device offers educators more options to use digital tools and enrich the learning experience for students, knowing that connectivity will not be an issue. It allows easy roll out from schools and requires no pre-existing internet connection, meaning students can plug in away from school and access learning materials they need immediately. Customisable filters keep students safe and on task by allowing schools the option of integrated filtering capabilities to block harmful content. 

According to the Sutton Trust Report, 11 per cent of teachers in the UK report more than 1 in 5 of their pupils do not have adequate internet access for learning and, in a separate report, only 8 per cent of teachers cite that they expect to revert back to pre-pandemic practices. 

Ben Mansell, Kajeet UK Country Manager, commented: “There has always been a digital divide in the UK, but this has become more apparent as we emerge from a year of lockdowns. Digitalisation and computer-based learning has demonstrated some distinct advantages and efficiencies meaning digital and remote learning is clearly here to stay. However, a permanent return to school has now happened and yet the divide still exists – for those students that rely on classroom learning this creates a very unequal situation between those who have home internet access to learn and those who do not.” 

The company’s mission is to ensure connected learning from home is standard for UK students: that being connected to the school and able to do homework is critical, and progression away from the classroom should be equal regardless of socio-economic background. The Kajeet SmartSpot® solution provides a suitable infrastructure to improve the distance learning experience and ensure all students have access to a virtual learning environment. 

The SmartSpot® has been trialled in a number of schools in the UK over the last few months and Amit Amin, Head Teacher at Oaks Park High School in Carshalton, Surrey commented, “Kajeet SmartSpot® has been absolutely amazing. We trialled the device with some of our students during the recent lockdown period from January to March. The devices allowed them to access their remote learning from home and ensured that some of our most vulnerable students could continue with their education in the same way as all other students. They were extremely easy to set up and use and provided unlimited internet access safely and effectively for unconnected students.” 

Kajeet has partnered with CDW, the UK-based arm of the world’s leading IT services and solutions specialist, to extend its UK reach in order to support a larger number of digitally excluded UK students. Neil Bailey, Public Sector Education Sales Manager, CDW UK commented, “CDW’s relationship with Kajeet dates back to 2015 when we first collaborated to extend the classroom to digitally excluded students, across multiple states in the US. We are pleased to have the opportunity to extend our successful partnership to the UK market at a time when it has never been more important to secure better and safer access to technology for learners.” 

Kajeet has been supporting schools with reliable and secure distance learning bundles in the US for the last decade and hopes to restore the same balance of equality to UK students following today’s UK launch.