Funding made available for digital devices in schools: FOI release

Information requested

The funding made available in each of the last three financial years for distribution of laptops, chromebooks and other digital devices for school pupils for use at home and in school?

Response

Whilst our aim is to provide information wherever possible, the following exemption applies to some of the information requested.

Exemption 17(1)
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested, specifically relating to the funding made available for devices.

The Scottish Government provided £25 million to local authorities for devices as a result of the pandemic and closure of school buildings in 2020-21. This resulted in the provision of 72,000 devices and 14,000 internet connections. No further funding has yet been issued to local authorities for device provision between April 2021 and the date of this request.

We know that many local authorities have made funding available for the purchase of devices for learners. Information provided by local authorities in December 2022, indicated that 280,000 devices had been distributed to learners (including 72,000 funded by the Scottish Government in 2020).We do not hold further information on the number of devices local authorities have issued to schools since this time or the total funding made available to enable this. Local authorities should be able to provide more detailed information on their device provision funding.

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The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.