Nearly 1 million British children do not have access to the internet at home

"A DIGITAL divide is leaving poorer children at risk of falling behind at school.
Almost one million youngsters are not on the internet at home because their parents cannot afford computers or the cost of web access.
The e-Learning Foundation said ownership of the latest technology is particularly low among single parent families and warned needier youngsters must get online or be left academically disadvantaged.
The charity’s chief executive Valerie Thompson said: “The hundreds of thousands of children growing up in households without internet access often struggle to complete homework, research topics and use online revision tools.
“Without the use of a computer, the attainment gap that characterises children from low income families is simply going to get worse.”
The e-Learning Foundation said the latest analysis of the Family Spending survey shows about one in 12 youngsters, more than 850,000, are not online at home.
It reckons Government schemes to get more PCs into low-income homes have helped to close the gap.
But it warned much more needs to be done to eradicate the divide.
A total of 77% of all households in the UK now own a computer, up from 65% five years ago. And 73% have the internet, a rise from 55%."
Source:  Data from The e-Learning Foundation, reported by The Mirror, 30th December 2011