Hundreds more laptops and tablets have been made available for disadvantaged children through Cumbria’s education authority in recent weeks,.
Department for Education data shows 5,138 laptops and tablets had been sent by the Government to Cumbria County Council or its maintained schools by April 8.
That was 269 more than were reported by March 14, an increase of 6 per cent.
Across England, 99.7 per cent of the 1.3 million laptops and tablets as part of the government's Get Help with Technology scheme have been distributed to disadvantaged young people during the pandemic. The figures do not include devices allocated to academy trusts, as they are not maintained by local authorities.
318 4G wireless routers have been given to Cumbria County Council to help families with limited internet access.
The number of laptops and tablets allocated for schools was decided by calculating how many children are eligible for free school meals and using an estimate of devices the school and children already have, though schools can request additional devices.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here