Technology availability isn’t the only barrier to remote learning. Lack of access to home internet or a computer increases for lower-income students. At least 11 million students don't have a computer for online learning at all, in addition to those that may need to share a single device with siblings. Among children ages 3-18, 17% live in households without a laptop or desktop computer.
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In addition to home internet, the lack of a laptop or desktop computer on which to complete schoolwork is another barrier to full participation in remote learning. This means at least 42% of children without home internet will face barriers to connectivity. However, 34% reported not having internet because they were unable to afford it, 4% because they did not have a home computer, and 4% because an internet connection was not available in their area. These families may choose to setup home internet during this pandemic. Most families surveyed by NCES reported that they simply don’t need it. Reasons for not having home internet vary. More than 9 million schoolchildren will face difficultly completing assignments online. According to the most recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 14% of children ages 3-18 don't have internet access at home. Some students will be able to make this transition easier than others. Schools have closed nationwide to prevent the spread of COVID-19, meaning a majority of the more than 56 million K-12 students in the US will attend school online in the spring.
While more than half of households were provided computers from schools, a small fraction were supplied with devices to access the internet. Overall, 4.4 million households with students still lack consistent access to a computer and 3.7 million lack internet access. In households where internet was always available for online learning, 2.4% of households received internet access from the child’s school or school district. An additional 7%, accounting for 3.7 million households, had internet available sometimes, rarely, or never. Seventy-three percent of households with children always had access to internet for online learning and 17% had access most of the time. The numbers are similar for internet access. In households where a computer was always available, 60% received devices from the child’s school or school district. An additional 8%, or 4.4 million households, had a computer available sometimes, rarely, or never. Of the 52 million households with children present, 74% always had access to a computer for educational purposes in September and 16% had access most of the time. Without knowing the average number of children in different types of households, it’s difficult to know the percent of all children with computer and internet access. Statistics are not directly comparable because the new Household Pulse Survey data is reported as number of “households with children,” while the older National Center for Education Statistics data is based on children ages 3-18. Insights are pulled from week 14 of the Household Pulse Survey based on data collected from September 2 through 14. USAFacts dug into the data to provide updated information on technology access for children going to school online.
The Household Pulse Survey measures a variety of issues that affect households, including internet and computer access for online learning. In late April 2020, the US Census Bureau, in partnership with five other statistical agencies, created a rapid response survey to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.