Covid-19: BT extends free wi-fi voucher codes to NI pupils

BT has changed their website after it originally said that schools in Northern Ireland could not apply for free wi-fi vouchers.

The company's website had stated schools in England, Scotland and Wales could apply directly to BT for free wi-fi voucher codes.

However it had said they could not offer the service to any NI schools.

Wi-fi vouchers allow pupils learning from home, who do not have wi-fi, to get it free for a period of time.

This can potentially avoid families paying big bills for data use.

However, BT told BBC News NI that how their vouchers were provided to schools "is a matter for the government to decide" and that "they are currently delivered through the Education Authority (EA)" in Northern Ireland.

"Schools in Northern Ireland can apply through the C2kExchange and these free vouchers will allocated by the Education Authority," BT said.

They have made that clarification on their website.

Figures from the Department of Education (DE) suggest that at least eight times as many pupils attended schools in the first week of term in 2021 as in the first lockdown in 2020.

However almost nine in 10 pupils are learning remotely.

The principal of St Clare's Primary in west Belfast, Cathal O'Doherty, said that could present many challenges, especially for disadvantaged pupils.

"We try as much as possible to provide devices to children who don't have access to the internet or to devices," he said.

"Digital poverty is a really serious issue and it's something we have to think outside the box on to provide learning to these children."

He also said that access to free wi-fi voucher codes was important for pupils whose families did not have wi-fi access.

"This is where digital poverty bleeds into actual poverty in the house," he said.

"If they don't have access to wi-fi when they are desperate to try to get some learning done, they're eating up their own data usage and that will cost additional money.

"It very quickly runs up a bill.

"Wifi would be pretty important in terms of being able to access the learning we would want the children to have."

The Department of Education (DE) has spent £200,000 on 8,000 wi-fi vouchers from BT for disadvantaged or vulnerable learners.

Schools can then request those from the EA.

But in a statement to BBC News NI, BT said that it would "provide Northern Ireland schools with as many free wi-fi vouchers as are requested".

They said they were also exploring whether the "zero rated" mobile data programme could be extended to children in NI.

That could allow pupils in Northern Ireland to use some learning websites like BBC Bitesize without eating into their data allowance.

Other mobile companies have announced plans to offer free data and unlimited broadband for children studying at home during the latest lockdown.