Wi-Fi for everyone

In 2020, 96% of households in the UK had internet access (Johnson, 2020). Even though this sounds like a significant majority, it still meant that millions of households were left without internet access during the pandemic when everyone had to stay at home. Consequently, many children’s studies would have been disrupted. If in 2020, Wi-Fi was free, it would not have been a problem accessing learning from home on a technological device. Many locations provided free Wi-Fi access when individuals are out, and schools also have internet access; therefore, it should have been accessible at home, like it is today.

Traditional knowledge has always been passed down from generations without paying and transferring valuable skills to help the community and contribute to society (Brons, 2017). Brons (2017) also stated that these are the basic principles of an open education system, as it is free of charge and individuals have open access to knowledge. Consequently, having free access to Wi-Fi allows knowledge to be passed on to everyone, as technological devices are now part of our everyday lives, and even back in 2020, Wi-Fi was not free.

Access to technology

When the pandemic from COVID-19 in 2020 happened, it caused many countries to change from face-to-face learning to being online quickly. Not going to school meant that not all children had equal access to participate in digitalised education due to issues with accessing technology, therefore missing out and a part of their studies (Iivari, Sharma and Venta-Olkkonen, 2020). In the same year, Starkey (2020) stated that digital technologies would become further implanted in educational settings and affect how teachers work. There was an emphasis back then that technology was an important part of everyday living, but people were affected by it because of cost implications. Now there is free access to digital technologies because there is a need for it in everyday life.

Cost

As mentioned in the ‘no need for buildings’ section, it was becoming more common to study online for further education. Some individuals were discouraged from going to university due to how expensive it was, but online courses were substantially cheaper. It is becoming increasingly clear that online learning saves a substantial amount of money. Online university fees are much cheaper than traditional universities and do not need the extra money to spend on building facilities. Therefore, incorporating online education into the system will be more accessible for individuals, and save the government money. MOOCs were also on the rise, and as they were usually free, they represented democracy in learning (Schwartz, 2013). The online courses are beneficial as anyone who has access to Wi-Fi can take courses from prestigious universities. It is also great because students can choose to study out of interest or for qualifications (Schwartz, 2013).