Has the internet become so essential to young minds that the lack of it could actually damage educational opportunities? That’s what the numbers seem to point to in a new survey by UK insurance firm NFU Mutual.
In the UK as many as one in five families in the rural area have only limited access to broadband internet connections, which many parents find to be a disadvantage for their children. Over a third of rural UK respondents said that the internet connections they received were too slow for their needs, and many felt that this would have a negative effect on education.
“Rural communities are already falling way behind and as the digital revolution gathers pace there’s a real risk that the viability of some rural businesses will be threatened and children are put at a disadvantage,” said rural affair specialist Tim Price.
The UK government is currently working on introducing better internet connections to rural areas of the country, with plans to see at least 95% of Britain using high-speed internet connections by 2017.
