A learner can live within mobile network coverage and still struggle to take part in an online lesson. A connection that is available on a map may be too costly to use throughout the week. A household phone may be elsewhere when an assignment is due.
ITU’s Facts and Figures 2025, dated 17 November, estimates that 6 billion people use the internet in 2025 and 2.2 billion remain offline. It puts internet use at 94% in high-income countries, compared with 23% in low-income countries. These estimates concern people of all ages. They cannot tell us directly how many pupils have a suitable connection for schoolwork. ITU’s 2025 release.
For education, the findings invite a more demanding definition of access. The relevant question is whether a learner can complete the expected work under the conditions in which they live.
Follow an assignment through the household
Consider a school that assigns a video followed by a written response. A pupil needs enough data to view it and access to a device for long enough to write. If the household shares one phone, the school’s chosen deadline becomes part of the access question.
This household example is hypothetical. It illustrates a question that the wider connectivity figures leave for schools to investigate. They should examine those conditions directly before making online participation a requirement.
A brief check with families can establish when devices are available and what happens when the connection fails. Teachers also need to know whether pupils can use the required tools without someone at home completing the technical steps for them. Answers can guide the choice of format and the support offered during the school day.
Build around the conditions learners have
Schools should define what reliable participation requires when they design a digital assignment. A school can examine the size of a download and offer a way to save work before a connection drops. If video is essential to the task, pupils need a supported opportunity to view it.
Equivalent routes into the learning need attention too. A text version can preserve access to an explanation where the educational purpose allows it. Teachers should check whether changing the format also changes what the task measures. A listening exercise, for example, still requires access to audio.
School leaders can use the same approach when selecting a platform. A trial should include the devices families use and the connection conditions they report. Staff can then see where a pupil would need help before adopting it across a course.
The review should follow an ordinary assignment from opening the instructions through submitting the response. Record where access fails and assign someone to resolve each failure before pupils are expected to rely on the system.