AN interactive map has revealed how connected different parts of the North-East are as the country continues to battle the digital divide amid school closures.

Internet connectivity has become a key talking point since the Prime Minister shut schools, forcing teachers to shift to home learning, in efforts to curb the spread of a new strain of Covid in the third national lockdown.

The move thrust the digital divide into the limelight, with many disadvantaged children not having access to a device or the internet to complete schoolwork. 

While businesses and organisations across the region have stepped up to donate laptops and data packages in efforts to get children online, a new map reveals just how connected the region is. 

It comes as a survey suggests children from middle-class families are spending more time each day learning during this lockdown compared with their poorer peers.

Parents on lower incomes are more likely to say they are finding this period of school closures more difficult than the first, according to a Sutton Trust report.

The latest round of school closures is likely to have a significant impact on the attainment gap between rich and poor pupils, the report warns.

It also suggests schools are better prepared in delivering remote learning this time round, with 23 per cent of primary school pupils doing more than five hours of learning a day. This is up from 11 per cent in late March.

But socio-economic gaps still remain as 35 per cent of the poorest households report that their children still do not have access to sufficient devices for online learning, compared to 11 per cent of high-income households.

The Government's Digital Inclusion Strategy set a target to reduce the number of people offline by 25 per cent every two years, but the North-East's progress falls short.

Analysis by web design agency Rouge Media found between 2017 and 2019, the North-East achieved a 17.8 per cent reduction in the number of residents over the age of 16 living offline.

An estimated 240,000 people in the region have never used the internet or haven’t accessed it in the past three months, or 11.2 per cent of the population.

This is particularly prevalent in Darlington, which has the largest digital divide in the region and the fifth-largest in the UK (17.6 per cent).

Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees follow as is the sixth-worst areas in the UK, with 16.7 per cent not using the internet.

Meanwhile, Tyneside has the smallest digital divide in the North-East, with only 8.3 per cent of its residents not being online.

Out of the 12 countries and regions of the UK analysed, the North-East comes in fourth place for its progress in closing the digital divide. 

Andy Woods, director of Rouge Media, said: “It’s been really interesting to study the progress being made to meet the UK Government’s ambitious target of getting everyone who’s digital capable online by the end of 2020. It’s clear that while positive work has been done, an enduring digital divide remains. 

“Internet costs have been rising steadily over recent years, while speed and reliability are still major issues affecting many regions. 

"Until the UK’s digital infrastructure is fit for purpose nationwide, we won’t be able to unlock the full social and economic potential and make greater strides in addressing the inequalities that remain”. 

Click here to see the map and how the North-East compares.