Free laptops for 270,000 families
Gordon Brown is to promise free laptops and broadband access for 270,000 low income families so that they can better follow their children's progress at school.
In what aides described as a sign of his commitment to "aspiration", the Prime Minister will say he wants every household to have broadband access to the internet.
The aim is to get all families linked up to their children's schools via the internet and access progress reports on attainment, behaviour and other needs.
To make that achievable, he will pledge £300 million of investment to help poorer families who might not otherwise be able to afford it.
Speaking to an international education forum in Westminster, Mr Brown will say: "We want every family to become a broadband family, and we want every home linked to a school.
"For those finding it difficult to afford this ... I can announce the nationwide rollout of our home access programme to get laptops and broadband at home for 270,000 families.
"It will mean all families can come together, learn together and reap rewards together."
The move is designed to back up the Government's "guarantee" that all parents will be able to access school reports about their children's progress online.
The pledge is contained in the Children, Schools and Families Bill which will be debated in the Commons.
The Prime Minister will also promise to work with Britain's schools, colleges universities to help them expand their activities across the world. And he will announce an ambition to double the value of the UK's higher education exports, saying that it will be one of Britain's biggest growth industries this century.
