Free laptops with broadband internet are to be provided to more than a quarter of a million low-income households in a bid to boost exam results and job chances, Gordon Brown said.
The Prime Minister said the £300 million project would see every family in the country linked to their children's schools to access progress reports on attainment, behaviour and other needs.
As well as helping pupils with homework, trials of the scheme had also proved invaluable to single parents with finding work and keeping in touch with friends, Mr Brown said.
He hailed the national rollout of the scheme in a speech to education ministers and professionals from around the world at a forum in London.
"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," he said. "It will mean all families can come together, learn together and reap the rewards together."
The move is designed to meet a "guarantee", contained in legislation being debated by MPs on Monday, that all parents will be able to access school reports about their children's progress online.
"We realise that for parents to influence and engage in the education of their children they need rich, varied and easily accessible information on the progress, behaviour and attendance of their children," the PM said.
"That is why we have said that from 2010 all secondary schools - and from 2012 all primary schools - will guarantee reporting online to parents.
"So the mother who's worried about her son struggling with his reading can find out more about how she can help, or the dad who works long hours and can't make a parents' evening can keep in touch with his daughter's progress, at whatever time of the day or night that he's free."
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The Prime Minister also announced 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 as the rise of Asia meant billions of people fuelling the demand for education.
