When the Cloud Fails: How Offline-First Devices Could Keep Education Alive
Today's Cloudflare outage highlights why one edtech firm's offline-first approach to prison education could be a model for schools and hospitals
A significant Cloudflare outage today knocked large portions of the internet offline, highlighting an uncomfortable reality: cloud infrastructure, despite its advantages, remains fragile. As users encountered “500 internal server error” messages and watched services fail, one company’s completely offline approach demonstrated the strength that comes from building for disconnection.
Cambridge-based edtech firm Coracle designs “offline-first” learning devices for prisons. Its secure Chromebooks come preloaded with educational content from the Open University, Prisoners’ Education Trust and other providers, running entirely without internet connectivity. These devices are currently deployed across dozens of UK prisons, enabling reliable in-cell education.
James Tweed, Coracle’s CEO, believes today’s Cloudflare outage demonstrates why offline-first could become a future educational standard. “Our devices are preloaded, secure and completely independent of internet access,” Tweed explained. “Whilst this is essential in prison settings, it’s also an approach that could deliver significant advantages across many educational contexts.”
“Consider schools or hospitals using offline-first devices,” he proposes. “When internet connectivity fails - as we’ve witnessed today - learning and vital services can continue uninterrupted.”
Today’s disruption serves as a reminder of how heavily modern infrastructure relies on a handful of cloud service providers.
Tweed’s insights through Coracle stem from an environment where internet is strictly prohibited, making secure offline teaching capabilities mission-critical for years. “Technology doesn’t replace educators, but when implemented thoughtfully it enables flexibility, continuity and inclusion,” Tweed contends.
Coracle’s approach could help separate essential services from network dependency. In an era where cloud failures are routine rather than theoretical, building offline-first infrastructure may be both sensible and necessary.
Reflecting on today’s outage, Tweed’s position is straightforward: “If learning can function without internet connectivity, then it can function for everyone, everywhere - regardless of cloud reliability.”
About James Tweed and Coracle
James Tweed founded and leads Coracle, a Cambridge-based digital learning company providing inmates across 96 prisons in England and Wales with in-cell educational access via laptops. Coracle received a King’s Award for Enterprise for Promoting Opportunity and achieved B Corp certification in 2025.
The company’s platform enables prisoners to safely access educational materials ranging from vocational training to higher and further education courses from partners including the Open University, Aim eLearning and Hatch Digital. Coracle is among the few organisations authorised by the Ministry of Justice and HM Prison and Probation Service to supply prisoners with educational laptops.
Coracle’s mission centres on ending digital exclusion. Initially serving the maritime sector before expanding into prisons, its technology can support numerous hard-to-reach communities.
Tweed also founded Rebooted, a charity supporting prisoners’ families and addressing digital and educational exclusion. The charity supplies educational laptops to families of prisoners.
