2020 was a year unlike any other. As well as our complete lack of preparedness for a pandemic, it also exposed another crisis: the huge difference in educational experience across the country.
This exacerbated pre-existing inequalities and has widened the attainment gap for disadvantaged young people. As shown by test results released by RS Assessment.
The DfE promised 230,000 devices in April 2020, but that was nowhere near the 540,000 needed. They only delivered 200,000.
Another scheme was launched by the DfE in August, offering 150,000 more free devices to pupils who cannot attend school due to coronavirus. On 22 October 2020 the UK Government made it a legal obligation for head teachers to provide online learning for all children isolating due to Covid. Just one day later, the DfE emailed Headteachers to announce they had cut their allocation of equipment by up to 80%.
In Camden, when schools closed during Coronavirus Lockdown 1, more than 3,000 pupils were without access to a computer at home. Camden Council decided to do something about it and set up a crowdfunding campaign to help end the digital divide, by raising funds to buy devices for disadvantaged children in their Borough. They raised £60,000 in 11 weeks. Read our interview with them about how they did it.
Thanks to our incredibly generous supporters, we have now reached £58,000! From the pupils of Camden schools, THANK YOU ALL!
Help Camden's pupils get the computers and Wi-Fi they need to learn online at home during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
We are aiming to raise £5000 to purchase vital facilities to enhance the education and well being of the children at Grappenhall Heys CPS
We need your help to create tech-enabled education! Your support will help us replace our ageing PCs with new Chromebooks for our children.
The aim of the project is to buy 30 new Chromebook computers for Park Street Primary school to be used in Years 1 - 6.
We are raising money to buy new iPads for our school. This will help us replace older devices and help improve learning at school and home.
Provide laptops and Wi-Fi to ensure all pupils have equal access to online learning at home - during the pandemic and beyond
Donate now to help Dulwich Hamlet Junior School meet additional Covid related costs
We want to be able to provide a Chromebook for EVERY child in the school, so that all children have equal access to technology for leaning!