Words by Smiley Team
As pupils returned to school earlier this week, the learning gap between disadvantaged and better-off students will have been more evident than ever. Research has unveiled the digital divide between rich and poor families in lockdown, with wealthier families owning more devices and spending hours longer on their children’s education.
Plugging this gap, Vodafone has donated 10,000 dongle devices that will offer internet access to students needing catch-up time after school. Business2Schools, a charity that transfers disused office equipment to schools in need, will distribute the devices to schools in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The telecommunications company will also donate £200,000 to the digital equality charity, Raspberry Pi Foundation, to hand out 500 computer kits to disadvantaged young people.
One of Vodafone’s staff members driving the project is Helen Lamprell their general counsel and external affairs director. She said: “As a parent, I know what a challenge homeschooling has been. I am lucky enough to have been able to give my children access to the connectivity and devices they need to be able to continue learning from home.
“But I know a large number of families are not in such a fortunate position, and can only imagine how challenging homeschooling must have been for them. Every child should have access to education and the opportunity to carry on learning – not only for their future prospects but for their wellbeing and mental health. We all need to work together to help those most in need.”
Vodafone’s donations come after Smiley Movement held an online event at which speakers called for action just like this. One of those attending the event, Reverend Polly Kersys-Hull, a Priest in a Church of England in London, welcomed initiatives by companies like Vodafone as well as EE, who recently offered deprived families free data.
Pushing for further action, Polly said: “We’re beginning to see some change from companies like EE but we need to hold those other big agencies accountable and as communities, we have the power to work together in raising our voices to get united, and recognising that there’s really power in the story that these people have.”
If you work in an office space with surplus stationery or technological devices, you can support disadvantaged students by donating to Business to Schools.
You can help improve IT education for children more generally by donating to Rasberry Pi Foundation.
Finally, you can support deprived students in northeast London through a donation to the Waltham Forest Digital Inclusion Appeal.
