Digital Poverty Alliance launches Tech4Learning providing underprivileged kids with free computers

The Digital Poverty Alliance has launched Tech4Learning, a new digital learning initiative to provide schools with laptops and desktop devices for underprivileged children to use in class and at home with appropriate learning tools. The devices will come from donations and make use of the UK HMRC’s Gift Aid tax rebate and exemption scheme to maximize the scheme’s ability to help.

The scheme works with schools across the UK to collect monthly donations from richer parents via HMRC’s Gift Aid forms. This funding is then used to give schools back a ready-to-go laptop or desktop for the duration of a child’s education.

Tech4Learning effectively acts as a Donation Management Service (DMS), working to ensure every pupil benefits, irrespective of whether a donation is made in their name to the program.  

As part of the DMS, schools will work with parents and donors to raise money. The Digital Poverty Alliance will then use the funds to purchase devices for students, using economies-of-scale to get a good price. Free training workshops for school administrators will also be provided.  

The Digital Poverty Alliance has invested in BeaconCRM software for the Tech4Learning initiative as this streamlines the DMS, making it easier to scale and roll it out to schools across the UK.

Preventing digital exclusion

Increasingly, education in the UK requires access to a digital device for lessons, revision, homework and extended research, replacing the traditional class trip to the ICT suite. This new blended approach requires children to have access to laptops, tablets or smartphones to access digital resources. However, not everyone does have access. During the recent Covid-19 pandemic, for example, it was found one in five children had no access to laptops.   

“Students in the UK education system haven’t had an easy time over recent years, juggling a pandemic, an unstable economy, and political change, magnifying the challenges that digital exclusion causes within education,” said Elizabeth Anderson, CEO of the Digital Poverty Alliance, when commenting on the idea behind the initiative.  

“Digital isn’t the future of education, it’s the now,” she added. “That requires access to a personal device to support online learning, homework and studying. Many of us take this for granted, but for millions it isn’t a given. They are left at a huge disadvantage.”  

“The Tech4Learning scheme has been put in place to tackle the issue at source, working directly with schools to raise donations for laptops and distribute devices to those who need them most. With the help of schools and local communities, we can help provide children with a fair education, catalysed by the benefits that technology has to offer.” 

“We are relying on the next generation to lead us into the future, but how can we expect that to happen if millions are left unable to get online?”