Together, we can help end this digital divide

IT’S a lamentable fact that every day schools remain closed, the poorest children in our society fall further behind.

Despite the best efforts of parents and teachers, many less privileged households simply can’t afford the technical equipment necessary to take advantage of digital home-learning.

As a result, hundreds of thousands of children stuck at home have little or no access to online lessons. Tragically, this means their chances of upward social and economic mobility through education are being slowly crushed.

Today, the Mail embarks on an ambitious and passionate crusade to close the digital gap and give those disadvantaged children a leg up on the ladder of life.

We plan to do that through Mail Force, the remarkable charity which raised £11.7million to source, purchase and deliver an incredible 42million pieces of desperately needed PPE equipment to frontline health and care workers.

It was one of the most successful and thrilling campaigns in the Mail’s history, bringing our amazing readers and philanthropic supporters together as a force for good in a time of profound crisis.

This time, instead of PPE, we plan to provide laptops to those in need.

Ofcom estimated last year that around 1.78million children in the UK did not have access to any device for online learning.

The Government is working hard to improve that situation, but there’s a global shortage of the right equipment, so it’s an uphill struggle. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has ordered 1.3million laptops for distribution to schools, with 800,000 delivered so far.

But buying all the computers is taking too long, so with Government blessing we have found a way to accelerate the process.

In tandem with global IT specialist Computacenter, our campaign, Mail Force – Computers for Kids, plans to recycle used laptops for home schooling. We will also try to source reasonably priced new laptops, tablets and other devices.

With the rapid expansion of working from home during the pandemic, many large companies are upgrading their technology to meet the new demand.

Several have already offered to donate their old laptops and we fervently hope others will follow their lead.

Computacenter will collect the devices, securely wipe them clean and install the new software required to make them ready for home-based education.

The cost of refurbishing each laptop could be as little as £15, a small price to pay to help rescue a child from digital poverty.

And that is where we hope to draw once again on the inspiring generosity of you, our readers. We know it’s a lot to ask so soon after you have given so recently and so freely to protect NHS and care workers.

But this is an equally noble cause – and equally urgent. Pupils have already lost months of formal education since March and the chances of their schools reopening before Easter are vanishingly small.

If their life chances – and mental health – are not to suffer permanent damage, we must get laptops to all those who need them without delay and support them with the costs of going online.

We will work with the Government and acquire only equipment that is in addition to, rather than in competition with their existing procurement plans.

Mr Williamson understands this, and is fully behind our campaign, as are Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield, the leaders of the main teaching unions and England rugby star Maro Itoje.

Every child deserves a fair chance, through education, ambition and hard work, to rise above the disadvantages of birth. right now, the hopes and aspirations of our poorest children are slipping away. Together, we can do our bit to help restore them.