Telegraph joins call to donate unwanted laptops to schools
SCHOOLS across Derbyshire say they have a lack of laptops to allow children to learn online from home during the current lockdown.
Charities are being forced to step in to plug the gap, while the Government says that as of December 18, 1,357 laptops and tablets had been provided to pupils in Derbyshire and is set to increase.
In addition, the Derby Telegraph is getting involved to try to match up unwanted laptops with city and county schools, whose pupils really need them to help with lessons.
It is estimated up to 1.8 million children in the UK have no home access to a laptop, desktop or tablet. Students who cannot access online resources have been told they can still go to school.
But teachers fear this could lead to schools being overwhelmed.
Ideally, schools need laptops, with chargers and ideally should be wiped clear beforehand, so personal files are not included.
The City of Derby Academy at Sinfin is one of the schools appealing for laptops because it has a shortfall in numbers of IT equipment for pupils.
Head teacher Phil Smith, is appealing to the community, including local businesses, to donate any old or unwanted technology, to help those struggling to access laptops for their lessons.
He said: “We have families who are digitally vulnerable, so a lot of work is going on to get those students accessing our curriculum.
“Through laptops and computers, pupils can keep connected with the school and online learning experience, at a time where interaction is more important than ever. We are trying to ensure no-one misses out in these difficult times, and we hope our local community might be able to help us to address the gap with any old or wanted devices, to help pupils’ education in the lockdown.”
Anyone able to offer help can email Mr Smith at psmith@ cityofderbyacademy.org
Other schools have also been in touch to say they would like people to donate laptops to their pupils. ■■Brendan Pearce-Brindley, assistant head at Merrill Academy in Alvaston, is responsible for the distribution of laptops to students.
He said: “We have so far allocated all of our supplies from the Department for Education and other providers but still have a significant shortfall.”
Anyone able to offer help can email Mr Pearce-Brindley on bpearce-brindley@merrillacademy. derby.sch.uk
■■At Findern Primary School, some pupils are having to work on their mum’s mobile phone to learn online, so head teacher Paula Fox would be very grateful for laptop donations.
Anyone able to offer help can email Mrs Fox on headteacher@ findern.derbyshire.sch.uk
■■Head teacher Caroline Rodgers at Brockely Primary School says staff have been working hard to supply laptops to children that don’t have devices. She said: “We have been fortunate to have received some from the Department for Education but we’d love to help more of our children by providing laptops and computers to help them at home.”
Anyone able to offer help can email headteacher@brockley. derbyshire.sch.uk