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Operator is donating 10,000 dongle devices to help children access online learning
Vodafone has today announced it is donating 10,000 dongle devices to Business2Schools, which will distribute them to schools in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
Headteachers can give them to children who lack the connectivity they need to access online learning and catch-up classes, which are likely to play a key role when schools reopen on March 8.
Vodafone also announced it has donated £200,000 to the Raspberry Pi Foundation’s ‘Learn at Home’ campaign.
This donation will allow it to distribute 500 computer kits to disadvantaged young people and provide specialist training to youth workers.
This follows Vodafone’s successful schools.connected programme which gave 350,000 SIM cards to 9,000 schools and colleges across the UK.
Vodafone UK CEO Ahmed Essam said: “The pandemic has highlighted the tragedy of digital poverty and its impact on the most disadvantaged children and young people. As the education recovery mission begins, both face-to-face and online learning will be crucial, so it’s vitally important that every young person has access to connectivity.
“These donations will give thousands more children access to the internet and I’m delighted we’re working with specialists in tackling digital exclusion – Business2Schools and the Raspberry Pi Foundation – to deliver connectivity where it is needed most.”
Business2Schools CEO Lindsey Parslow said: “We’re pleased that in addition to laptops, we can now provide Vodafone dongles to schools and children that need them. Many of the schools registered with us have already requested an allocation, highlighting the ongoing need for connectivity as well as devices.
“In addition to the obvious benefit of access to remote learning, the digital skills children gain by using tech in their day-to-day lives is invaluable. Any school that would like to register with Business2Schools can do so here.”