December 21, 2023 | 2 min read
Research conducted found that 1.8 million children across the UK did not have an adequate device on which to access home learning during the second lockdown. It highlighted that during the last lockdown, children who did not have access to remote learning devices, fell behind in their studies by 6 months, compared to those who had a device and were able to keep up with home learning.
Spearheaded by Saracens and English rugby star Maro Itoje, the Digital Divide campaign aims to provide every student with equal access to education during the pandemic. The Saracens Foundation, through its partnership with Bloomberg, and Technology Partner WWCS, has made an immediate impact on young people across London and the surrounding areas who have struggled to access classes during the pandemic.
With an average of 50 laptops being donated and delivered every day, WWCS has transformed it’s office space into a production line of device testing, wiping, and cleaning, ready to be delivered to young people across London. As an Organisation keen on supporting the local community, WWCS feels it is especially important to help to “level the playing field” and make sure that all children and young people have access to equipment for home learning. With schools returning on 8th, we hope to keep support the project for as long as donations continue to come in, to aid in catch-up work after school and during school holidays to help those children who have fallen behind. At a time when the IT industry has thrived, due to the huge increase in remote working, it is only right that we should be giving back in some way and this seemed like the ideal opportunity to get involved.
