An airline has handed £150k of their ex-crew’s tablets to children who are lacking technology for school.
Airline donates £150k of tablet devices to school kids
easyJet has donated £150k worth of iPads, previously used by its pilots and cabin crew, to help children who do not have access to the technology they need for school. 500 iPads have been handed over by the airline, which has partnered with independent charity the Digital Poverty Alliance.
Launched in 2021, the charity will distribute the devices to pupils and families across the country who lack reliable access to digital tools as part of their mission to end digital poverty by 2030. The airline has also signed the Digital Inclusion Charter and made a long‑term commitment to donating tablets through future renewal cycles, helping to bridge the digital divide in low‑income communities.
Nine in 10 believe access to technology enhances a child’s ability to learn(Image: Ben Queenborough/PinPep)
According to the DPA, at least one in five children are digitally excluded in the UK, meaning they lack access to the technology they need to thrive.
The scheme focuses on regions close to easyJet’s major UK bases, such as Luton, Gatwick and Newcastle, where digital poverty is most rife.
With the rise of artificial intelligence and related skills such as data analytics, cybersecurity and coding becoming increasingly important stepping stones to opportunity, tackling this disparity is incredibly important.
It comes after research of parents with children aged between four and 16 found roughly half (46 per cent) worry they can’t provide enough access to technology to properly support their child’s learning.
It also emerged that over three quarters of parents think a lack of access to technology limits children’s learning opportunities, while over nine in 10 believe access to technology enhances a child’s ability to learn.
The airline has signed the Digital Inclusion Charter(Image: Ben Queenborough/PinPep)
Opal Perry, chief technology officer at easyJet, said: “The UK is facing a growing digital divide.
“With one in five children still living in digital poverty and the number of 16–24 year olds not in education, employment or training approaching one million, we risk leaving an entire generation behind.
“If there aren’t interventions to equip young people with the technology they need to thrive, these inequalities will only deepen.
“It’s essential therefore that we close this gap and this is why we are working with the Digital Poverty Alliance and signing their Charter for Digital Inclusion so we can continue to play our part in ensuring more people have the opportunity to participate in an increasingly digital society.”
The study also revealed the cost of devices (41%) was one of the main barriers holding parents back from giving their child access to tech for education at home.
The charity is distributing the devices to pupils and families across the country(Image: Ben Queenborough/PinPep)
Six in 10 of the 2,000 parents polled want to see schools increase access to technology.
Elizabeth Anderson, CEO of the Digital Poverty Alliance, said: “Educational success is now closely related to digital access – with children and young people who lack a device regularly struggling to complete homework, coursework and other school assignments.
“It is often assumed that every child is digitally included, but even creating essays and documents on phones is incredibly difficult.
“Over four fifths of parents believe their child’s educational engagement increases when they have a digital device suitable for learning.
“easyJet’s commitment to provide hundreds of iPads will have a huge impact on children and their families, and we are so grateful for their work to make this happen.”
