Airline hands £150k of ex‑crew tablets to kids lacking tech for school

An airline has donated £150k worth of tablet devices previously used by its pilots and cabin crew – to help disadvantaged youngsters without access to the technology they need for school.

The 500 iPads have been handed over by easyJet, which has partnered with the Digital Poverty Alliance, to distribute nationwide to pupils and families who lack reliable access to digital tools.

Launched in 2021, the independent charity has a mission to end digital poverty by 2030.

The travel company has signed the Digital Inclusion Charter and made a long‑term commitment to donating iPads through future renewal cycles, helping to bridge the digital divide in low‑income communities.

It focuses on regions close to the travel company’s major UK bases, including Luton, Gatwick and Newcastle – some of the areas where digital poverty is most rife.

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.

However, 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 considered to be more important than ever.

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.

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 per cent) was one of the main barriers holding parents back from giving their child access to tech for education at home.

Leaving 62 per cent of the 2,000 mums and dads polled wanting to see schools offer more availability to technology than they currently do.

It also emerged 77 per cent think a lack of access to technology limits children’s learning opportunities, while 93 per cent believe access to technology enhances a child’s ability to learn.

Elizabeth Anderson, CEO of the Digital Poverty Alliance, said: “Educational success is now closely related to digital access – with children and young people who are 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, and our research has shown that 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.”