Our Vision

That every learner in the UK has access to the personal computers they need when they need them.

Our Challenge

Many surveys report the burgeoning use of IT across the UK. And to some extent it’s true – more Britons than ever have access to a computer: some 59% at home, 31% at work and 12% at another place (e.g. library, college) according to a research report published recently by The British Computer Society.

These figures do however mask a significant and continuing divide amongst the computer haves and have-nots. For example more than 20% of homes with school-aged children are still unable to offer one of the fundamental tools for improving standards in education. Our mission is to ensure that every school child or other learner has easy access to a computer whenever and wherever they need one. Earlier this year The London School of Economics published evidence that home ownership of a PC boosted teenagers’ exam performance even when taking other economic factors into account.

Tools for Schools has in its previous form and now as part of Schoolchildren for Children provided more than 25,000 low-cost computers to schools and other educational organisations over the past five years and is keen to support other projects that focus on ways in which the personalised learning agenda can become a reality through imaginative use of ICT.