A UK charity initiative aiming to provide schoolchildren with access to laptops and tablets for remote learning is extending its operations to the island.

The ’Donate a Laptop’ scheme was founded by teacher Leigh Adams, former head of year at Ballakermeen High School in Douglas.

It enables individuals and businesses to either donate laptops directly, or contribute to a central fund.

Schools can register their ’wish list’ for devices on the website, with individuals or companies then searching locally and contacting them if there is a match.

Manx schools including Ballakermeen, Ramsey Grammar and Queen Elizabeth II have already registered, along with over 300 schools across the UK.

According to the website, Ballakermeenwants 50 laptops, Ramsey Grammar 20 laptops and 40 tablets, and QEII for six laptops and 10 tablets.

Mr Adams said that while lockdowns had highlighted the need for students to have access to the proper equipment for home learning, this need would persist after the pandemic as they would still need reliable devices to revise and do homework.

Speaking about the availability of devices for Manx students during the lockdown, Education Minister Dr AlexAllinson said the issue had ’really come of age’ in 2020.

He continued: ’On the back of the previous lockdown we had launched a scheme called E-Pass (E-Learning Pupil Access Subscription Service) which was to identify those students who were doing GSCEs and A-levels over the next two years, and looking at those who were "digitally disadvantaged" - either because they didn’t have a device or they didn’t have wifi internet access at home. Thanks to the generosity of the Scheinberg family (who launched a Covid-19 relief fund) we mananged to provide over 100 laptops before Christmas, and we’ve got more on order as well.’

Scheme information and registered Manx schools are at: www.donatealaptop.co.uk/Search?postcode=IM2+4AH