Free homework laptops for pupils in Bolton schools

7:59am Thursday 17th July 2008

PUPILS from less well-off families in Bolton are to be given free laptops to do their homework.

Bolton Council has been given more than £922,100 over two years to fund computers for high school pupils from low-income families.

It follows a directive from Schools Minister Jim Knight, who said he wanted home-computer access for all to remove a “digital divide” among pupils.

Children will get the Toshiba laptops plus a modem and one year’s 3G internet connection as part of the package, which will be introduced in September.

The £763 laptops and supporting equipment will be on long-term loan to each pupil’s family, but will remain the property of schools.

All secondary schools in Bolton are involved in the scheme, except for St Joseph’s RC in Horwich and Canon Slade in Bradshaw which do not fit the Government’s criteria.

Headteachers have welcomed the move. Charlie Taylor, deputy headteacher of Turton School in Bromley Cross, said: “The laptops are an excellent idea and part of the government’s attempt to make a real difference to the life of the children selected.

“They will provide a tremendous resource not just for school work but for the students' general access to the internet.”

But the Conservatives say the move is creating a two-tier system which penalises families who are just outside the criteria level but still unable to afford a computer.

Cllr John Walsh, leader of the Conservative Party in Bolton, said: “It is another example of how those who are just on the other side of the line miss out yet again.

“Access to computers is important but the system should be fairer. Instead the Government is creating a two-tier system of which I have great concerns."

More than 1,000 children living in Bolton will benefit from the Government Computers for Pupils scheme.

Criteria to decide which pupils receive a laptop includes those who live in the most deprived areas and are eligible for free school dinners.

The Toshiba Satellite Pro A200-22P have three years' warranty, three years' insurance with theft and accidental damage cover, carry case and security markings and three years' telephone support for students.

Other areas of the country hand out similar computers but in Liverpool, according to the local newspaper, each laptop and supporting equipment is costing £430. There are 19,120 pupils at secondary school and of those 17.2 per cent take free school meals.

A spokesman for Bolton Council said: “The money has enabled us to purchase around 1,000 computers which are soon to be delivered to the majority of our secondary schools.

“The computers will be owned by the schools and loaned to pupils so they can benefit from internet access at home in order to facilitate their studies.

“In Bolton, we are committed to improving educational attainment and believe the correct ICT support can contribute to achievement.” Children who already have access to a computer at home could also be eligible for a fee laptop but only one free computer will be given per household.

Around £107,000 of the money will go to providing information technology for non-mainstream schools such as pupil referral units. The initiative has been welcomed by staff at the schools in Bolton saying it will raise attainment among pupils.

Sarah Cain, assistant headteacher of Harper Green School in Farnworth, said: “The computers will allow the pupils to access revision sites at home and use web-based learning sites.

“So it will be theirs for them to do their work on and it will help engage more pupils in their learning. It will be of a great benefit.”

Stephen Astley, E-learning co-ordinator at Ladybridge School, said: “This initiative will give pupils at this school equal access to technology to help them with their learning.”

Martin Worswick, head of information communication technology (ICT) at George Tomlinson in Kearsley, said: “This is an ICT college and will benefit pupils at home and hopefully seek to engage more pupils in their learning. The benefits suggested by the local education authority and the package provided is positive for young people.”

The Toshiba Satellite Pro A200-22P 15-inch screen laptops run on Windows XP Pro rather than the more up-to-date Windows Vista operating system. They carry the mid-range Intel Celeron M540 processor, 2GB of memory and a 80GB hard drive and come complete with Microsoft Office 2007 and Sophos Anti Virus.

The number of laptops handed out to each school:

Hayward School 151. Ladybridge High School 137. Harper Green School 121. Smithills School 126. Withins School 99. Mount St Joseph: Business & Enterprise College 91. Sharples School 80. St James's Church of England Secondary School 44. Thornleigh Salesian College 43. Bolton Muslim Girls School 2. George Tomlinson School 26. Westhoughton High School 30. Little Lever School Specialist Language College 25. Turton High School Media Arts College 21. Rivington and Blackrod High School 17. Lever Park School 10. Rumworth School 21. Firwood School 11.