Recognising the increasing gap in accessing education between children from lower-income backgrounds and children from higher-income backgrounds, Bristol STAR have launched a fundraiser for laptops and tablets. Inspired by the children they see at their Homework Club in the Lawrence Hill area of Bristol, the fundraiser aims to tackle the inequality in education that has been building since the Covid-19 pandemic began.
During the pandemic, some of the members from Bristol STAR have been running an online tutoring service, helping children with their schoolwork. However, they are aware that not everyone has been able to access this; laptops are expensive, and many of the families are not in a financial situation to be able to afford one, meaning that not only can the children not access the Homework Club, but that they also cannot attend the online lessons put on by the school. This is part of a wider issue, seen across the country, where children from lower-income backgrounds are losing out on precious months of education. This will only serve to increase inequality in the future; education should be available for all and, without adequate government provision, it is fundraisers such as this which are so vital in making that the case.
Anastasia, one of the people who set up the fundraiser, emphasised the importance of ensuring equality across education, writing that “these children love learning, are bright and capable, and work very hard. They deserve four months of education just as much as a family who can afford to buy a laptop. These children and these families have been failed. Education is vital in securing children’s future life chances.”
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