Closing the digital divide for students

Over one million Australian children do not have access to technology at home, according to research by Finder.

To redress this issue, Finder has partnered with not-for-profit Good360 Australia and will redistribute one million business laptops to Australians in need. In addition, the partnership will raise $10 million to cover refurbishment costs by the end of 2025, through the Laptop Launchpad initiative.

The results of Finder’s upcoming Parenting Report, which surveyed 1033 Australian parents of children under 12, revealed almost half (49%) cannot provide regular access to devices required for their children’s education.

The report also found that one in seven (15%) aren’t able to provide access to a computer or tablet when their kids need them for school. A further one in three (34%) parents can only ‘sometimes’ provide their kids with access to tech needed for their education.

The Good360 network includes over 3500 charities and disadvantaged schools Australia-wide. They order the goods they need from Good360’s website with the ease of 24/7 access, saving time and precious budget.

Finder’s founder, Fred Schebesta, said online learning has transformed the way people study and work, yet many are disadvantaged by not having adequate access to technology at home.

“Technology has transformed the way we learn and connect with each other. However, there are thousands of Australian kids who could be falling behind in their education, and find themselves unable to participate in this digital world,” he said.

Schebesta said that, through the Laptop Launchpad initiative, he hopes to bridge the divide and diminish the barrier between those with access to the internet and those without.

“We hope through this initiative we can give Australians equal opportunity to access the wealth of information that is on the internet and develop new ideas and innovations,” Schebesta said.

Organisations that have pledged to donate laptops to the worthy cause include ASUS, HP, investment firm Shape Capital and Sydney recruitment agency Big Wave Digital.

“COVID-19 has increased the digital divide; the people who benefit from the digital age and people who don’t. There are over 4000 disadvantaged schools (ACRA count) Australia-wide, which includes vulnerable communities of low-income households,” said Alison Covington, founder and Managing Director of Good360.

“The teachers at these schools do not have the funding to provide laptops to assist students’ learning and parents cannot afford the devices to help their children keep up with learning outcomes at home. Good360 wants to work with the business sector to address this overwhelming need.

“The digital divide will only increase while the most vulnerable of Australians are digitally excluded. Our partnership with Finder is critical to helping these students stay digitally connected and equal to their peers,” Covington said.

Image credit: iStock.com/Caiaimage/Robert Daly