The fund will supply pupils with tools for remote learning at home.
A new survey of over 2,500 members of the National Education Union (NEU) revealed that 95% of respondents said that they are teaching students with limited or no access to learning resources at home.
The news brand has joined forces with the NEU to support schools facing extraordinary challenges during the pandemic, with a new campaign ‘Help a child to learn’.
Too many children do not have the tools for home learning. Schools and colleges have been doing everything they can to meet this need, but they were already under considerable financial strain before the pandemic. The added costs of Covid-security means that students’ needs far outstrip school budgets.
That is why the National Education Union and the Mirror are together stepping up to support children and young people who do not have the most basic resources needed for remote learning.
The two are initially contacting schools in England and Wales with the greatest number of pupils on Free School Meals. Offers will be made proportionate to school size, in gradients of £500, £1,000 and £1,500. This will enable them to purchase stationery for learning at home.
The fund will be distributed by our partner, Viking, a leading supplier for workplace solutions across Europe, in the form of a voucher.
Jason Beattie, assistant editor, the Mirror, said: “Help a Child to Learn is unfortunately a vital initiative between the Daily Mirror and the NEU to provide essential support to disadvantaged children and young people trapped in educational and financial poverty. Schools and families are struggling which is why we are urging the public to donate so that every child has the chance to learn, study and thrive in these difficult times.”
