Birmingham, UK pupils given free laptops

About 2,000 school pupils in Birmingham, UK, will each be given a new laptop computer to help them with their studies at home. The pupils are part of a universal home access programme led by Birmingham City Council, in partnership with the Birmingham e-Learning Foundation, a charity dedicated to help young people gain access to computers and the internet at home. The council was given a two year government Computers for Pupils grant of £5.7m in May 2006 to assist in bridging the digital divide. Funding was targeted at the 10% most deprived secondary school pupils. The Birmingham e-Learning Foundation is also working to match the government funding by applying for grants to the National e-Learning Foundation. It also administers a voluntary contribution scheme from parents in the city