Computers now play an indispensable role in education and are found in schools right across the country. Figures from the Department for Education and Skills show that over 99% of schools in England are connected to the internet.
In countries in the developing world though the picture is very different. In Africa for example over 95% of young people leave school without having even touched a computer.
This issue, which is often referred to as the "digital divide", is now being addressed by Computer Aid, a London-based charity which donates refurbished computers to countries in the developing world.
Recycling PCs
"An estimated three million PCs are decommissioned every year in the UK and are no longer wanted by the thousands of companies who upgrade and change their IT systems," says Tony Roberts, director of Computer Aid.
Many of these PCs though are in perfectly good working order and since 1998 Computer Aid has placed 50,000 greatly needed PCs in the developing world.
"End-of-life PCs are worthless to most companies but invaluable to school children," adds Tony.
One of the schools to have benefited from receiving PCs from Computer Aid is Aquinas Secondary School for Boys in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.
Despite being set in one of Nairobi's infamous slums, Aquinas has received 20 PCs free from Computers for Schools Kenya, a Nairobi-based charity which works with Computer Aid in placing used computers in Kenyan schools.
Giving young people a chance
"School children who don't have IT knowledge are at a disadvantage," believes Head Teacher George Muthee. "Many of our pupils come from severely disadvantaged backgrounds but by being able to offer IT classes students stand a much better chance of getting a job or going to college."
Even though he has no mains electricity at home, 18-year-old Peter Chada is well aware of the importance of getting an IT education.
"Everything is becoming computerised now and if you're going for a professional or office job the first thing that an employer asks you is whether you are computer literate," says Peter who aims to become a computer engineer.
A skilled and computer-literate workforce is now widely recognised as being a key factor in kick-starting Africa's moribund economy and its ability to boost productivity and attract inward investment.
"ICT has been identified by the UN as a driving force for development," says Tom Musili, executive director of CFSK which was launched in 2002.
Second-hand PCs are vital
Shafika Isaacs executive director of SchoolNet Africa, an organisation that campaigns for greater access to ICT in African schools, agrees with Musili. "If all African school children had access to ICT it would greatly improve their education and learning, but to enable this to happen we need to ensure that there's a ready supply of affordable computers," he says. "This is why second-hand PCs are vital."
With the vast number of young Kenyans still unable to afford to complete their secondary school education, access to school computers and ICT skills is still restricted to the lucky few.
"When I first heard of CFSK I ran very fast to ensure that Aquinas was at the front of the queue," says a beaming George Muthee. "It was a golden opportunity for us to be able to provide ICT training to our pupils. We would never have been able to afford to buy 20 PCs ourselves."
Tony Roberts from Computer Aid rejects criticism from some quarters that with so much poverty in Africa, priority should be given to basic educational resources such as books and desks.
"Computers are no longer an optional extra. Without appropriate vocational training and skills development, young people will remain locked into a cycle of poverty and marginalisation," states Roberts bluntly.
"Governments in Africa are not trying to decide if they should invest in ICTs, they're focused on determining how much they can invest and how soon. It's a matter of great urgency."
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