UOB, SPH, Singtel to provide 250 laptops, digital resources to disadvantaged students in Singapore

UOB, Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) and Singtel are collaborating to provide close to 250 disadvantaged students in Singapore with a new laptop and online learning resources. This comes amid the shift to remote learning during the coronavirus outbreak.

The initiative is part of UOB My Digital Space, a multi-year education programme that aims to bridge the digital gap for children from disadvantaged backgrounds across the region and to connect them to digital learning opportunities, the bank announced on Thursday.

Within Singapore, UOB has partnered media and property group SPH, which publishes The Business Times, as well as local telco Singtel.

The bank is providing in each digital learning kit a new laptop, a Wi-Fi dongle with monthly data usage from Singtel, and a complimentary online subscription to The Straits Times, as well as the student's choice of newspaper such as Lianhe Zaobao, Berita Harian, or Tamil Murasu.

Through the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth's volunteer centres and the bank's community partners, UOB has been identifying students including those with special needs, who most need the digital resources for remote learning, it said.

One such example is Nur Muliana, a Primary 2 pupil from Fuhua Primary School.

Said Muliana's mother Mdm Sufia: "The new laptop and resources from UOB and its partners have made it possible for my daughter to focus on her studies through digital learning from home.

"Being the sole breadwinner for my family, I have to care for my four children as well as my husband who is in poor health. I'm grateful to be receiving support during this difficult time to help my daughter stay connected and keep up with her learning."

The digital learning kits will be provided to the students for a year, with the option to extend the duration based on their needs. In addition, volunteers from UOB are on standby to provide technical support to beneficiaries who face difficulties during their digital learning journey, the bank noted.

In the first year, the UOB My Digital Space programme will be available in six markets across the region, and UOB is also setting up an online learning resource centre where students can explore educational topics including art and sustainability through interactive content.

Wee Ee Cheong, deputy chairman and chief executive officer of UOB, said: "Covid-19 has brought with it disruption to school-based learning across Asia and this is being most keenly felt by children from disadvantaged backgrounds. This initiative is part of our #UnitedForYou Covid-19 Relief Programme to help our communities and customers through the Covid-19 pandemic and to emerge stronger together."