Sarah Brown’s charity sends laptops to Ukraine to help senior pupils sit exam

More than 21,000 pupils in Ukraine are being given access to laptops to help them study thanks to Sarah Brown’s education charity.

As the country marks the third anniversary of the Russian invasion, Theirworld is delivering 500 laptops to schools, which will be used by 21,600 senior pupils to sit their national multi-subject test (NMT) – to make university education a possibility.

Campaigners hope it will allow the country to rebuild, with pupils currently forced to log on in underground shelters due to displacement and the threat of shelling.

Theirworld warned higher education could become a “forgotten casualty of war”, and said the laptops are a “lifeline to education, opportunity and hope”.

Mrs Brown, chairwoman of the charity and the wife of former prime minister Gordon Brown, said: “It’s not just about providing technology – it’s about equipping Ukraine’s next generation with the skills they need to rebuild their country.”

A key challenge facing the Ukrainian education system has been allowing pupils to sit the NMT – a mandatory university entrance exam now taken digitally due to the conflict, roughly equivalent to A-levels in the Ucas Tariff system in the UK.

The teenagers are using the laptops to study for the university entrance exam (Theirworld/PA)

The charity has delivered more than 70,000 laptops to displaced Ukrainian children and teachers in partnership with Ukraine’s Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry for Digital Transformation, and the Olena Zelenska Foundation.

Each device will support, on average, more than 40 pupils in continuing their studies and sitting their NMT.

The laptops will be placed in educational institutions across different Ukrainian regions, including frontline schools and sheltered learning facilities, where pupils remain determined to learn despite daily air raid sirens and the constant threat of attack.

At Zaporizhzhia Lyceum, a school near the front line that has doubled as a testing centre for two years, pupils will receive laptops to support their studies in a makeshift underground classroom.

Oleksiy, a final year pupil, said: “Learning during the war has changed significantly. At home, I work on touchpads. When I use a tablet, I encounter some difficulties. Having access to a laptop is essential for me to take the national multi-subject test.”

Ivan, also in his final year, said: “My education has changed a lot. Before the war, I went to school every day, but now I study in the shelter daily and prepare for the NMT. Access to this laptop allows me to prepare for the test every day in a safe environment.”

The pupils will use the laptops to continue their studies amid the war in Ukraine (Theirworld/PA)

Teacher Anna said: “As a teacher, when the war began, I faced several challenges, primarily safety concerns. The shelter enables us to prepare for the test without delaying lessons.

“It is essential to practice using the same technology. This provides peace of mind for students and teachers and helps them get familiar with the technology before the exam, which is crucial.”

Nina Horbachova, director of the Olena Zelenska Foundation, said “Ensuring Ukrainian children’s access to education during the war is one of the key objectives of the Olena Zelenska Foundation.

“With our partners, we transfer devices to those forced to learn online due to the constant shelling threats.

“This initiative helps students take essential steps – from graduation from school to university admission.

“We thank our partners for such a significant contribution to preserving the future of Ukrainian children through education.”

Yevhen Kudriavets, first deputy minister for education in Ukraine, said: “Even in the face of war, we must protect every child’s right to education.

“Access to technology is vital to ensuring students can continue their studies, take their exams and secure their future.

“These laptops represent the strength and determination of the Ukrainian people.

“For the children who are the cornerstone of the country’s future, they are a promise of a better tomorrow.”