Digital pupil: throughout the summer, fieldworkers will help register pupils in marginalised Roma communities

Thanks to the national project ‘Digital Allowance for Slovak Students’ (Digital Pupil), launched several months ago by the Ministry of Investment, Regional Development and Informatisation of the Slovak Republic (MIRRI SR), in cooperation with the Digital Coalition (DK), it is possible to receive a financial contribution for the purchase of a new computer or tablet for up to 152 thousand primary and secondary school pupils in the current school year. Therefore, in order to provide assistance to as many pupils as possible, DK, in cooperation with community centres, is currently launching fieldwork in marginalized Roma communities (MRCs). Dozens of fieldworkers across Slovakia will help hundreds of families from socially disadvantaged backgrounds already in the coming days with both registration and the actual process of obtaining and implementing the allowance.
Empowering Pupils. A Step Towards Inclusive Education
Pupils and their legal representatives can apply for EUR 350 for the purchase of a new digital device during the summer. Four groups of pupils are primarily eligible, namely first year pupils in secondary schools (in 2022/2023), pupils coming from low-income households and in material need, as well as pupils with special educational needs coming from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. More than 114 thousand registered pupils are now registered by the Digital Coalition. “We register for the contribution in all groups of pupils. To date, we have also sent over 42 thousand submissions, which allow pupils and their legal representatives to claim the contribution in one of the hundred shops across Slovakia. Thanks to the Digital Student project, more than 23 thousand pupils have their own new computer or tablet at home, which is great news,” said DK President, Mário Lelovský.
The primary objective of the project is to increase the availability of digital technologies for all pupils, regardless of their socio-economic background, and to ensure that they develop their digital skills and learn fully from home comfort. However, more than 40 thousand pupils who have not yet registered are still eligible for aid. This is particularly the case for pupils coming from households from disadvantaged backgrounds, including marginalised Roma communities. That is why in those days DK, in cooperation with municipalities, community centres and dozens of fieldworkers, starts with field assistance directly in the MRC environment. “We are actively working with 139 community centres across Slovakia. Thanks to close cooperation with the citizens’ associations TENENET and ROTA, twenty qualified field workers will visit each family throughout the summer with pupils who are eligible beneficiaries of the allowance and transfer them through the registration process, which is a prerequisite for obtaining the allowance,” explains DK’s expert on the MRC environment, Martin Giertl. “Representatives of non-governmental non-profit organisations active in marginalised communities welcome the extension of the deadline for registration until the end of August for secondary school pupils or until the end of September for other groups of pupils. By involving field workers in the activities of the project directly in the MRC environment, we want to contribute to raising awareness and increasing the number of registrations of pupils,”adds Adriana Mašková from the TENENET Citizens’ Association.
Effective Collaborations: Showcasing Success of the Digital Pupil Project
A positive example of cooperation under the Digital Pupil project is also the activities in the Košice district of Luník IX. “The legal representatives and authorised pupils show a strong interest in registering and receiving the contribution,” says Marcel Šaňa, Mayor of Luník IX. At the same time, almost 500 primary and secondary schools across Slovakia are also involved in the activities of the Digital Pupil project. It is the Košice region that confirms that cooperation with schools is truly efficient and delivers positive results. “We are pleased that our primary school is also actively participating in the Digital Student project. Since the launch of the project, we have informed our pupils and their legal representatives about the possibility to receive a contribution and are actively helping to register them,” explains the Head of the Primary School at the Podjavorinská Street at LUNÍKA IX, Milan Dulina. “The way in which municipalities, schools and community centres help pupils and their legal representatives on a daily basis, often beyond the project’s foreseen activities, is an excellent example that the collaboration of all stakeholders is delivering results and ultimately benefits not only the target group, i.e. pupils, but the whole community and society,”concludes Giertl.
Thus, pupils and their legal representatives can apply for a contribution for the purchase of a new digital technique simply – by filling in the registration form at www.digitalnyziak.sk. Subsequently, it is sufficient to wait for the verification code and to claim your contribution in one of the hundreds of digital technology stores throughout Slovakia. All necessary information can be found on the official project website www.digitalnyziak.sk.