Students from Cerco Schools area receive 200 computers by the EDP Foundation

This morning, Mayor of Porto, Rui Moreira and the General Director of the EDP Foundation, Miguel Coutinho paid a special visit to students in Cerco Schools, with a special mission: to grant 200 computers that will help them tackle constraints regarding access to remote education. Parents accompanied their children to school today, as this marks full access to remote learning for the most vulnerable students at Cerco Elementary School.

Following an assessment by the Ministry of Education on the schools that needed more computers, the programme EDP Solidária headed to the Cerco Schools area. After helping senior citizens in 2020, “this year we thought that education should be our mission, in order to help digitisation in schools”, explained Miguel Coutinho.

“Today is a very happy day for us”, enhanced Rui Moreira, because “these computers are very important tools, and not only in these pandemic times. We are in a time when these tools are fundamental and we know that not everyone has access to them”.

Also present during this special visit was councillor for Education and Social Cohesion of Porto City Hall, Fernando Paulo, who explained that the amount of computers granted by the EDP Foundation “is extraordinarily important”. Fernando Paulo also highlighted the fact that “Porto City Hall has catered for the needs of some of the most vulnerable students by assigning funds to schools to buy computers”, but “as not all the necessary computers are in place, the ones that were granted today will make a real difference to our students, because they will help solve this problem in a swifter manner, a problem that we are collaboratively trying to solve”.

It is worth recalling that in December, another 150 computers had been granted to the Municipality by BPI and the Fundação ”la Caixa”.

“We hope that this contributes to somehow achieving social inclusion and that the city is more cohesive and happier”, Rui Moreira affirmed and referred the work that has been carried out in the area, as well as the rehabilitation project of the Escola do Falcão, which will be “presented very soon”.

Following the Elementary and Secondary School of Cerco, the Schools of Alexandre Herculano and Pedrouços, in Maia, will also receive computers. A total of 670 computers so that “all students have equal opportunities, and have computers that help them grow and access a better training”, explains Miguel Coutinho.

This is a share of the funding by the EDP Foundation of circa one million euros to grant another 3000 computers at national level.