News from Acorn Computers - Release Date: 12th September 1994 Classrooms count down to free Acorn computer equipment from Tesco Computers for Schools 94 Over 10,000 schools nationwide are starting the school year with new computer equipment from Acorn, the leading supplier of computers to education, as a result of the Tesco Computers for Schools 94 scheme. The scheme has proved to be as successful as ever this year with over 22,000 items of computer equipment and books claimed from Acorn and other suppliers, including Thomas Nelson and Cumana. This means that schoolchildren throughout the UK will benefit from an extra 4,000 Acorn computers, over 6,500 peripherals and 5,300 other educational items in classrooms this Autumn. Computer equipment and learning materials designed for children with special educational needs also proved popular this year with more than 4,000 items being ordered. Peter Talbot, General Manager UK Education at Acorn Computers, comments: "The Computers for Schools scheme has once again proved to be a practical and achievable way of improving access to IT in the classroom to enhance learning for children of all ages and abilities. "Recent Acorn research revealed startling figures on the ratio of children to computers in schools, with over 18 children sharing one computer in the average primary school. The 4,000 new Acorn computers gained through Computers for Schools will make a significant impact on classrooms and on our schools' ability to develop children's computer and communications capabilities for life in an IT-rich future." Acorn will deliver the computers and educational items to schools throughout September and October. Through the tremendous support given to the scheme by local communities nationwide over the past three years, over a third of all schools in the UK have now gained a total of almost 15,000 Acorn computers. Tesco Computers for Schools 94 ran for a total of ten weeks, from 18 April to 26 June, and offered schools the opportunity to obtain unlimited supplies of Acorn computer equipment and educational items in return for collecting vouchers, one issued for every 25 pounds spent at Tesco stores. Founded in 1978, with 1993 revenues of 54.3m, Acorn Computers is the premier supplier of IT solutions to UK education and has been the leading provider of 32-bit RISC based personal computers since 1987. Acorn works closely with a strong community of industry partners, users and software developers to provide innovative technology solutions for the education, consumer, publishing and international markets. The Acorn Computer Group is a holding company for Acorn Computers Limited, Acorn Australia, Acorn New Zealand, Acorn GmbH and Online Media. Acorn Computer Group owns 43% of ARM Ltd. Online Media, a division of the Acorn Computer Group, was launched in 1994 with the mission to design world class, interactive multimedia products. Number of computers received around the country: (1992 and 1993 combined figures in brackets) Avon 102 (264) Lancashire 72 (189) Bedfordshire 107 (316) Leicestershire 19 ( 66) Berkshire 156 (344) Lincolnshire 14 ( 53) Buckinghamshire 200 (388) London 105 (287) Cambridgeshire 128 (286) Manchester 63 (143) Cheshire 62 (159) Merseyside 71 (143) Cleveland 11 ( 20) Middlesex 124 (276) Clwyd 14 ( 40) Norfolk 55 (134) Cornwall 35 (119) Northamptonshire 67 (217) Cumbria 21 ( 33) Nottinghamshire 39 (133) Derbyshire 29 ( 67) Oxfordshire 101 (181) Devon 80 (217) Scotland 69 (224) Dorset 109 (180) Shropshire 10 ( 57) Dyfed 44 (122) Somerset 39 ( 80) Essex 392 (908) Staffordshire 11 ( 60) Glamorgan 198 (491) Suffolk 27 ( 53) Gloucestershire 60 (140) Surrey 174 (481) Gwent 15 ( 58) Sussex 273 (586) Hampshire 137 (269) Tyne & Wear 17 ( 45) Herefordshire 23 ( 32) Warwickshire 40 (132) Hertfordshire 234 (632) West Midlands 61 (130) Humberside 31 ( 92) Wiltshire 96 (201) Isle of Wight 17 ( 44) Worcestershire 81 (174) Kent 173 (521) Yorkshire 137 (311) For more information, please contact: Hilary Swift or Sally Mortimore Acorn Computers Limited Text 100 Tel: 0223 254 254 Tel: 081 242 4172 _______________________________________________________________________________ aglo...@acorn.co.uk, moderator of comp.sys.acorn.announce. Submissions to announce-requ...@acorn.co.uk, other related mail to announ...@acorn.co.uk.