Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Fayval Williams, says that the Government is levering the use of technology in the education system in order to improve student achievement.
She said that a technology-aided system enables students to learn “faster and deeper”, better preparing them to participate in the workforce.
“It will be a blended environment; we believe that will enrich them and we will see the results in our students being higher-achieving students. It is going to benefit all of Jamaica,” Mrs. Williams said.
“We have to equip our students, so that when they graduate to the world of work or higher education, they will be as competitive as they can,” she added, noting that investment is being made to deliver connectivity to schools and communities.
The Minister was speaking at the handover of 10 tablets by the Rotary Club of New Kingston at the Ministry’s National Heroes Circle offices on Tuesday (June 1),
The devices were donated under the ‘One Laptop or Tablet per Child Initiative’, which engages private-sector entities and individuals in providing devices to needy students.
Minister Williams thanked the Rotary Club for the donation, noting that it is in keeping with the government commitment to ensuring that every child has full access to a technology device.
“We are going to continue this drive and your donation gets us further along that road. We are not going to relent until we have accomplished that goal of having all our students equipped with the technology,” the Minister said.
She noted that the ‘One Laptop or Tablet per Child Initiative’ is working well and commended the National Education Trust (NET) for its effective management of the programme.
President of the Rotary Club of New Kingston, Neville Graham, said that the donation of the devices was to support online learning for students in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
“We don’t want any child to be left behind,” he said.
Mr. Graham informed that the organisation had also donated personal protective equipment (PPE) to the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI).
