The Barita Foundation has donated technology devices valued at $10 million under the Ministry of Education and Youth’s ‘One Laptop or Tablet Per Child’ initiative.
The 310 tablets and 15 laptops, which are to be distributed to needy students at 10 primary and secondary schools across the island, were handed over on Thursday (March 10) at the Tivoli Gardens High School in Kingston.
Beneficiary institutions are Campbell’s Castle Primary and Christiana Leased Primary in Manchester; Farm Primary, Green Pond Primary, and Corinaldi Avenue Primary in St. James; Lawrence Tavern Primary, St. Andrew; Tivoli Gardens High in Kingston; Cedar Grove Academy, St. Catherine; Seaforth High in St. Thomas; and Alphansus Davis High, Clarendon.
Portfolio Minister, Hon. Fayval Williams, thanked Barita Foundation for its “generous support” to the education sector.
She said that technology will remain a permanent and important part of the education system even as students return to the face-to-face environment.
“We believe it will help our students to learn better, our teachers to teach better, and for learning to be faster and (delve) deeper into the subject areas,” the Minister noted.
Managing Director of Barita Unit Trust, Jason Chambers, said the entity is pleased to support the ‘One Laptop or Tablet Per Child,’ initiative, noting that the provision of technology devices to students has the power to transform their lives and improve their outcomes.
“(We) are absolutely convinced that…development of the education system in Jamaica is the single most critical factor… for sustainable, social and economic development. We are proud to be associated with these efforts in education,” he added.
The ‘One Laptop or Tablet per Child’ initiative is designed to promote inclusivity in the education sector by equipping disadvantaged students with the requisite tools to function in the online teaching and learning environment.
The initiative, which is being executed by the National Education Trust (NET), engages stakeholders in partnerships to assist with the provision of appropriate technology devices.