More students in St. Catherine South Western will be equipped with tablets and laptops, Member of Parliament for the area, Hon. Everald Warmington, has indicated.
He said that additional funds will be allocated from his Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to acquire the devices.
Mr. Warmington noted that $5 million was invested in providing students with much-needed devices last year.
“This year, we intend to expand that tablet and laptop service,” he said.
Mr. Warmington was speaking at the unveiling of a free, secured Wi-Fi hotspot in Old Harbour Bay in the parish, recently.
The MP said he is committed to investing in education, with a significant portion of the $20-million CDF allocation going towards that sector.
“Last year, we spent $15 million on education, because without a sound education the country has no future,” Mr. Warmington said.
He said that scholarships are provided to students attending various colleges and universities, noting that a pilot, who recently graduated, is among persons who have benefited from the support.
In addition to the allocation for education, Mr. Warmington noted that funds are reserved for housing assistance and welfare support.
Turning to development projects in the constituency, Mr. Warmington informed that the Old Harbour High and Old Harbour Primary schools will shortly be connected to the National Works Agency (NWA) fibre-optic network.
In addition, he said that perennial flooding caused by the Big Pond in Old Harbour will be addressed under a US$8-million project, which will involve construction of a drainage system to “take all that water from Big Pond straight to the sea”.
The project also involves the construction of two bridges, one in Church Pen and the other in Mighty Gully.
Mr. Warmington further informed that lands have been identified for the building of another high school in Old Harbour, which will focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.
In addition, he said that plans are under way for the establishment of a Government centre in Old Harbour, which will house the police, a new library, among other entities.
