Two thousand, two hundred electronic devices for learning/teaching have already been distributed by the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training.
This was disclosed last Friday by Acting Chief Education Officer, Joy Adamson, as she expressed appreciation to the Red Foundation, the Carrielynn Grazettes Cancer Foundation Atlanta Inc. and Ellerslie alumnus, Dr. Ricardo A. Knight, for donating 210 tablets to school children across the island.
The ceremony, which was held at the Wildey Gymnasium, Wildey, St. Michael, saw 100 of the tablets being presented to The Ellerslie School by Alvin Jemmott, uncle of Dr. Knight, who lives and practices medicine in Chicago.
Mrs. Adamson who further noted that the drive to have tablets in schools had seen several people coming forward to aid the schools, said: “We have to help each other, and for this drive, all sorts of people all over the world have come forward to make sure that our children have the device to assist them with education.”
Reminding those gathered that there was also a donation of 4,000 tablets from Rihanna, she stressed that the Ministry was appreciative of this, as it adds to the pool, allowing for every child to be able to have a device.
“So that if there is any disaster, if there is any fire, if there is any environmental problem that the teaching and learning will continue and that is our aim at the Ministry of Education,” she said.
Encouraging the two foundations to have a phase two, Mrs. Adamson said: “I don’t know what it would look like, but I want to thank you and the old scholars at Ellerslie. We are very appreciative.”
Each child receiving a tablet will be given a loan agreement, which they, along with their parent, are expected to sign, allowing them to keep the devices for their school life.
Meanwhile, in an apparent response to a question on the upcoming school year, Mrs. Adamson said: “We don’t know what is going to happen in September. I am getting calls at the Ministry re: ‘what date is the opening for schools?’; ‘how will it be?’; ‘what is the format?’ We really don’t know yet and we are still trying to work that out! And, you would have had presentations and proposals from all of our unions and from individuals.”
The Acting Chief Education Officer added: “We don’t have any manual to follow about this, and we don’t know what will happen in September. But whatever happens in September, every child must have a device; whatever happens in September, our teachers our principals our educators must be ready to make sure that the teaching and learning will continue ….”