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200,000 tablets for students

Published:Wednesday | July 1, 2020 | 12:00 AM
Education Minister Karl Samuda - File photo

The Government, through the Ministry of Education, has entered into contractual arrangements for the delivery of 200,000 tablet computers for schools.

This was disclosed in Parliament yesterday by Education Minister Karl Samuda, who said that it is hoped that 100,000 tablets will be received by the “end of summer”.

Samuda noted that approximately 17,000 of the devices have been received to date.

While touting the initiative, he acknowledged that Jamaica’s Internet penetration is less than adequate to support the programme.

Despite this, Samuda said the ministry is pressing ahead with its E-Learning Jamaica initiative, under which tablets will be provide to children throughout the school system.

“It is not adequate, and we recognised right away…that we are deficient ... perhaps as much as 40 per cent in the country does not enjoy regular Internet. Even in some cases where there is Internet support, the service is intermittent and disruptive.

“So we have a major challenge, and until we establish a fibre-optic system around the country that will give access to every single community within the country, we have to make the best with what we have, where we are,” the education minister said.

Earlier in his presentation, Samuda struggled to explain what he meant by “private-public” basic schools to which the Government was providing financial assistance.

He had disclosed that they are 24,622 children in basic schools, 15,758 are in public infant schools, and 69,825 children registered in public-private basic schools in Jamaica.

“Could you explain what you mean by a private-public basic school?” asked the leader of Opposition business and Opposition spokesperson on education, Peter Bunting.

“You partially help with public funds. You make a contribution,” Samuda replied, before going on to explain that the Government has never traditionally paid for the expenses of running a basic school that is a private institution.

“However, it has now engaged in the provision of resources to support the basic schools and today it is even more important that that be done, because of the situation affecting parents of those children, many of whom lost their jobs or have been laid off and can’t find the money to pay the fees.”

He went on to disclose that the education ministry is spending $20.3 billion on early- childhood education.

- Christopher Serju

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