Glendevon Primary School gets technology boost

WESTERN BUREAU

STUDENTS AND administrators at Glendevon Primary and Infant School in St James are beaming with excitement after they were gifted with tablet computers valued at $1.5 million from National Security Minister Horace Chang.

Paul Blackwood, who is tasked to ensure discipline and good decorum among the student population of 373, as the head boy, says he has had some turbulent times since the coronavirus pandemic has interrupted the normal teaching and learning methods of the education sector.

In March of 2020, schools which are now operating in a hybrid format were shuttered as the Government took steps to mitigate the spread of the virus.

“I am feeling great, sir, because I never have any device. There were many times, even as head boy, I could not do any work in class,” Blackwood told The Gleaner on Tuesday after he received his much-needed technology device in the form of a tablet from his member of parliament Dr Horace Chang, during a presentation ceremony at his school.

“I had to either go and look at other students’ books or their devices, so I am feeling great,” he said, beaming with excitement.

Audrey Lee-Peynado, principal of the 45-year-old Glendevon Primary and Infant School, expressed her appreciation for the partnership between her educational institution and the member of parliament of the St James North Western constituency.

“Great partnerships build great schools and we want to extend our gratitude to our member of parliament and deputy prime minister, Dr Horace Chang, for this initiative in partnering with us. We know our children will benefit from this,” Lee-Peynado said.

Now that another 50 students will be able to access their schoolwork and do research, Lee-Peynado, who leads an academic staff of 21, said, “The tablets are very useful, especially now that we are using the hybrid approach in the face-to-face and online classes.”

For his part, Dr Chang says he is committed to ensuring that the schools in his constituency continue to provide their students with sound and appropriate education, even if it has to be delivered in a hybrid version with greater emphasis placed on face-to-face modality.

“Today, I am very pleased to be able to provide them with 50 tablets. It is a nice little package that costs about $1.5 million,” Chang told journalists.

Chang was quick to point out that the 50 tablets are not quite enough to ensure that all students are connected, and promised to forge partnerships with private sector stakeholders to come up with funding to procure additional tablets for these students.

“We are going to see if I can raise another $1.5 million to complete the process,” he promised.

The institution, which caters to students in several unplanned communities, namely Salt Spring, Norwood, Glendevon, Green Pond and the wider communities of Montego Bay, has in the last five years improved significantly the literacy and numeracy competence of the grade four students.

“This is one of the first schools that had a small computer lab installed with 35 seats and after three years of activity, and the leadership of the principal, we move up the grade four literacy and numeracy from 40 to 100 per cent,” Chang said of Glendevon Primary and Infant School.

“All the kids, including the boys, are getting placed in the [high] school of their choice. I feel very strongly about ensuring the kids in Glendevon get the appropriate equipment to go to school,” he noted.

Chang acknowledges that the community of Glendevon in the news has been identified with other types of activities, including criminal activities.

However, the minister boasts that despite those underlining activities, the community is home to some of the brightest kids. “I am going to work with the principal and I will continue to see if we can get any further corporate donations to complete the equipping of the school.”

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com