Former student pays it forward at Bryce Primary School

Bryce Primary School in Manchester recently received a boost in its efforts to ensure that students are properly equipped with tablet computers to aid their education.

Past student of the school, Christopher Richardson, donated 47 tablets and laptops to benefit current students and teachers of the Manchester-based institution. The devices were distributed to seven teachers and 40 students. The electronic items are valued at US$3500.

The devices were recently handed over during a fun-filled ‘Children’s Day’ luncheon treat at the institution on May 27, and is a continuation of assistance to the school family since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Richardson, who is based in West Palm Beach in the United States, says he was motivated to provide support to the school from 2019, but with COVID he saw where students needed electronic devices to facilitate their mixed modality of online and face-to-face education.

“I conducted an assessment with the National Education Trust (NET) in conjunction with the school and realised that help was needed. I started with gifts of school bags, books and toiletry items for all of the students,” he said, noting that he will continue to source more tablets for the students.

NET is the government agency that mobilises financial and quality resource investments for schools in Jamaica to achieve greater levels of access to education and learning. It is committed to working with philanthropists and organisations to ensure that underserved areas in the education system seamlessly benefit from their generosity and goodwill.

“I will not stop until I get to my goal of ensuring that all needy students have one of these [devices] at their disposal,” Richardson pledged.

“Bryce Primary School has a strong tradition of producing disciplined and well-educated children, so I want to do my part in ensuring it remains that way. A lot of us have been blessed with opportunities here in the US, and also back in Jamaica, and believe that it is only fitting to pay it forward to the place where it all started,” he noted. Richardson said that the technology devices being provided will benefit students even after COVID.

“Our children will be competing in the global marketplace where knowing how to use the computer will be key,” he noted.