Students in and around Savanna-la-Mar are being urged to make good use of the free Wi-Fi hotspot installed by the Universal Service Fund (USF) in the Westmoreland capital for their academic and personal development. The encouragement has come from Principal of Petersfield High School in the parish, Roan Green, who is imploring students to “embrace the initiative”. “This will no...

Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, the Honourable Daryl Vaz, MP, left the island on Wednesday, April 27, 2022 for the United States capital, Washington D.C., to represent Jamaica at the high level launch of the Declaration of the Future of the Internet (DFI) at The White House. The launch is to take place on Thursday, April 28, 2022 and...

Policymakers and industry leaders have been urged to partner and reconstruct an enabling society in which every child is empowered to pursue a career in science and technology. The call comes from Managing Director of Spectrum Management Authority (SMA), Dr. Maria Myers Hamilton, in anticipation of International Girls in ICT Day, to be observed on April 28. Innovators have also...

Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams, is encouraging teachers to further integrate the use of technology in the teaching and learning process in the island’s schools. Mrs. Williams was addressing the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) Annual Education Conference’s opening session, which was held at the Ocean Coral Spring Hotel in Trelawny on Tuesday (April 19). “I know that...

Residents of Hamilton Mountain and Mango Valley in St. Mary now have access to Internet, under the Universal Service Fund’s (USF) free Community Wi-Fi Programme. The communities are among 189 selected locations across the island, of which the USF has completed 105 installations. Minister of Science, Energy and Technology (MSET), Hon. Daryl Vaz, who was present at both launches on...

The Ministry of Education and Youth is looking to increase the number of institutions participating in the Coding in Schools Programme. The initiative is designed to develop students’ abilities in logical and critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, teamwork and mathematics, among other skills. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Fayval Williams, says following the Ministry’s assessment of the programme, and stakeholder consultations, “we are...

The Ministry of Education’s ‘Coding in Schools’ programme continues to gain traction, with teachers now being trained in coding. A total of 15,000 teachers will be trained to deliver the curriculum to students up to grade 9, under a ‘Train the Trainer’ programme. In an interview with JIS News, Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams, explained that the...

Access to, and use of financial services will be made easier with the use of the digital payment wallet, Lynk. Digital payment wallets are the platforms used to facilitate transactions of the Bank of Jamaica’s Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). The CBDC is a digital form of central bank-issued currency and is legal tender that can be exchanged dollar for...

Woodpark is the first of several communities in St. Mary Western to receive free public Internet from satellite, under the Universal Service Fund (USF) public Wi-Fi hotspot programme. The service, which became operational on March 30, is being provided by ReadyNET. The USF has opted for satellite Internet service for Woodpark, due to inadequate fibre-optic infrastructure. Satellite allows remote, rural...