Smart Rooms to be Established at Esher and Unity Primary Schools

The Ministry of Education and Youth and the Digicel Foundation on Wednesday (September 27) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of a smart room at the Esher Primary School in Hanover, and the Unity Primary School in Westmoreland.

The MoU was also signed by representatives from each school, during a ceremony held at the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) Western Regional Office in Montego Bay, St. James.

The rooms, which will be established at a cost of US$60,000, will be equipped with 12 laptops and 12 tablets with headset connections, a smart screen, and a commercial printer.

Speaking at the event, Chief Executive Officer of the Digicel Foundation, Charmaine Daniels, said since its inception in 2004, the Foundation has remained steadfast in its commitment to promoting equitable access to education for all.

“We firmly believe that education is a fundamental right, and that it should be accessible to every child regardless of their circumstances,” Ms. Daniels said.

She pointed out that unfortunately, many communities face significant educational challenges such as limited resources and inadequate infrastructure.

“Recognising this critical issue, our focus is to bridge the gap, and in this case the digital gap, and empowering the students with the tools that they need is very important to us at the Digicel Foundation,” Ms. Daniels stated.

She said that over the past 19 years, the Foundation has maintained its objective of enhancing students’ educational prospects, noting that to date, three primary schools within the Ministry of Education and Youth Region Four, have benefited from the smart-room project.

Region four consists of schools in the parishes of St. James, Hanover, and Westmoreland.

Principal of Esher Primary School, Anthonette Wright said that the implementation of technology, and most importantly, the inclusion of teaching and learning, is a priority in the 21st century.

“We are overjoyed as this marks the beginning of a solid partnership for growth and development with the Digicel Foundation. We are excited, but we are also humbled because there are several other primary schools in the parishes of Hanover, St James, and Westmoreland, and we were selected as the beneficiaries of this project,” she stated.

For her part, Principal of Unity Primary School, Dawnett Hall-Beharie, said the initiative was both timely and relevant.

“As we administer the curriculum to maximise the abilities of our students in numeracy and literacy, we understand the value of information and communication technology [ICT] in developing students’ creativity, and we know that creativity in this time, is an invaluable attribute,” she noted.

Since 2004, Digicel Foundation has so far spent US$22 million on education