e-Learning Jamaica Strengthens Tablets in Schools Programme

As technology continues to transform education globally, e-Learning Jamaica Company Limited (e-LJam) is ramping up efforts to ensure students remain digitally prepared through the continued expansion of its Tablets in Schools Programme.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Andrew Lee, tells JIS News that the initiative reflects the Government’s strong commitment to integrating technology into the classroom and equipping students with the necessary tools to thrive in an increasingly digital society.

“The Government has a keen interest in ensuring that our students are digitally ready because we are living in a technology-driven world. e-Learning’s role is to continue infusing technology within schools to support both teaching and learning,” he says.

In line with this mandate, e-LJam has recently upgraded high school computer labs islandwide with more than 15,000 laptops. This marks a deliberate shift away from traditional desktop computers, which the agency had initially supplied.

Another key highlight of the programme’s expansion is the strategic partnership among government entities to maximise available resources.

This includes a collaboration with the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) and the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information (MOESYI), out of which devices used during the 2022 Population and Housing Census have been redistributed to schools for educational use.

More than 5,500 devices have been handed over to primary schools across the island under this partnership.

“I want to commend STATIN for the work they have done in collaboration with e-Learning and MOESYI. This collaboration reflects the importance of government agencies and ministries working together to maximise resources,” Mr. Lee says.

“This partnership underlines a core principle, that government agencies, departments, and ministries must collaborate to maximise the use of resources provided for one purpose and adapt them to serve another. In this case, we were able to transition census devices into schools, ensuring that they continue to provide value to the Jamaican people,” he adds.

Beyond providing devices, e-LJam’s broader mission is to build a technology-rich learning environment across Jamaica.

The CEO emphasised that the Tablets in Schools Programme is not just about placing hardware in classrooms but also about creating opportunities for students to acquire critical digital skills for the future.

“e-Learning remains committed to ensuring that our education system continues to benefit from technology integration, so that our young people are fully equipped to thrive in a technology-driven world,” he explains.

The CEO adds that the organisation’s ongoing efforts to modernise schools through replenishing devices, upgrading labs, and introducing more efficient technology, reflect a long-term strategy to support Jamaica’s vision for a knowledge-based society.

He notes that as technology continues to evolve, e-LJam is positioning itself to keep pace with the needs of schools. The organisation plans to continue replenishing and upgrading devices on a cycle, ensuring that students and teachers always have access to modern, reliable tools.

“With every upgrade and every partnership, we are preparing our children to meet the challenges of tomorrow. That is the ultimate goal,” Mr. Lee says, while pointing out that schools must have access to current equipment that meet the demands of modern applications and software as technology evolves.

“Devices, no matter how robust, have a lifespan. Over time, as the demand on memory and processing increases with new applications, they become obsolete. Our programme ensures that schools are consistently equipped with updated technology to replace outdated devices,” he explains.