Homework and Technology Centre Opens in Golden Grove

Students and adults are now benefitting from a fully equipped Homework and Technology Centre, recently opened at the Hampton Court Community Centre in Golden Grove, St. Thomas.
Funds for the $2.7 million project were provided by the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica and includes sums for the purchasing of additional reading materials, television and other equipment to assist in the educational process.
Services to be offered at the centre include GSAT and computer classes, homework supervision by teachers, Internet access, adult literacy programmes, as well as photocopying, faxing and printing.
Opening hours are from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on weekdays and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays for computer classes.
Coordinator of the project, Ivan Solomon, told JIS News, that the Centre was opened to enhance the education of children aged eight to 18 years from primary, high, and technical schools in Golden Grove, and surrounding communities. He said pre-GSAT programmes will be offered and that students from Grades three to five will receive assistance in completing their homework and other assignments. The programme will be supervised by retired educators and teachers drawn from the Duckenfield Primary, Golden Grove Primary and Infant, Dalvey Primary and the St. Thomas Technical High Schools.
Another component of the project is a reading programme to aid the literacy skills of young children and their parents. According to Mr. Solomon, a specialist reading teacher will participate in this programme.
“Presently we have registered about 15 adults who are willing to come specifically for the adult literacy classes,” he added.
Since the opening of the Centre, Mr. Solomon said 22 persons have registered for computer classes, which are free of cost. However, he said that persons requesting advanced computer training after the initial course would be required to make a contribution of $100 per hour.
In view of the construction of two hotels, one at Holland Bay and the other at Old Pera, and other developmental projects in the parish, Mr. Solomon mentioned the importance of persons acquiring skills.
“I think it is very important for us as a community to start some aspect of training of our community people, so that whenever these types of developments come on board we are so equipped, literacy and in other areas so that we could take on the development process that would exist within our cluster of communities,” he said.
Commenting on the project, Principal of the St. Thomas Technical High School, Phillip Wilson, said the institution will support the programmes at the centre, noting that it will benefit students at the school. “I know many good things will come out of it and the future of the economy of St. Thomas will be a little brighter,” he added.