Primary-School Teachers Urged To Redeem Laptop Vouchers

More than 700 primary-level teachers who have received electronic vouchers (e-vouchers) under the ‘Laptop for Teachers’ initiative are yet to redeem their vouchers for devices and are being urged by the Ministry of Education and Youth to do so.

Portfolio Minister, Hon. Fayval Williams, said the latest numbers show that 8,852 e-vouchers for laptops have been issued to primary-level teachers across the island, and of that number, only 8,139 have been redeemed.

Speaking with journalists in Clarendon on Sunday (July 3), the Minister said: “We’re almost at the end of this process for the primary schools; the next phase is the high schools.”

She said that although there were concerns about availability of the devices, in the early stages of the project “since then, vendors have brought in more supplies”.

With the e-vouchers, teachers can visit an approved vendor location to purchase a laptop that meets the minimum specifications of project developers, e- Learning Jamaica Limited.

The Minister informed that the vouchers are valued at $90,000, and “based on the specifications as given by e-learning, teachers should be able to find a device for that price”.

She noted, however, that teachers who desire a higher-end device would have to pay an additional amount.

The ‘Laptop for Teachers’ programme involves collaboration with the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA).