State-of-the-Art Resource Centre Opens at St. Thomas Primary School

A resource centre, valued at some $3 million, and equipped with modern teaching and learning aides, has been established at the Duckenfield Primary School in St. Thomas.
The centre, financed by Digicel Foundation, was officially handed over to the school located at Hampton Court on January 23.
The project involved the conversion and extension of a classroom into a state-of- the- art resource room, equipped with 10 computers, a laptop, printer, television set, CD player, DVD player, a multi-media projector, interactive white board system, and a recording system. Phonics reading and mathematics kits have also been provided to improve the numeracy and literacy skills of the students.
Also contained are five computer desks, four student tables, 31 chairs, cupboards, a filing cabinet, and teachers’ desks and chairs. Two air-conditioning units and electrical fittings were also installed.
Vice Principal of the School, Avis Gayle, said that the resource room was being used to teach students basic computer skills and to help those, who have difficulty reading.
“Hopefully, in the near future, pupils would be able to browse the World Wide Web and do necessary research in a pupil-friendly environment,” she said.
Executive Director of Digicel Foundation, Major General Robert Neish, informed that the Foundation, in collaboration with the Education Transformation Team, was setting up resource rooms at primary schools across the island.
“The aim in primary schools where we provide these resource rooms is to lift the level of literacy and numeracy, so that every student, as they graduate from primary school, can go into high school fully literate to take advantage of the high school curriculum and the high school programme,” he explained.
“As communication develops in Jamaica, we need, all over the island, to have well educated people,” Major Neish stated.