Tablets Of Teachers Programme Rolls Out Tuesday

The ‘Tablets for Teachers’ programme rolls out on Tuesday (July 7) with the distribution of devices to educators at the Hope Valley Experimental School, located at 2-4 University Road, Kingston 7.

Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Hon. Fayval Williams, is scheduled to bring greetings at the function and assist with the handing out of the tablets procured by e-Learning Jamaica (e-LJam).

Another presentation ceremony is scheduled for July 9 at Balcombe Drive Primary and Junior High, Kingston 11.

The ‘Tablets for Teachers’ programme falls under an agreement between the Government and the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) signed in May 2018. A total of 25,000 tablets are expected to be distributed to teachers island-wide before August.

The devices will be for personal use as well as to assist the educators in conducting research and delivering content and lessons in a virtual environment, especially as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has transformed teaching and learning.

“We provided an additional 16 gigabytes of memory and outfitted each tablet with styluses,” Chief Executive Officer of e-LJam, Keith Smith, told JIS News.

“The devices are expected to significantly improve the day- to- day operations of teachers,” he noted.

Mr. Smith said that of the 25,000 tablets to be provided, 17,850 are already on the island and the remaining devices are expected to arrive later this month.

“The success of a programme like this signifies the Government’s commitment to utilsing technology to enhance education. For the first time in the country’s history, teachers are being outfitted with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools by the Government,” he noted.

The ‘Tablets for Teachers’ programme involves collaboration among the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology; Ministry of Finance and Public Service; Ministry of Education, Youth and Information; e-LJam; and the JTA.

An agency of the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology, e-LJam is tasked with providing expertise in the management and implementation of innovative technology projects that support the improvement of national learning outcomes, while bolstering ICT solutions.