USF Awards Tablets to 630 Outstanding PEP Students

Some 630 outstanding students in this year’s Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations across Jamaica have received tablets under the Universal Service Fund (USF) Connect-a-Child Programme.

The students, drawn from all 63 constituencies, are from low-income households and have been provided with Samsung Galaxy tablets to support their education and enable greater participation in an increasingly digital society.

The presentations were made during the Connect-a-Child Awards Ceremony held on August 28 at the Karl Hendrickson Auditorium at Jamaica College in St. Andrew.

In his remarks, delivered by State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Hon. Rhoda Moy Crawford, Minister of Energy, Transport and Telecommunications, Hon. Daryl Vaz, emphasised that the initiative is about more than simply providing devices, adding “we are placing possibilities in the hands of Jamaica’s young people”.

Minister Vaz said the initiative is also aimed at ensuring that a child’s future is not determined by where he or she lives or by the resources available at home.

“A student in rural Portland should have the same opportunity to succeed as a student in Kingston. Similarly, we believe that a child in Westmoreland, Clarendon, Manchester or anywhere else in Jamaica should never have his or her potential limited by inability to access reliable transportation, connectivity or technology,” he added.

Mr. Vaz noted that the Government, through the USF, continues to expand Jamaica’s digital footprint and close the connectivity gap through investments in community and public Wi-Fi infrastructure and programmes that place technology directly into the hands of Jamaicans.

“Therefore, when 630 high-achieving students receive devices on this occasion, it becomes so much more than the mere distribution of tablets. What the Universal Service Fund is doing is placing another tool for opportunity into the hands of 630 young Jamaicans,” the Minister further stated.

Mr. Vaz encouraged the students to use the tablets to research, learn, innovate and create, rather than allowing them to become just another screen, adding “let them become windows to knowledge, tools for creativity and gateways to opportunity”.

He also urged the students to use the technology to help shape their future, their communities and Jamaica’s development.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the USF, Charlton McFarlane, said the Connect-a-Child Programme represents an investment in the future of the beneficiaries, providing them with access to technology, and opening the door to a world of possibilities.

The CEO, who reflected on his own experience of being given the opportunity to study information technology despite his family’s financial challenges, said such opportunities can have a lasting impact that extends far beyond the immediate benefit.

“I’m saying all of that to say that, when my mother did that for me, she wasn’t just giving me the opportunity to do another subject. She was giving me the opportunity because, maybe… one day she knew that her son would stand here before 630 students as the CEO of the government’s information [technology] body,” he said.

Mr. McFarlane noted that the Connect-a-Child Programme was established in 2023 to help bridge Jamaica’s digital divide by providing devices to high-achieving students from low-income households.

He indicated that more than 1,890 students have benefited from the programme since its inception and that, with the addition of the 630 new beneficiaries, the total number of recipients will exceed 2,500.

The CEO noted that the USF has also invested in free public Wi-Fi services, provided schools and public institutions with information and communications technology (ICT) equipment, and established ICT clubs in more than 35 high schools across Jamaica.

Mr. McFarlane maintained that the true value of the programme will be measured by how the students utilise the opportunities provided to them.

He encouraged the students to explore fields such as coding, animation, engineering and science, while challenging them to become creators rather than merely consumers of technology.

“Don’t allow the tablet to be the smartest thing you own. You must always be smarter than the technology that you use. Ask questions, think critically, be curious and explore; and, most importantly, challenge yourselves to create as much as you consume,” Mr. Charlton emphasised.

For his part, Deputy Managing Director of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), Romain-Khade Gayle, said the organisation was pleased to partner with the USF in hosting the Connect-a-Child Awards Ceremony.

He noted that the JUTC’s support in transporting the awardees from several parishes to the event was aimed at ensuring that students facing transportation and financial challenges were able to participate without additional hardship.

Mr. Gayle pointed out that the partnership with the USF forms part of ongoing efforts to expand educational opportunities and support the development of Jamaica’s next generation of leaders, innovators and digital citizens.

He expressed confidence in the potential of the 630 students and encouraged parents, teachers, guardians, family members and friends to continue investing in their growth and development.