Ferris gets tablets amid George Wright distraction

WESTERN BUREAU:

At an event last Thursday where embattled Westmoreland Central Member of Parliament emerged as a slight distraction, Education Minister Faval Williams declared that approximately 125,000 tablets and laptops would be delivered to needy students across the island under several initiatives geared at equipping students with technology devices by the end of this school year.

At the event at the Ferris Primary School in Westmoreland, officials of the Ministry of Education pleaded with members of the media not to take any photographs with Williams and Wright, who recently resigned from the governing Jamaica Labour Party, in the same frame. Wright was not listed on the programme, and except for sitting under the same tent, took no part in the event,

In her presentation, Williams said that the nation’s teachers and students have stepped up to the task of ensuring that teaching and learning continued after the COVID-19 pandemic, which has all but completely ruled out face-to-face classes over the past two years.

TEACHERS COMMENDED

“We recognise that tablet is just one step in that process. Our teachers have to be trained, and I want to commend our 25,000 teachers across Jamaica. They stepped up to the plate,” said Williams, after handing out the tablets, which were donated by gospel singer Kevin Downswell, a past student of the school.

“They (teachers) can manage themselves in the online world. They have created thousands of virtual classrooms, and thousands of students have found their way to these virtual classrooms to the point where we were able to have our Primary Exit Profile exams,” noted Williams. “Our students are resilient. Has it been easy? No, but they have taken on the challenges, and I want to salute them for not laying down arms during the pandemic.”

The donation, which was done through Downswell Ministries and Foundation, saw the school receiving 21 tablets valued at $260,000. The move by Downswell was applauded by Williams, who also praised the efforts of non-profit organisations in their thrust to support the initiatives of the Government of Jamaica in bridging the digital divide.

“Today is a significant day. The students of Ferris Primary will remember it, and I hope it will be so etched in their minds that they, too, when they come of age, will return the thanks,” stated Williams.

A PERMANENT PART OF EDUCATION

The education minister said that while the pandemic forced students and teachers to get online, Jamaica will emerge from the pandemic with technology remaining a permanent part of the educational process.

“We have to equip our students with those skills that they are going to need for the work world or for further education, and we are happy to do it because we are moving Jamaica as well along the technology pathway, and we want all our citizens to be digitally literate,” said Williams.

In looking forward to the new digital era, Williams said that citizens would have to be equipped so that they are able to access banking and other government services online.

“Health services are going to be available online, and a lot of what the Government is doing will be online. We want you to access government services online. It will make us more efficient, and you won’t have to waste your time and money travelling,” said Williams.

For his part, Downswell said it was a great pleasure for him to be able to give back to the school, which helped to groom him into becoming the man he is today.

“We are also donating these tablets to Ferris Primary School, meaning that the tablets belong to Ferris Primary School, therefore, when kids come and kids go, Ferris Primary School will have those tablets to utilise for the scholastic purposes,” said Downswell.

editorial@gleanerjm.com