Rhodd. quantum leap in the right direction for all parties involved in the education system

THE Ministry of Education has partnered with Microsoft Corporation to establish the Partners in Learning (PiL) Programme - a five-year project that will see the computer software conglomerate providing $16 million in training, technical support and access to technology for Jamaican teachers and students.

Delivering the keynote address at the launch of the PiL Programme on Thursday at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston, junior education minister Dr Donald Rhodd said the collaboration marked "a quantum leap in the right direction for all parties involved in the education system - our educators, our students, and other stakeholders".

He said that under the agreement, students and teachers selected to participate in the programme would have access to the current versions of Microsoft products, all at affordable prices.

Meanwhile, as part of the PiL programme Microsoft has established an Information Technology (IT) Academy at the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI), that delivers technology training for teachers and students in schools, colleges and universities.

Dr Rhodd said through subscription to this programme, which Microsoft offered in many developed countries across the world, "institutions can offer Microsoft courses leading to Microsoft certification that will expand their ICT skills, and through which students can expand their careers and pursue further educational prospects".

The programme is designed to prepare students for careers as network administrators, software developers, design engineers, help desk technicians and Microsoft Office specialist as well as ICT education integrators.

In addition to the existing IT academy at UWI, discussions are also underway to establish another academy at HEART Trust/NTA.

Dr Rhodd said that Microsoft was also collaborating with the education ministry to train educators and teachers as potential 'teacher trainers', based on programmes designed jointly and to be implemented by the ministry, UWI, HEART/NTA and Microsoft.

The first cadre of 28 primary and secondary school teachers to be trained in Microsoft certification has almost concluded, while plans for the training of the next cadre is now underway.

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