The Jamaica Broilers Group has offered free computer training at its head offices to one computer teacher from each of the 14 schools from communities in which the company operates.

The company’s president and chief executive officer, Robert Levy, made the announcement last Wednesday during a Teachers’ Day luncheon for 130 teachers at the Caymanas Golf Club.

The schools that will benefit from the project are:

. McCook Primary, McCook’s Pen Basic, Innswood High,

. Old Harbour Primary, Old Harbour High, Old Harbour Bay Primary,

. Freetown Primary, Marlie Mount Primary, Spring Garden All Age,

. Spring Village SDA Basic, Ruby Madden Basic, Spring Village Basic, as well as

. Spring Village Development Training Institute and Dover Basic School.

Levy also announced that Jamaica Broilers would be allowing two teachers from each of the schools to study, free of cost, under the company’s self-study certificate programme, which is offered in collaboration with the American Management Association (AMA). The programme is accredited to most major universities in the USA.

Principal of the Old Harbour Primary School, Clyde Gopaul, in giving the vote of thanks at the luncheon, said the 2,000 students at his institution stayed home, with his permission, to allow their teachers to celebrate Teachers’ Day at the Jamaica Broilers-sponsored luncheon at Caymanas Golf Club and Breezes Montego Bay.

Gopaul said he felt the 57 teachers at Old Harbour Primary deserved to be away from the school room on Teachers’ Day, having worked tirelessly to achieve a high academic performance among students, many of whom had also won gold and silver medals in speech, music and drama in recent years.

According to the school principal, the day trip to the north coast for the teachers was initiated by his administration, with the help of the public and private sector.

“When I sought the permission of the Ministry of Education to close the school for a day, they gave us a favourable response,” he said.

GoPaul added that although this was the first time he was closing the school in celebration of Teachers’ Day during his 10-year tenure as principal, he did not rule out the possibility of doing so again in the near future.