THE e-Learning Jamaica Project, an ambitious government programme to move away from the traditional blackboard and chalk in the island’s schools and introduce computer technology, was launched yesterday in Kingston by Prime Minister P J Patterson.

The project, which will initially focus on secondary schools students in Grades 7 to 11, will teach students by way of video presentations and video conferences.

It will be implemented on a phased basis over the next three to four years and will target Grades 7 to 11 in all 150 high schools islandwide. It is estimated to cost US$50 million and funding will come mainly from the Universal Access Fund – the levy charged to telecoms companies for incoming international calls.

The technology ministry has already allocated J$50 million from its technology investment fund to the education ministry to meet priority technology needs.

Government is hoping that the project will improve the quality of education being delivered to students, allowing for a more educated and knowledge-based society.

Prime Minister P J Patterson, in launching the programme at the Courtleigh auditorium, said government recognised the critical role of education in reducing poverty and achieving sustainable national development and it was against this background that the administration has consistently invested in the education sector by ascribing to it the highest percentage of the annual budget after debt service obligations.

The government, Patterson said, was also aware that the education system continued to fall below the standard to qualify Jamaica to become globally competitive.

“.The e-Learning Jamaica Project is the next vital element in our strategy to transform the country and achieve sustained development. The application of technology is, indeed, an exciting new phase in the delivery of education in Jamaica,” said the prime minister.

Meanwhile, Technology Minister Philip Paulwell said unlike in the past when computers in classrooms focused mainly on computer-related subjects, the e-Learning Jamaica Project will see the full utilisation of IT, “not only as a teaching aid, but it will be all-embracing”.

“The blackboards will be abolished in the school system and work will be done by utilising video cameras. Teachers will deliver lectures by power point, subjects will now be brought on line through multimedia multi-video, enabling students to benefit from teachers’ expertise through video conference. Lectures will be on video so the student can review it on his cable television,” said Paulwell,

The first phase of the project will involve 26 schools in Kingston and St Catherine, which provided the testing ground for the project design, implementation methodologies, use of hardware and software and teaching and learning materials.

The second phase will be implemented in 2007 to 2009.

According to e-Learning Jamaica Project chairman Jean Beaumont, by 2009 schools should be having a higher level of passes in all Caribbean Council Examinations (CXC) subjects.

Education minister Maxine Henry-Wilson, meanwhile, referred to the project as a revolutionary departure from the traditional teaching and learning.

“It is expected that it will contribute in improving the quality of instructions and provide educators with valuable tools to appropriately track the learning of students in terms of content and objectives,” Henry-Wilson said.