RIO BUENO, Trelawny — RIO Bueno Primary, the final school in the government’s ‘Tablets in Schools’ pilot project, received its allotment of tablets last Thursday.

Digicel Business, one of the approved vendors in the E-Learning initiative, handed over a total of 150 tablets to the institution located in Trelawny.

To date, 38 institutions have received tablets since the start of the project in August of last year.

“The information technology revolution can neutralise the communication and developmental deficiencies that hold our people back,” said Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Phillip Paulwell.

“Since education is the greatest liberating force in any society, the full roll-out of this ‘Tablets in Schools’ programme will place Jamaica’s delivery of quality education in league with that of the most developed countries in the world,” he added.

Principal of the school, Audrey Barrett, believes that the project will help to create an environment for what she called ‘anytime, anywhere’ learning.

“Our staff expects that these devices will not only enhance learning but allow for the creation of learning opportunities whenever and wherever students are,” she said.

“The whole idea of learning continuing outside the walls of the classroom is going to become a reality here because of those tablets,” Barrett added.

Barrett said the tablets would especially help students who have been struggling in areas such as reading and mathematics.

She said: “One of the best things about these tablets is that they come equipped with apps that will certainly improve learning, especially for those students that have been struggling. They’ve already taken on to the tablets so well, so this is definitely a tool that we’re going to make work for us here.”

Speaking at the official handover ceremony, Digicel Business’ Head of Western Sales Joy Clark said everyone doesn’t learn the same way.

“Everyone has different skills and talents that are unique to them, and that’s what we as teachers and leaders of our society have to help them to develop,” she said.

Clark also observed that the tablets would help to prepare students for the work world, which, she said, is constantly evolving.

“Yes, we’re preparing the next generation of doctors, nurses, lawyers and policemen and women. But we’re also preparing the next set of computer programmers, software developers, social media managers, ICT specialists, and a wide range of other careers that don’t even exist as yet,” she added.