THE Harry Watch Primary School in Manchester is to be outfitted with a smart computer lab that will provide students with access to information and communications technology (ICT) in a structured learning environment to better prepare them for a digital future.

The new lab, which is being funded by the Digicel Foundation at a cost of US$55,000, will be equipped with 12 laptops and tablets, a printer and a MimioTeach Interactive Whiteboard. It is estimated to be completed by May.

Addressing the signing ceremony for the establishment of the facility at the Ministry of Education and Youth in Kingston on Wednesday, Education Minister Fayval Williams commended the Digicel Foundation on the undertaking.

She noted that the project is in keeping with the Government’s vision of “developing our children to their fullest potential, regardless of their social and economic backgrounds”.

“Education of our children is a national project in which we all should be involved. We always welcome collaboration and partnership agreements with corporate Jamaica,” she said.

“We know that this is so important as we continue our efforts to close the digital divide and enable children across the island to be properly prepared for our contemporary society. Collectively, we must continue to do all that we can to ensure that children will acquire a good foundation that will enable them to perform with confidence in our digital age,” Williams added.

CEO of the Digicel Foundation Charmaine Daniels said that over the next three years, the foundation will work with the ministry to target other rural primary schools for the implementation of similar smart facilities.

The Anchovy Primary School in St James is the next institution to benefit from a new smart computer lab from the foundation.

“The pandemic has really accelerated the need for connectivity, and I don’t see it going anywhere in the near future. I think this is the way the world is going, and I think this is where we need to get our children,” she said.

“We will continue to invest heavily in the education sector,” Daniels pledged.

Principal of Harry Watch Primary, Fitzroy Francis, in his remarks, said that the partnership will help in transforming the institution into a fully equipped smart school.

“The students, in particular, are also very excited. It’s a deep-rural school, located in a deeply rural community and most of the students there do not have connectivity. So, this will bring about, not only devices and so on but especially Internet connectivity for the school and the community,” Francis said.

– JIS