ST JAMES, Jamaica— The Government is making strides in delivering reliable internet to all the island’s public education institutions, said Minister of Education and Youth, Fayval Williams.

The minister said that “on the technology side we are pleased in terms of our efforts. We’re about halfway there in terms of connecting and providing broadband service for schools”.

“There are others that are on other technologies, but it’s been a relentless effort since COVID to connect our schools, and I know that many of you sitting here are seeing and feeling the benefits of improvements in broadband connectivity,” she added.

Williams was speaking at the official opening of the 31st Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Association of Principals and Vice Principals (APVP) and the launch of the Jamaica Association of Chairmen of Secondary Institutions (JACSI) at the Hilton Resort and Spa, Rose Hall, St James on Friday.

Minister Williams said that the next phase of the project involves procuring the necessary equipment to extend Wi-Fi coverage throughout school campuses.

The objective is to provide seamless connectivity to every corner of each school, ensuring that both students and educators can make the most of this important resource.

“We have another two years to go in order to declare victory in getting all of our schools completely connected and have adequate service, not just in the administrative offices, but in the staff rooms and in the classrooms,” Williams said.

Meanwhile, the minister noted that the transformation of Jamaica’s education system is a collective effort that cannot be accomplished by the central ministry alone.

She said that leadership within schools must play a pivotal role in enabling this change.

She noted that collaboration is even more crucial to effectively address the 365 recommendations put forward in the Professor Orlando Patterson-led Jamaica Education Transformation Commission Report.

The four-day APVP conference, which ends on Sunday, is being held under the theme: ‘Transformed Schools: Exploring Practicable Strategies to Create Learning Communities’.

-JIS