KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Digicel Foundation has handed over a US$80,000 Smart Lab to Church Teachers’ College in Mandeville, Manchester, as part of efforts to strengthen teacher preparation and accelerate digital transformation in Jamaica’s education system.

The facility was officially opened during a ceremony at the institution on Tuesday.

Assistant Chief Education Officer in the Tertiary Unit of the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Dr Tamika Benjamin, described the initiative as a strategic and visionary investment in Jamaica’s human capital.

“Today marks more than the unveiling of a physical space. It represents [a] strategic investment in Jamaica’s future… an investment in teacher education, an investment in our students and in the continued transformation of education in our rapidly evolving digital space,” she said.

Benjamin emphasised that meaningful and sustainable school transformation must begin with teacher preparation.

She noted that while the Digicel Foundation has established Smart Labs at primary and secondary institutions, its extension into teacher-training colleges demonstrates foresight.

“Teachers remain the single most important school-based factor influencing student achievement… and the quality of our education system cannot exceed the quality of the teachers we prepare,” Benjamin stated.

She underscored the national responsibility of teacher-training institutions to produce graduates who are not only strong in pedagogy and content knowledge but also digitally competent, innovative, and responsive to the needs of modern learners.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Digicel Foundation, Charmaine Daniels, said the lab forms part of a broader national strategy to expand digital access and build technological confidence among educators.

She noted that the foundation’s team has been travelling weekly to communities and schools, particularly in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, and consistently observed the resilience and commitment of teachers.

“Despite the conditions of classrooms… and the damage to your own homes… you showed up for your students… and for Jamaica’s future,”  Daniels said.

— JIS