NEW ROADS, Westmoreland — Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security and Peace Dr Horace Chang on Friday underscored the critical role of education and technology in breaking cycles of poverty, reducing social dysfunction, and advancing his ministry’s peace agenda as he officially opened the Dr Horace Chang Digital Learning Centre at his alma mater, New Roads Primary School.

The state-of-the-art 20-seat computer laboratory, which was donated by Dr Chang, a commitment he made since 2007, is equipped with Internet connectivity and is intended to expand educational opportunities for students in the rural Westmoreland community.

Addressing students, teachers, parents, and community members at the opening ceremony on Friday, Dr Chang said the recent renaming of the Ministry of National Security to the Ministry of National Security and Peace reflects the Government’s broader commitment to creating opportunities for young people.

“Education is the only route to…sustainable removal of poverty and despair and removal of social dysfunction,” he declared.

Dr Chang said while investments in national security have yielded measurable results, similar investments must now be made for education and youth development.

“We can say without apology, we invested in the police, we made the commitment, and they have responded, and in more ways than one. We can say without hesitation, today, Jamaica is safer than it was three years ago, and I commend the police for the effort. But that leaves space for much more structured activity in our communities, and part of that is our education field,” he said.

“The idea is to demonstrate that with technology we can reach them [students], and provide the teachers with those tools that will help them to get across to the students that will educate them, build them, develop more human resources. That’s what we did for security. We take credit for that, and now want to see more in education,” he added.

The veteran parliamentarian, who attended the rural school as a child before leaving for Cornwall College in Montego Bay, St James, then The University of the West Indies, underscored that access to quality education remains the most effective pathway to success regardless of where a student starts in life.

“Education is the gateway to another world, a world of improvement, better quality of life, to achieve your dream and success,” he said.

He pointed to the transformative impact technology has had in schools where he previously established computer laboratories, especially Glendevon Primary School in his St James North Western constituency, citing improvements in literacy, numeracy, and overall student performance.

Dr Chang maintained that technology can help span the divide between rural and urban communities by exposing students to a wider world of learning and opportunity.

“This is not only about giving back to my community, which is important, but to also send a message that we’re in a world today where we can use technology to reach anywhere in Jamaica. And we can offer opportunities to everyone, whether it’s sports, academia, development of our students’ talent at any point in Jamaica. We just have to have the commitment and the willingness to invest,” he said.

He described the new facility as a gateway to broader opportunities for students and urged them to embrace the possibilities it offers.

The minister also praised the Universal Service Fund for facilitating the installation of Starlink Internet service at the school, providing reliable connectivity for the laboratory and wider campus.

In addition to the computer lab, the deputy prime minister donated three laptop computers for teachers and presented cricket gear to students, noting that the initiative formed part of a long-standing commitment to making lasting investments in education rather than short-term programmes.

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for Westmoreland Eastern, Dr Dayton Campbell, charged the students, teachers, and residents to do everything they can to protect the investment.

“Allow it to serve the community for as long a time as possible. The fact that Dr Chang emerged from these humble beginnings and is where he is, and others here too, it means that you can grow wherever you are planted. There is absolutely nothing to invalidate your dreams,“ he said.

And minister of state in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information Rhoda Moy Crawford, who thanked Dr Chang for the donation, also implored the school community to “take care of these devices”.

“And to the community, don’t give the police any work. You have a duty to help us to see to the safety of these equipment,” she said. “All of us have to put our hands together to protect this investment.”

Principal Coreen Tennant-James said that the donation will expand access to technology and digital learning, helping students and teachers develop the skills needed to succeed in a rapidly changing world.

“We express heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed to making this dream a reality. Your investment in education is truly an investment in the future of our children,” she said. “And, to our students, this laboratory is for you. Use it wisely, allow it to inspire creativity, learning, and excellence.“

Minister of National Security and Peace, Dr Horace Chang speaking at the official opening of the Dr Horace Chang Digital Learning Centre at his alma mater, New Roads Primary School on Friday. Horace Hines

From left: Principal of New Roads Primary School Coreen Tennant-James; students Kemar Young and Nathaniel Findley; Minister of National Security and Peace, Dr Horace Chang; his wife, Paulette Chang; and their son, Martin Chang, display cricket gear donated by the minister to the school during Friday’s presentation ceremony. Horace Hines