Three teacher training institutions on Friday inked memoranda of understanding (MoU) with the Digicel Foundation under its Smart Lab Initiative to support the establishment and enhancement of ICT smart laboratories to the tune of well over US$80,000 each.

The initiative forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen digital learning environments and expand access to technology-enhanced teaching and learning within Jamaica’s tertiary education sector. Already 28 primary schools and five colleges have been outfitted with smart labs under the Digicel Foundation initiative.

Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information Dr Kasan Troupe, speaking at the signing which took place at the ministry’s Heroes Circle offices, said the results of the continued philanthropic efforts of the Digicel Foundation has enabled the broadening of the ministry’s push as it relates to teacher preparedness to integrate technology in classrooms.

“Here comes Digicel Foundation again, expanding their love for Jamaica, and I say that because once you partner with education, it’s a demonstration of your love for Jamaica, because it is the education system that is responsible for the human capital development that will create the economic and social transformation that we desire in this country. So this is true love…this is a true love affair that I, as permanent secretary, I’m extremely proud of,” said Troupe.

Pointing out that Friday’s beneficiaries — Shortwood Teachers’ College, GC Foster College of Physical Education and Sport, and Moneague College — all have different niches with a strong emphasis on the arts, Troupe said, “It is a responsibility of the education system to provide that enablement to develop the different talents in our people that will serve the different sectors.

“We’re not undervaluing the arts in Jamaica. It is what we are good at, whether we sleep or we are awake, but we need to drive the science, we need to drive the technology, we need to drive the engineering and the mathematics, and you can see how we are struggling in those areas.”

Troupe added: “So it is a thrust of this Government of our country to have highly skilled individuals in these areas, and so when we invest in our teachers’ colleges, it therefore means that we are getting the teachers prepared. They are now champions for the use of technology, and they will spark the interest of our young people in the technology, and they will become ideators, innovative thinkers, they will be interested in design thinking, and they will be creative from the very beginning, because they are exposed to the technology.”

She applauded the Digicel Foundation “for understanding the vision of this country to drive the technology forward, for understanding the importance of ensuring that our teachers and learners are on the cutting edge. That’s what any education system should provide, and we do so in a proud partnership with the Digicel Foundation…So when we celebrate our literacy rate, when we celebrate the passes in IT, when we celebrate the growth in engineering we attribute that to this investment. Thank you very much, and I know that in the near future we will again celebrate the gains as we see it in our young people, not just infrastructure, but what has become of the social and human development in Jamaica as a result of this investment”, she added.

Meanwhile, Charmaine Daniels, CEO of the Digicel Jamaica Foundation, commenting ahead of the signing, said it is anticipating the outcomes from the use of the labs.

“We’re very happy to make this investment. We know that it will be put to good use, and we look forward to the results. We encourage you, as you get these labs, to utilise [them], dream big, dream of innovative and new ways to use it…We’re just providing the base for you, and it’s for you to utilise it to make sure that you’re maximising on your end. We look forward to handing them over in short order,” Daniels said.

The US$80,000 each investment towards the training and development of teachers is in addition to two years fully funded Internet service to power the labs from the Digital Foundation.