MONTEGO BAY, St James — The Glendevon Primary and Infant School in St James is almost halfway through its goal of providing 120 digital tablets for students’ use.

Fifty devices, valued at $1.5 million, were distributed recently and efforts are under way to secure funds to purchase the remaining devices.

The donation of the 50 tablets was made by the Member of Parliament (MP) for St James North West Dr Horace Chang.

“I am here giving them a presentation of some 50 tablets to try and ensure that all the kids coming back to school (face-to-face) still have access. While they were out, an attempt was made at the beginning of COVID to ensure that they had some access but now that two years have passed, some kids have moved on,” said Dr Chang, referencing the move to high school.

His goal, he said, is for school to continue, “even in a hybrid version”.

The MP explained that the devices were sourced through corporate donations and the Government’s Own Your Own Tablet initiative.

Dr Chang, who is also the deputy prime minister and minister of national security, noted that while the community of Glendevon has its challenges, the school has produced several outstanding individuals. He spoke of the positive impact that comes from ensuring that students have access to the tools needed to learn. Glendevon Primary and Infant School, he pointed out, was one of the first schools in the constituency to be equipped with a 35-seat computer lab.

“After some three years of activity and leadership by the principal, we had moved up the grade four literacy and numeracy from 40 per cent to 100 per cent and all kids, including the boys, were getting placed in the school of their choice. So, I feel very strongly about ensuring the kids in Glendevon get their appropriate equipment to go to school,” said Dr Chang.

School Principal Audrey Lee-Peynado said the children will benefit from the initiative as the hybrid approach to classes has become the norm and some did not have devices.

Head girl Shanae Campbell also spoke of how her peers will benefit.

“During the period that we have been online, most of my classmates haven’t really been online due to the lockdown and the lack of tablets and Internet service,” explained Campbell who is in grade six.

She pointed out that even when classes are attended in person, teachers still go the digital route when assigning homework.

“Most of the information that we are studying about are already on the Google Classroom platform,” she said.

The 45-year-old school, which serves students from the communities of Salt Spring, Norwood, Glendevon, Green Pond and Montego Bay, currently has a population of 373 students and an academic staff of 21.