MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Digital learning and Internet access have been boosted at Harry Watch Primary and Infant School in northern Manchester with the opening of a US$55,000 information and communication technology (ICT) room funded by Digicel Foundation.

Principal Fitzroy Francis said the facility will increase students’ literacy and numeracy.

“This will have a far-reaching impact…We had a target of 75 per cent numeracy and 80 per cent literacy and when we got this smart room we were able to revise that,” he said at a handing-over ceremony on Tuesday.

“We now have a revised literacy target of 100 per cent and numeracy rate of 85 per cent by 2025,” he added.

Francis said the school, located a few kilometres north-west of Mile Gully and which has a population of 155 students, provides education to children in surrounding communities where there is no phone and Internet access.

The smart room, he said, “will ensure that the scope of our students’ education is widened… Virtual learning will become more available, particularly in this area. Now the students have the space where they can actually come and interact with the latest technology. This is a significant improvement to the teaching and learning at our school.”

Digicel Foundation CEO Charmaine Daniels said the ICT room — which is equipped with 12 laptops, 12 tablets, a smartboard and printer — is the first of its kind done by the foundation.

“It is an exciting time for us at the foundation and for Jamaica, as we launch the first of 10 ICT rooms for rural Jamaica. It represents a time for advancement as we seek to help our rural schools to get the right resources to remain on par if not ahead of the curve when it comes to technology and digital literacy,” she said.

“We have not only provided access to devices, but access to fibre fast Internet through our Business Solution team,” Daniels added.

She said the renovation of a second ICT lab is near completion at Anchovy Primary School in St James.

The investments in ICT labs, she said, will aid in the foundation’s partnership with the Amber Group for the roll-out of the national Coding in Schools programme.

“We are looking forward to seeing these two schools register to participate in the primary school curriculum of the coding programme, which is also in partnership with the Ministry of Education,” Daniels said, adding “Just imagine your children could be creating apps and websites.”

She said the programme promotes logical thinking at the primary school level while creating exposure to digital technology.

Regional director for the Ministry of Education’s Region 5, Ottis Brown, who represented Education Minister Fayval Williams at the function, commended Digicel Foundation for donating the ICT room.

“With this project the children will have access to facilities to enhance their learning and exposure to information and communication technology. This is important as we continue our efforts to close the digital divide and enable children across the island to be properly prepared for our contemporary society,” he said.