Progress is being made in bridging Jamaica’s digital divide.
The Ministry of Education and Youth has recorded significant success in this regard. The achievements include establishing internet connections for 683 schools; providing 500,000 licences to enable students and teachers to download software for free; and delivering 10,000 high-quality laptops to 173 high schools. Also, e-textbooks are accessible by secondary and primary level institutions on various Ministry platforms, while 670 lesson plans are now available for teachers.
Additionally, 769 teachers are now fully trained in coding skills instructional delivery, 32 secondary schools are integrating and delivering coding programmes, while e-Learning Jamaica Company Limited delivered 16,053 e-vouchers for teachers in primary and secondary schools to acquire laptops.
Read Full Article
Bridging The Digital Divide Is A Priority
A top priority of the Government, through the Ministry of Education and Youth, is bridging the digital divide across Jamaica.
This is among the 365 recommendations contained in the Professor Orlando Patterson-led Jamaica Education Transformation Commission (JETC) Report.
The Government commenced implementing the recommendations in April 2022, with a March 2030 completion timeline. This exercise is being led by the Education Ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport.
Digital transformation is also a component of technology and infrastructure, one of seven significant pillars of education transformation identified by the JETC.
Among the achievements, to date, are:
Coding in Schools
Coding in the National Standards Curriculum is being developed and the integrated matrix prepared.
32 schools at the secondary level are integrating and delivering coding programmes.
An instructional manual for teachers is being prepared and the training of educators, to scale, in the integration of coding in the other schools continues.
769 teachers are now fully trained to deliver coding skills (497 at the primary and 272 at the secondary level).
Internet Connection and e-Resources
Several e-resources have been incorporated in the education system. These include e-textbooks, Google applications, and Microsoft applications (Word, Excel, Teams, One Note, PowerPoint, etc.).
683 schools are connected to the internet, with installations for the remaining institutions projected for completion by March 2026.
19 e-textbooks are now available for secondary and four for primary level institutions.
10,000 high-quality laptops have been delivered to 173 high schools to replace aged devices in those institutions’ computer labs.
Some $159 million was allocated in the 2023/24 Budget to complete Phase II of the Digital Transformation Programme.
