PM Holness donates 40 tablets to Southern Trelawny students

Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness donates 40 tablets through his Positive Jamaica Foundation to seven primary schools in Southern Trelawny.

Monday, 5th July 2021

Jamaica: Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness donates 40 tablets through his Positive Jamaica Foundation to seven primary schools in Southern Trelawny. The beneficiaries attend Stewart Town Primary, Clark’s Town Primary, Kinloss Primary, First Hill All-Age, Brampton Primary, Sawyers Primary and Albert Town Primary. Clark’s Town Primary also received a printer. Addressing at the handing over ceremony held at the Clark’s Town Primary school on July 2, Prime Minister Holness said that the devices would enable students to gain access to the various online learning platforms to meet their educational needs. He said that the donation adds to the number of devices already provided to students island-wide by the Government, private sector and the Diaspora. “Already, the Government has gone a very far way in giving tablets to our students,” he said, citing provisions made to students under the Programme for Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) and ‘Own your Own Device,’ through which vouchers are provided to parents to purchase devices. He said that the Diaspora is also providing “significant support.” Mr. Holness noted that so far, over 1000 devices have been donated to students through his foundation, and indicated that the thrust would continue to help bridge the digital divide in the country. The Prime Minister stated that the Government would also continue to act in “an instrumental way in ensuring that these devices are provided widely throughout the country and to our children.” He noted that technology would remain a permanent fixture of the education system, and no child should be left behind by virtue of their socio-economic background. The Prime Minister urged the students to use the devices to expand their knowledge base. For her part, Director of Region 3 in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Karlene Segre, expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Holness for “his act of kindness”, noting that the devices will enable more students to access online learning. “I am aware that many of them have been waiting for a tablet, and their parents could not afford it, but the tablets have arrived just in time for our summer school programme,” she said. Student of Brampton Primary, Alecia Brown, who spoke on behalf of the recipients, thanked the Prime Minister for the devices and assured that the students “will make good use of them.”