PM Roosevelt Skerrit distributes smart devices to students in Vieille Case

Vieille Case, Dominica: The Government of Dominica distributed internet-enabled education devices to primary school students in the Vieille Case constituency on Saturday.

Prime Minister of Dominica Dr Roosevelt Skerrit, Minister of Education Octavia Alfred and several other dignitaries joined the ceremony. 

The Dominica government, through the Ministry of Education, Human 

Resource Planning, Vocational Training and National Excellence continue its efforts to provide devices for students as a resource for improved online learning.

PM of Dominica and who is also the Parliamentary Representative for the Vieille Case constituency, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit himself distributed educational devices to students of the Baroness Patricia Scotland Primary School, the Thibaud Primary and the Penville Primary School.

[caption id="attachment_38614" align="aligncenter" width="595"] Smart devices for primary school students.[/caption]

He advised the students to use the devices carefully and concentrate on their studies. He said online education could be as exciting as normal face-to-face classes. 

Prime Minister also encouraged the parents to learn the usage of smart devices from kids and utilize the opportunity. 

The distribution ceremony was held under coronavirus protocols as every person was wearing face masks to ensure the kids' safety. The primary school students seemed extremely happy as they photographed with their new devices after the ceremony.

[caption id="attachment_38615" align="aligncenter" width="567"] Students showing their devices[/caption]

The government of Dominica is making efforts to make online education accessible for all primary school students who cannot attend face-to-face classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All families with students are also eligible to get fast internet plans at only $10/month. 

The government aims to provide smart devices to all primary school students by the end of November 2021. The government survey findings revealed that over 2,0197 primary school students do not have any device to access online classes. The country received 2,184 smart devices under the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) programme, while more than 1,000 are expected by the end of this year.