Recognising the ongoing challenges with which many students have been faced, given the change to primarily virtual teaching modalities, Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie says J$280 million will be allocated to councillors for the procurement of tablets for students.

The minister announced the move while making his contribution to the 2021-2022 Sectoral Debate in Parliament today (May 18).

According to McKenzie, “$140 million will be provided for councillors to assist in providing tablets for students going back to school”.

The minister, referring to Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke as a ‘Godfather’ to the Local Government Ministry, added that “the tablet initiative would be further supplemented by the annual education grant of another $140 million, that will be made available to councillors”.

Together, the individual $140 million allocations will account for a combined $280 million in educational support to councillors, the most that has ever been allocated to elected officials in the history of local government.