The Barita Foundation has donated 310 tablets and 15 laptops valued at J$10 million dollars under the auspices of the Education Ministry’s ‘One Laptop or Tablet Per Child’ initiative.

The schools to benefit from the donation of the electronic learning devices are Tivoli Gardens High, Campbell’s Castle Primary, Christiana Leased Primary, Farm Primary, Green Pond Primary, Corinaldi Primary, Lawrence Tavern Primary, Spauldings High, Cedar Grove Academy and Seaforth High schools. Additionally, each school will receive a laptop for teachers. 

The donation was made last Thursday (March 10), during a function that took place at the Tivoli Gardens High School in Kingston. The function was attended by senior Barita executives including Paul Simpson—president & CEO of Cornerstone and deputy chairman of Barita—and executive director of the Barita Foundation, Tanketa Chance-Wilson. Education Ministry officials, led by portfolio minister Fayval Williams, also attended the event.

For her part, addressing the function where the devices were handed over, Minister Williams commended the Barita Foundation for its contribution to the education enterprise by way of the donation to the ‘One Laptop or Table PerChild’ initiative.

The minister noted that support from corporate Jamaica similar to the donation made by the Barita Foundation is key not only to the personal development of beneficiaries and the education sector overall but also to the country’s socio-economic development. 

Barita Foundation’s Chance-Wilson also weighed in on the contribution by Barita.

The executive director noted that education and youth development is a key pillar of the Barita Foundation’s mandate. According to Chance-Wilson, over the years the Barita Foundation has made significant contributions in early childhood education through the work done in teacher training, developing student literacy and numeracy skills, and encouraging active parental involvement.

“With the widened technological divide brought on by the pandemic, Barita is doing its part in contributing to bridging that gap by making this worthwhile contribution of devices, valued at J$10 million, to students and teachers across the island, thereby facilitating greater equity in access, resources, and mobility for the nation’s children,” she said.

The Barita Foundation also committed to provide J$2 million to support the Early Childhood Commission’s (ECC) ‘Raising the Standard’ Initiative, a further example of its dedication to the early childhood sector. 

This commitment will see schools across Kingston & St Andrew, Manchester and St James receiving support in their efforts to meet the required 12 standards for ECC certification. 

Chance-Wilson commented that “The Barita Foundation remains intent on creating dynamic opportunities for young people to grow and develop via partnerships with other stakeholders within the education and youth development sector providing platforms for exposing students to financial literacy via engaging sessions.  The provision of scholarships and bursaries for high school and tertiary students is another way the Foundation is helping to support the growth and diversification of education opportunities in Jamaica.” 

The ‘One Laptop or Tablet Per Child’ initiative is designed to promote inclusivity in the education sector. In this regard, it aims to provide needy students with the requisite tools to function in the online teaching and learning environment. This includes ensuring equity in access to information communication technology (ICT)-based learning.  

The provision of assistance to all students is critical for them to be seamlessly integrated into their learning environment. To facilitate equity in access to ICT, laptops and tablets are required for an estimated 100,000 needy students.  

The Government of Jamaica is currently providing an estimated 148,000 students on the Programme for Advancement through Health and Education (PATH) with devices.

However, an additional estimated 100,000 students still require laptops or tablets to effectively participate in electronic learning. These students are not on PATH but are considered needy and vulnerable as we risk leaving them behind academically.  To ensure that no child is left behind, the ‘One Laptop or Tablet Per Child’ initiative was developed and it seeks to engage stakeholders in partnerships to assist with the provision of appropriate devices.