Technology labs will be introduced in primary schools as the Ministry of Education and Youth commences the next phase of its ongoing drive to build out information and communications technology (ICT) across the education sector.

Portfolio Minister Fayval Williams, who shared the news at The Queen’s School on Monday, said the labs are critical to promoting the development of critical skills for the digital age.

“The primary schools have not normally had technology labs in them. We are creating technology labs in our primary schools so that at an early age our children can have access,” she said.

The minister noted that more than half the number of schools targeted for Internet access have already received the service.

“If you look at infrastructure and technology, we are ensuring that our schools are being connected with adequate broadband connectivity. We are past the halfway mark in terms of the number of schools. We are ensuring that we upgrade all of our technology labs in our high schools, which we have done, and we are moving on now to our primary schools,” she said.

In addition to providing connectivity to schools, the education ministry will be increasing the use of technology in classrooms.

She shared that a procurement is under way to ensure that the Wi-Fi signal is propagated across the school campus.

“Our vision is that all of our schools across Jamaica, regardless of where they are, should have access to adequate broadband connectivity, so that our children won’t get left behind,” the minister said.