The government has launched a $229 million programme to bring free of cost digital devices to needy students, as the society transitions to a more digital education system.

Details of the programme, dubbed, the SERVE Jamaica Digital Device Programme were unveiled in parliament yesterday by Finance and the Public Service Minister, Dr Nigel Clarke.

Under the programme, the government will make available $189 million for the purchase of digital devices for students, identified by Members of Parliament (MPs), as students in need who have not benefited from the other government laptop/digital device programmes.

This will amount to an allocation of $3 million per MP and is intended to supplement and complement the Ministry of Education’s existing laptop/digital device programmes.

In addition, under the SERVE Jamaica Programme, the government will make available $140 million for the purchase of digital devices for students, identified by sitting municipal councillors, as students in need and who are not beneficiaries of any other government laptop/digital device programme.

Dr Clarke explained that once the devices have been procured by e-Learning Jamaica Company Limited, the Ministry of Finance will make payment to the supplier directly, noting that the SERVE Jamaica Digital Device Programme is a collaborative effort involving his ministry as well as the ministries of local government, technology and education, MPs through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), and municipal councillors.

Digital devices to be made available in August

The finance minister disclosed that the digital devices under this programme will be available for distribution by MPs to their constituents during the “back to school” period in August. Dr Clarke highlighted that the SERVE Jamaica Digital Device programme, “does not replace the existing Ministry of Education programmes. It cannot. It is a much smaller programme in size. It merely complements and supplements the larger central government programme.”

He mentioned that the Education Ministry has launched several laudable initiatives to ensure that students can transition to online learning and that over 122,000 digital devices will have been provided for PATH and non-PATH students by the end of the school year. These initiatives include the Own Your Device Programme, the One Laptop or Tablet per Child Initiative in collaboration with the diaspora and corporate Jamaica as well as the Government procurement programme for PATH students.

Role of CDF and Education Ministry

In explaining the role of the CDF, Dr Clarke stated that the fund, “will provide forms, very shortly, for MPs that will require the name, student registration number, school, grade, etc. Each form will allow for a maximum of 100 students per constituency.”

The CDF will provide other relevant administrative instructions to MPs, provide the data on intended beneficiaries submitted by MPs to the Education Ministry. The Education Ministry will check the lists of intended beneficiaries submitted by the CDF against the database of beneficiaries under the Ministry’s various digital device programmes to avoid duplication.

“Where instances of duplication are found, the proposed beneficiaries will be deemed to have already been in receipt of a digital device from another GOJ programme and will not be eligible to receive a digital device under this SERVE Jamaica Digital Device Programme, Dr. Clarke said in conclusion.