As the Government continues the distribution of tablets across the island, Prime Minister Andrew Holness is encouraging parents and guardians to properly supervise the online activities of their children.

Holness, speaking yesterday (May 21) during the handover of tablets at the Salt Spring Primary and Junior High in Montego Bay, St James, said that with children now increasingly accessing the tools that enable them to go online, there is the potential for them to be exposed to unsavoury information that is not child friendly.

He noted it was therefore critical for children to be supervised while online.

“While our children may be able to play a few games on their tablets, the tablet is not a toy. It is a tool for students to access their lessons and parents have a duty to ensure their children are safe online and using their devices for the intended purposes,” said Holness.

At Salt Spring Primary and Junior High, 36 students received tablets through the prime minister’s Positive Jamaica foundation. The school was also given a laser printer courtesy of Printware Online.

SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS NOW ABLE TO ACCESS LESSONS

Salt Spring Primary and Junior High has approximately 176 students registered and, of that amount, 40 students have so far received tablets through the Ministry of Education’s PATH modality. Through donations, the school also received an additional 10 tablets while a portion of the school population reported that they had some type of access to devices enabling them to study online.

Holness noted that, with the donation of tablets yesterday, a substantial number of students would now be able to access their lessons.

So far, the Government has distributed, or is in the process of procuring 123,000 devices for the education system and is targeting over 500,000 students.

In the meantime, Holness said the Government is doing its best to reach every child and has made a personal commitment to mobilise resources through his Positive Jamaica Foundation to meet the needs of those without learning devices.

The prime minister thanked the private sector and the diaspora for their support in helping to get devices into the hands of every child. He encouraged them to continue the excellent work in this regard.