IN preparation for academic year 2021/22, the Ministry of Education is distributing 20,000 laptops purchased by the Government.
At a ceremony at the Education Towers on Monday, Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby- Dolly and Minister in the ministry Lisa Morris-Julian, were joined by Minister of Public Administration and Digital Transformation Allyson West in a symbolic presentation of laptops to principals.
Throughout the day, 2,018 laptops were distributed to five primary and 69 secondary school principals, representing five Education School Districts.
West said, “The Ministry of Public Administration and Digital Transformation has been working closely with the Ministry of Education to both secure devices and to ensure that the platform on which education is provided going forward is robust and suited to the needs of the children. I would like to encourage the principals, teachers and students to get creative, the laptop is not only a tool on which you sit at home or in the classroom and learn in the standard way, it gives you the opportunity to broaden your horizons to change how you learn and teach.”
Before presenting the first set of Government procured laptops, Dr Gadsby-Dolly thanked the corporate donors in the Adopt-a-School Programme.
She said, “Today we are starting the Government procured laptop distribution process, which transcends simply providing devices. It is also about the training which has been instrumental in helping our teachers wield the digital tools well. Device procurement ensures that all our students can move in the direction of the education sector both globally and in Trinidad and Tobago.”
The ministry stated that the devices will be provided to students whose parents or guardians completed the Means Test. They will be required to sign the Agreement for Assignment of Devices upon receipt.
Of the 20,000 devices purchased, the first tranche totalling 4,000 was received on June 24. Another shipment of 4,320 devices are expected to arrive by next week.
