By Sue-Ann Wayow
OVER the last four years, the Ministry of Education has distributed more than 63,000 electronic devices to teachers and pupils.
The ministry in a press release on Wednesday stated the latest acquisition of 7,000 laptops brings the total number of devices acquired by the Ministry of Education for distribution to pupils and teachers to 63,410.
According to the ministry, in 2018, 13,600 laptops were acquired and distributed.
Between 2020 and 2022, a total of 49,810 were acquired via government procurement, 20, 000 in 2021 and 7, 000 in 2022, donations of 22, 000 under the Adopt-a-School programme and Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT), 460 by CAF-development bank of Latin America, and 350 from UNICEF.
“This gives a total of over 63, 410 between 2018-2022. The latest tranche of 7000 devices is currently being distributed,” the ministry stated.
The release also stated that distribution to teachers between 2021 and 2022 was just over 9, 090, in addition to the 10, 000 wifi devices distributed to teachers and students at Early Childhood Care and Education Division (ECCE) primary and secondary schools.
Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly has promised that the 7,000 devices would be distributed this week.
However, the United National Congress (UNC) in a subsequent press release stated that the 7,000 devices were an insult to the learning population who deserved much more.
