President David Granger on Wednesday launched the One Laptop Per Teacher’s Project at the Cyril PotterCollege of Education (CPCE), coinciding with World’s Teacher Day celebrations.
Some 168 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) students, as well as first year teachers of CPCE were the initial beneficiaries of the pilot project, which is a rebranded initiative of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) One Laptop Per Family Project.
During the launching ceremony at the teacher’s training college, President Granger underscored the importance of this initiative in paving Guyana’s pathway to the digital world.
“I do not see information technology as a luxury, as an option. It is a necessity and any Government that wants an educated population has to look upon information technology as an obligation and not an option… Information Communication Technology (ICT) education, as I said, is no longer optional. It is obligatory, it is mandatory. Citizens of the 21st century must be trained in ICT whatever their career, every child and every teacher must be schooled in Computer Science and it must be mandatory at this college,” he stated.
Guyana has already progressed in this regard since students and teachers from the CPCE’s Tain Campus joined the event through Government’s Internet network.
In fact, the President interacted with the gathering there via microphone and digital screens.
Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes, in her remarks disclosed that over the last three weeks, more than 100 education institutions were connected to the Government’s fibre optic network. She noted that Government intends to expand this programme to ensure all of Guyana is digitally connected.
“Today’s official launch of the One Laptop Per Teacher’s programme gives our teachers an important tool to work with and is a vital component of Government’s all-encompassing programme to raise the national level of digital literacy and to improve Internet connectivity, and most importantly, it is a means to introduce Internet access to our unserved hinterland and interior locations,” she explained.
The laptops were procured with assistance from the Chinese Government.
The first batch of laptops will be distributed to teachers at the CPCE’s Turkeyen and Tain campuses and the top performers at the National Grade Six Assessment.
Subsequently, a national distribution of laptops to teachers will commence in the later part of this year.
Meanwhile, the children who received laptops are Nathan Gangadeen of North Georgetown Primary, Tianna Budhram of Windsor Forest Primary, Tarico Henry of Green Acres Primary, Wallyndee Roberts of Mae’s Schools, Mark Sharma of Mae’s Schools and Celine Farinha of Peters Hall Primary.
The teachers who received their laptops are Serena Samwaru of Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Golda Griffith of Region Nine (Upper Takatu-Upper Essequibo), Rinson Rose of Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Welsey Apple of Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) and Yaavendra Ramsaroop of Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).
