



KINGSTON, Jamaica -- The Ministries of Education and Science, Technology, Energy and Mining (STEM) sealed an $800 million deal on Tuesday for 37 learning institutions to be equipped with tablet computers for the upcoming academic year.



Education Minister, Ronald Thwaites and STEM minister Phillip Paulwell, signed the contracts for the ‘Tablets in Schools’ pilot, with four technology solutions companies.



The contractors are Digicel Jamaica (5,500 tablets); Innovative Corporate Solutions (10,500 tablets), Productive Business Solutions (5,500 tablets); and Geotec Enterprise Limited (5,500 tablets). The contracts also include a range of supplies, including devices, accessories, and device management solutions and services, such as tracking and content control.



The one-year pilot will be administered in 13 primary schools, six all age and junior high schools, 11 high schools, six infant departments, one teacher’s college, and one special education institution. The initiative will, in the first instance, involve 728 teachers. Following a review of the pilot, ‘Tablets in Schools’ will be rolled out across the island, targeting 600,000 students and teachers.



Thwaites said that the tablets, along with computer labs, and the soon to come on stream educational broadcasting, will provide an opportunity for creating new material that can enhance and globalise the country’s educational offerings.



He added that his Ministry will seek to reduce “excessive” booklists by providing the appropriate material in more accessible form, with the tablets.