Teachers laptop distribution in full swing

Distribution of laptop computers to the country’s teachers is ongoing. Last week, teams from the eGovernment Agency distributed over 1,100 laptops.

The agency, which has oversight of the One Laptop programme, distributed 1,138 computers to teachers in Region Six – East Berbice – Corentyne. Monday, approximately 300 laptop computers were distributed to teachers in Region 7 at the Bartica Secondary School. Tomorrow, part of the team will travel to Region Nine where they will assist Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes, to hand out 470 laptops to teachers at Annai, Aishalton and Lethem. The eGovernment Agency comes under the purview of this Ministry. Minister Hughes, according to the Ministry, is expected to combine several activities in her team’s trip to Region Nine including a visit to the Radio Paiwomak station at Bina Hill to speak with broadcasters and technicians. On Friday, the eGovernment team moves to Mahdia to hand over 200 laptops to teachers in Region 8. The distribution schedule was designed by the Ministry of Education before the roll-out began following the October 5th launch of the One Laptop per Teacher (OLPT) initiative.

President David Granger himself launched this program at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) campus, Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara. “The initiative is driven by the government’s determination to provide modern research and learning tools to ensure that our children, youths and young professionals all over Guyana receive the most rounded education possible which in the medium to long term, will appreciably raise the national level of digital literacy,” the ministry explained. The distribution will follow the previous One Laptop Per Family program that was launched under the previous administrations of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic. That program ran into problems with poor monitoring, faulty laptops, theft and a host of other issue affecting it. (Kaieteurnews.com)