Banking exec urges telecoms to help with bridging digital gap

AT LEAST one banker is urging Jamaica’s telecommunications providers to recognise the implications of the digital divide in the country’s education sector and to do something to assist with bridging the gap.

Speaking to educators at the 57th Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) annual conference recently, Steve Distant, chief of JN Bank’s non-branch division, expressed concern that many students were being left behind academically because they do not have access to information and communications technologies, such as laptops and tablets, Internet connection or mobile data, needed to attend classes.

Distant pointed out that the digital divide also contributes to a social divide, and it is concerning that in more than a third (34 per cent) of Jamaican households, children do not have exclusive access to a device for virtual learning purposes.

“We need to bridge this gap, and we have to do it soon as this can affect our ability to transform our education for economic growth and development. Every student in Jamaica should have access to the tools needed to facilitate effective virtual learning because this is the future. As the adage goes: ‘Every child can learn, every child must learn.’Under this new mode of operation, this saying bears the same weight. We cannot afford to continue having our students left behind,” Distant emphasised.

The banking executive l auded teachers for their noteworthy efforts in trying to ensure that as many students as possible get access to lessons.

“Teachers, despite your best efforts, this pandemic has given rise to what we call ‘the digital divide,’ which you, our teachers, have very little control over. It’s a term I’m certain many of you have become familiar with since the start of this pandemic as in many instances, your classrooms of 30 students or more have had as little as five students turning up for online sessions daily. Why is that?” he argued.

“We have seen where several of you have gone the extra mile to ensure that our students, especially the most disadvantaged, are not left behind, by going into the communities with lessons and assignments and then returning to pick them up; spending hours on Zoom, in Google Classrooms, and with Microsoft Teams, coupled with finding creative ways to keep the easily distracted students engaged. For that, we are eternally appreciative,” he said.

Distant lauded the Ministry of Education for implementing the ‘One Laptop or Tablet Per Child’ initiative, but at the same time, he maintained that the digital gap still remained wide.

“Technology in the classroom can also assist us with delivering better training to students, thus making teaching and learning more interactive and fun while providing additional exposure to a wider scope of subjects, which helps to make our students well-rounded. However, we need access for all,” he stressed.

In providing the teachers with a tip about how they can further assist in bridging the digital and social divide, Distant urged them to lobby for all students to be provided with the necessary tools in order to effectively take teaching and learning to the digital level.