99 Laptops for Primary Schools
It’s been over two weeks since classes have been reopened to hybrid learning. But, not all students have the resources to access learning material virtually. Today, five schools from across the country are benefiting from a total of ninety-nine laptops. A symbolic handing over ceremony was held at the House of Culture in Belize City between the Social Investment Fund and the Ministry of Education. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.
Duane Moody, Reporting
For the past twenty-two months, students have been away from the formal classroom setting due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And as hundreds of institutions have returned to school in a hybrid approach, it is not without its challenges. The focus of the Ministry of Education is all students, including primary schools who were the beneficiaries of a laptop donation today. Education C.E.O. Dian Maheia shared the data.
Dian Maheia
Dian Maheia, C.E.O., Ministry of Education
“What we’ve seen in the past twenty-two months is that forty percent of our primary schools have used some form of online learning – only forty percent for primary schools. That’s four out of ten. And of the schools who use some form of online learning, eighty-four percent of them used WhatsApp as the primary means. So you know what that means is for the primary school students in this country who have been receiving some form of instruction using technology, it has been happening on a phone. How difficult must that be? But we persevere and we persevere through the efforts of our partners like our friends at SIF.”
A total of ninety-two laptops will be distributed to five primary schools across the country.
Dian Maheia
“These ninety-nine computers will go to primary schools across the country: Santa Marta Government School, Crooked Tree Government School, San Isidro Government School, Saint Michael’s RC and Louisiana Government School. So Orange Walk, Belize District, Toledo District, Cayo District. And they are going to be integral for the success of the school’s delivery of hybrid learning.”
The donation is valued at approximately three hundred and twenty-nine thousand dollars from the Social Investment Fund.
Valentino Shal
Valentino Shal, Deputy Chairman, Social Investment Fund
“This initiative falls under SIF’s mission to provide improved access to information and communications in education for schools across the country. The Social Investment Fund which is under the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment is the implementing agency for the Government of Belize in addressing the basic needs of Belizeans from north to south. These laptops were purchased from funds from the Basic Needs Trust Fund Ninth Program.”
C.E.O. Maheia says that while there has been a shift in processes, the priority is the education of students.
Dian Maheia
“We’ve seen where our processes and priorities have shifted in the past twenty-two months. Here at the Ministry of Education, our priority since day one when the chief and I became a part of this administration along with our ministers, Minister Fonseca and Minister Zabaneh, our priority has been finding ways to ensure that we return our teachers and our students in a safe and responsible way to the classroom. We’ve had to adjust the sails and had to tack and change course sometimes, but we’ve never lost sight of the shore.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
