Every student in Dominica at the secondary school and College level are now equipped with a tablet, Acting Prime Minister Rayburn Blackmoore has announced.
The ‘One Tablet Per Child Program’ which is said to have benefited close to 7,000 students across the island was promised during the 2014 election campaign by the Dominica Labour Party (DLP)
“Young people, students, our greatest legacy, by the end of this day the 22nd of October 2015 every student at the secondary school level, and every student at the Dominica State College level will have a tablet,” he said while addressing a handing over ceremony of the tablet devices to students of the Dominica State College (DSC) on Thursday. “We are honouring our promise; we are honouring our obligation…”
According to Blackmoore the DLP gives credence for the fundamental principle that education is not a privilege, “but it is a right.”
“And consistent with that principle we believe strongly that every child, notwithstanding his or her social space is entitled to the highest quality of education,” he said.
Minister for Information, Science, Telecommunication and Technology, Kelver Darroux said the’One Tablet Per Child Program’ will transform the way that information technology is viewed in Dominica.
“It signals a clear demonstration of the seriousness being displayed by the government of Dominica to keep a promise to our young people,” he stated. “We have delivered, we have silenced our doubters and this is no coconut tablet.”
Darroux strongly believes that information technology has played a key role in the transformation of the Dominican economy and the government of Dominica, “will ensure that we have a workforce ready to take on the challenges of the 21st century.”
He revealed that the government of Dominica has invested to the tune of $114,918 for wireless broadband and two internal fibre links at the Dominica State College.
Education, Petter Saint Jean noted that the DSC has served as a pathway to success for thousands of young persons in Dominica.
“Gone are the days when only the wealthy among us could receive an opportunity to go to secondary school or college,” he remarked. “Our education system has evolved.”
President of the Dominica State College (DSC), Dr. Donald Peters said in today’s world student learning processes cannot continue without technology.
“Immediate access to knowledge and information is at the heart of learning,” he noted. “You can learn with a tablet while you are waiting on the Doctor or while you are waiting for the bus, while you are in the library, while you are at home, while you are watching TV…”
Dr. Peters advised students to use the tablets effectively.
Over the last few weeks the government embarked on a drive to deliver tablets to every secondary and college student in Dominica.
The secondary school leg of the ‘One Tablet Per Child Program’ came to an end on Wednesday at a ceremony held at the Convent High School, where students of that learning institution as well as those from the Saint Mary’s Academy and Saint Martin Secondary School were presented with their tablets.
They could open an internet cafè with atleast 5 computers in each village with that money instead.
Well just want you guys to know there are going to be more local porn now. SMFH.
We have a new minister; the tablet minister,,
Whilst the fact that each secondary school child at the year 2015 has a tablet is commendable,deeper thought and analysis of the move leaves unanswered questions,especially to the sustainability of the move.The benefits to be derived by the majority of students are huge.First question is will this be an ongoing activity from this year going forward? Did the government budget for giving these tablets or was it only a one time political trickery tool.If it’s not an ongoing activity then the children coming into first form from next year will not have the benefits which those in the rest of the school ahead of them have thus leaving a gap in access to knowledge. Did the government make provisions for the support services needed for trouble shooting and maintenance of a large number of units,knowing that not every family can replace a tablet when they go bad.Did the government give consideration to disposal and or recycling of these things, not suggesting that government do it by itself.
Not every child at college got a tablet. How come some name not on list.
That way they can track them better. ….until they break. I guess the Tablets are going to do the thinking for these people because they don’t develop their minds.
It was during the 2014 election campaign that Skerritt held a tablet up high, promising the electorate of tablets for students. It was purely an election gimmickery, playing on the people’s minds to catch votes. Nothing else. Absent was any serious plans/strategies , no innovative policies or programmes presented re. education.
Mis-education continues. Look around. See who are the ‘educated ones’ giving unbridled support to corrupt practices, defending and protecting corruption to the T.
Where has our ablitity to think gone? There are those who would prefer to be on the side of the oppressor, rather than be on the side of the oppressed. They do not want us to think for ourselves, to participate in our own development.
While the Cabal dishing out tablets, Skerritt’s DLP breaking ground, giving Range Dev, the foreign firm, 15 acres of our Cabrits National Park. Our passports too wi?
Whose fools are we? Venezuela’s role in providing election tablets,…
Tablets are most welcome but tablets to do what?
This is just more political oppression so as to oblige the next generation to vote for labour in 5 years time.
It’s like everything comes with a price tag.
Is the tablet project the most immediate need for the kids in Dominica?
When the are hungry perhaps there is a food app on the tablets?
When the can’t buy clothes and basic needs they will download stuff on tablets
The real urgency is to get the economy going?
Create jobs and opportunitI ties
Tell Dominicans how the country is gonna recover after errikka.
It is so sickening to see the moves of this out of timing government
I just don’t get it with dominica….why can’t the government invest in the entire country…build library equipped with computers for the entire country’s use….why give for sole use……not even in well developed countries…..kids get free tablets…please stop squandering monies like that….the countries that help r watching closely
Domonica’s economy is so transformed yet we cannot even pay for those same tablets ourselves and we rely on selling our passports to keep this transformed economy’s head above water, give me a break.
The one good thing about these tablets of education is, the education this generation will receive means there will be no more foolish people to fool, so thank you labour, you’ve just provided the weapon of your downfall.
I feek the need to write out the the lyrics of one of lucky dube songs (we are liiving in living in this crazy way.
Just more bull . Will we ever learn?.
The Girl hiding I wouldnt give her no tablet,when is for other things allu doesnt hide thou!!!
MY TABLET DOES NOT WANT TO GO ON
My family has ALWAYS been staunch Labourites and the article above is an example of why. You see, the blessed Dominica Labour Party understands and sympathizes with the people of Dominica. Through the photographs accompanying this article, one can almost feel the excitement and joy coming from the students who are now equipped with Tablets to enhance and further their educational endeavors. I look and see hundreds of young and new voters who will be voting the “shoe” in 2019-2020 without reservations or apologies. The Dominica Labour Party campaigns through positive and compassionate actions during the non-election season, winning the hearts of thousands on a daily basis. It is for this reason that the legacy of the Dominica Labour Party will remain intact for years and years to come. These students have an opportunity to experience the popular saying that “Labour ka Twavay” first hand. They see that the future is indeed with Labour and nowhere else. I am so proud!!!
Where are the jobs for you all to move into when you graduate. For a young and supposedly knowledgeable person you sound just like the multitude of DUMB ini CANS in the country.
Why are so many laborites get so much money for doing nothing. Don’t you think that the savings that could be accrued from pruning the salary of all those hangers on could be channeled into fixing the feeder roads for the farmers in order for them to reach their farms. This would enable them to harvest and sell their products resulting in money being circulated in the economy.
What about all the passport money. what about the $110,000 missing from the Layou hotel project. Keep voting Labor for you have no sense to do otherwise.
Pure poppycock.
Oh please, at the end of the day we need the same money to feed our family. We can’t eat tablet. They refuse to upgrade labs etc and the same tabs are being sold to eat food. Tablet my foot. College students NEED THEIR TUITION FEES PAID. Nonsense. U ppl need to wake up. Dominica is the nation of tablet. No production, no jobs, health care in the ditch but don’t worry we have tabs to keep us warm at night,
Man u not ashame of yourself???
Man u not ashame of yourself???
Man Go to hell,,,
Man
That is a lie… what about the students of both BTC and LEAD INSTITUTE
So what happened to the students at BTC are they not student also at Lead University.
these are private education establishments not government education establishments
DNO, why not report on the incident in Grand Bay where two young women were fighting and being filmed by several other students with the very tablets that were given to the students only a few weeks ago.
Without any proper implentation and monitoring how the students use the tablets, this “clear demonstration of the seriousness being displayed by the government of Dominica” becomes a joke.
Why didn’t you do the journalistic work and send a report to DNO? This is how they get news, they not all over veyaying people. This is what is wrong with our country we sit on our blessed assurance and demand what people should and shouldn’t do. whenever you feel like demanding what somebody should do, just do it yourself or shut it stupes.
I am not a journalist @Dominican. DNO employs “journalist”. I am suggesting a story to this news agency. If they decide to go forward with it that’s up to them. Why do people like you like to paint this picture about Dominica?
Dr Donald Peters said every thing the students needs to know. They also need to know they should not block the bathrooms with stones and steal all the bathrooms tissues . The Tax payers of Dominica needs to be congratulated for paying for the Tablets. Now the students must deliver and change the course of history. In Dominica only 30 percent of all students passes math and science courses. We cannot produce job creators with those numbers. Teachers , students, and parents must work together to chang that. Andat some time in the future we have to learn to be self sufficient. We should not remain proffesional beggers gor life. We have to educate people to create the jobs to take care of our selves like Singapore did.
So Lead Institute is not a tertiary educational institution? Why were they not on the list? Their students were at govt high schools when the promise was made and they are making a valuable contribution, EVERY school on island should benefit.
Sir, how important is giving a tablet to every secondary student when the people of Delices and Brotica are trapped in their villages almost two months after Erika and your government has failed to give them a way out?
How significant is a tablet when Millionaire Jason Buzi , is suggesting that Dominica may have been for sale to build Refugee Nation? Sir, I am wondering if we have not been sold and we do not know. Sir, since this article came into circulation have you asked PM Skerrit what he knows about this and if he knows or has authorized anyone to seek sale for Dominica? This is vey disturbing Mr. Blackmoore because individuals that were thinking of investing here will definitely have to think twice, Furthermore, friendly nations will hesitate to help fund any recovery project in Dominica when they think of this developing story and the NG Lap Seng arrest, knowing that PM Skerrit was in photo with those arrested and signed documents two weeks before their arrest.
So why cant Jason buzi say what he want with his mouth? are you suggesting the PM run after every Tom Dick and Harry that mentions Dominica? You must be very idle
I hope that the tablets given to college students will enable them to take a greater interest in the Visual Arts. At the moment art is an unknown quantity. This year, out of 1,700 State College Students, only 6 expressed an interest in studying art. Anywhere else in the world they would have been queuing around the block!
Tablets relay visual images. Hence, they are an ideal tool for learning about art. I have just launched a website specifically to encourage all Dominican students to take a wider interest in the Visual Arts. It can be found at: [email protected]
In the 1990’s I began publishing a daily diary on the internet that followed my work as a painter and sculptor. Schools and colleges throughout the world have accessed the site and currently my diary pages are being followed by art students in 37 countries. Over the years some of those students have become artists in their own right.
I look forward to enabling Dominican students achieve similar…
Can someone please help me out with an explanation why some Dominicans shy away from the camera? What is the issue about hiding from the camera especially in a group photo?
Well, not everyone wants to have their picture taken without their permission, and then placed on DNO or other online sites where the individual has no say in how, when and where their image ends up. From that perspective, it is very understandable why many duck away from the cameras.
“Our greatest legacy” and the sad thing is people actually buy that crap. I guarantee you in less than 12 months 25% of these are not gonna work and within 2.5 yrs most of them useless. Another unsustainable program that will do nothing to improve on education for kids. I bet the ministry of education does not have one educational program installed. Another distraction and a feel good idea to entice our youth in material things and money. If the program was genuine one it would have been carefully rolled out after careful planning by the MOE not by a spur of the moment ranting in a drunken political rally. I call it The promise of tablets for votes program.
Mr. Blackmoore, giving a political tablet to every secondary student is very far from solving the national crisis that we are faced with as a nation. It is just sad that the promised political tablet was the tool used to put Dominica in further misery.
Sir, as we speak, PM Roosevelt Skerrit, Reginald Austrie – Minister for Housing, Lands and Water Resource Management, Catherine Daniel – Minister for Social Services, Family and Gender Affairs, are all overseas seeking medical assistance. Skerrit is there with his wife, giving birth to their second US baby. while our mothers that cannot go out like government ministers and their families, are dying while giving birth in and many of our people are dying because of poor medical facilities.
How important is tablet when Erika left us in need of $1.8 million dollars to recover, when many friendly donors that would have and could have helped us are questioning our ties with NG Lap Seng, who is jailed in NY for corruption?
New York see u in singapore skerro we waiting for u at the Singapore Citizenship by Investment Summit on October 26 & 27th, we have passports to sell