Principal of the Pierre Charles Secondary School (PCSS), Jerome Bardouille, has given the One Tablet per Child Secondary School Initiative a thumb up.
The initiative was officially launched at the PCSS on Wednesday 30th September 2015.
The excruciating heat during the over 90 minute official launch did nothing to dampen the spirits of the hundreds of students and parents in attendance to witnessed the highly anticipated and much touted tablet delivery.
Students from the school were the first to go home with the new electronic devices, an Asus Memo Pad 8, which officials say will significantly assist them in researching and closing the gap between those who can and cannot afford the “luxury” of having a computer at home as well as making students up to par with the ever changing technological age.
“Special thanks are due to you all for gathering here to contribute to this momentous event. We are indeed delighted that the PCSS was chosen as the ideal venue to host such an auspicious and historic launching,” Bardouille stated. “That was very thoughtful, very considerate and caring I must say.”
Bardouille noted that the country is well aware of the massive destruction that Tropical Storm Erika has caused to communities and the donation will assist in the recovery process.
“A number of our teachers and students were affected and so as we embark on our recovery efforts, we believe that this One Tablet Per Child Initiative will help propel our students to succeed and to motivate them in their quest for learning.”
Meanwhile, Parliamentary representative of the Grand Bay constituency, Justina Charles who also addressed the event, wants students to put the devices into good use.
“As students, your responsibility is to care for the devices that will be given to you, use it for the purpose for which it is intended,” she noted.
The Parliamentary Representative also called on the parents of students who received the tablets to play their part in making that a reality.
Over 5,000 tablets will eventually be delivered to students around the island. Next week Monday students from the Isiah Thomas Secondary School will be receiving their share; Portsmouth Secondary on Tuesday; Castle Bruce Secondary School on Wednesday; North East Comprehensive on Thursday and then all other schools will follow.
The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, and members of cabinet, President of Dominica Charles Savarin and other dignitaries.
The tablets were a gift from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
I am a fith form student i believe the tablets is a great idea but………………. parents need to take a huge role in ensuring that they are used wisely
They should be earn not given. Good idea but wrong principle.
This is going to be a HUGE disaster. The tablets should be kept at the school for students to use for school purposes. In the next few months, no telling what is going to happen because of these tablets. Why does Dominica want to mimic America?? I don’t know. I hope there is some measure taken to protect these children online. The Minister of Education needs to do some home work.
Dear Joe
Whoever you are. It seems tome that you are on here to attack everyone`s opinion which i find rather primitive. I take it that you are not one of those qualified Dominicans that you have mentioned.
My concern is this Joe. Have a read my friend at the link in one of my post and then and only then I would be happy to entertain you on any further discussion. As you can see, I am not hiding behind dome fake Joe Blogs name. The kids of today are certainly way more technologically savvy than their parents and therefore there is a genuine concern as to how parents are able to keep up with the ever changing world and the challenges which come along with this world.
Ignorant and disrespectful to other persons is what I would label you as JOE. You call people dumb and really, i should not be responding to you but I am hoping that by reply it may encourage you to take a step back and reflect on your rant and the disrespect you have shown to others. My efforts might be in vain.
Your Efforts are indeed in VAIN if a comment is Dumb i will acknowlede it as such…. DUMB!!!!! All i am saying to you Mr. smarty pants is that most of the children going to secondary school have parents that are computer and internet savvy….. I am not taking away the fact that some children (NOT YOUNG GOATS…. KIDS) are mucH savvy than their parents, and they do have SMART PHONES AS WELL don’t forget that.
I am not one to brag about qualification so you won’t know on which part of the fence i am so if you think i am on the dunce, ignorant and disrespectful side so be it….. I see no need to put my real name on an internet blog, this makes no sense to me.
Enjoy your weekend in your neck of the woods!!!!!!!
honestly that tablet ting.best they had given each school 4 computers instead.soon you will see children roaming about with headphones in their ears like no mads.and then they will say children have no manners because it is becoming a selfish world. children will not do homework, they will not study, they will not wash a cup far less to bathe properly. now they saying is government high schools first after they say one for each secondary school child? pure bulll
No matter what u do u can never please people.
no matter how u try they will never satisfy
never
let the begging begin………………..
you see nobody saying that we did not go to BULLS EYE to get tablet
Will college students be receiving as well
I think there is a genuine concern in terms of handing tablets out to every student, especially when parents are not as digitally savvy as the new generation.
This is a British article which might shed light on some of the concerns which now face the kids of this digital era .
Mental health of children and young people ‘at risk in digital age’
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/nov/05/children-cyberbullying-self-harm-gaming-mps-concern
Someone said you are not an educated person, I now see why!
Guy, unless someone is completely illiterate there is nothing so difficult about using a computer. Anybody who knows the kindergarten alphabet, and can count from one to a hundred, can use a computer, are you so backwards that you believe there is a mystery to utilizing a computer, I know people in their eighty’s and nimiety’s who are using computers to communicate.
Computers are so common in North America, in any modern hotel one checks into they are set up with WI-FI to accommodate guest with PC, Laptop, and Tablets.
What’s your excitement?
Is college students getting……..we need it more than them
Are*
no none for college.all you married already
let the man run the country how he feels cause his getting to much good attensionn that’s y its bothering u all some don’t progress
from him they want it from len ox
The pic from the 2014 election campaign was a laptop. Darroux and Skerritt showed them off eloquently. 9 months later the actual delivery is a tablet. So the question is does a tablet possess the required processing power of a laptop for ACADEMIC purposes. Is the functionality as a computing device adequate for ACADEMIC purposes. Some IT person will want to comment but a quick google search of laptop versus tablet shows that tablets can be ideal for those who browse the Web casually, such as read the news or popular websites, and those who play “lightweight” games, or want to watch TV or films while traveling!!!!! And only mentions tablets being used in SPECIALIZED careers such as music and design. So again what is the educational value of a tablet… political gimmicks
I guess there is nothing negative left to say… we all know that what as shown was a tablet. all of a sudden tablets delivered and now u say it was a laptop they showed. moo-dong it was a tablet in a keyboard case.. all monkeys knew that’s what it was except you…
We know that the ignorant will give thumbs down on your comment. The point is that a tablet is not the best choice and there are many alternatives that make more sense. The only thing that would make sense to me is that we were offered tablets and tablets only, so take it or get nothing. I do not see how anyone would sit and discuss tablets over laptops. For primary school I can see a tablet making sense, beyond that level makes no sense.
Good gesture, however some information missing, someone please enlighten us. Are these for the respective schools and returned to the schools when one finishes high school for the new students the following year? Any security checks on these, at lease like library books, signed for and returned?
Can someone research the answers and get back to us please.
I thought these tablets would have been for primary school children, loaded with interactive learning tools which would aid in their development. I fail to see how, at secondary school level, when the students need to be developing their ability to think and create they are given a tablet. I am trained in technology and also lecturer computer systems and electronics and we always recommend laptops over tablets. Laptops support most software for creation whereas tablets are still primarily consumption devices. I am trying to envision a lecturing session where the tablet would be the tool of choice other than maybe having access to all of your text books in eformat which I doubt. Equipping each school with lets say a state of the art resource lab (not to be used as the sole computer lab), where students in free time can do work, or teachers could use for classes might have been a better option but then again that’s just my opinion.
One field in which internet access can benefit students, is the Visual Arts: a subject that is largely neglected in our schools. In recent years the collections of the world’s major art galleries have been made available on-line. Moreover, many of today’s practicing artists post information on their working methods.
Fifteen years ago, before the days of “blogs”, I began an on-line diary page that followed my work as a painter and sculptor. Schools, colleges and individuals throughout the world accessed the site. The diary pages continue from my studio at Antrim. At the last count, sulpturestudiodominica.blogspot.com was being accessed by artists, art students and art lovers in 34 countries!
these are not the tablets that were shown during the campaign,,
so what tleast he proved himself and u are getting tablets so suck it up and shut up
I petty the Skerrit’s of this world, another storm might hit soon, he is crying the government does not have any money, yet he is playing politics dressed in his red shirt giving a kid a tablet.
Big deal, a tablet is nothing; however to Skerrit to Skerrit and the labor party it is something big, only in Dominica; meanwhile the country is bankrupt!
Dominica is bankrupt as in the word financial bankruptcy. No longer can you lie to the your supporters about how Dominica is richer than America. If Dominica is so rich, how come you are unable to repair the damages in the country without the handouts you have received, of which I am sure will line the deep pockets of some; I know who (deem is but I doth talking eh)!
Anyway, this is a selective time to distribute tables, because Skerrit hope to influence dumb supporters that things a back to normal Dominica has survived!
So im interested in the maintenance of the devices. A couple of us have tablets and we know the issues they get, either the screen break, it not coming on, it not charging, it needs to be updated. Who is going to be help responsible for repairs if the devices are broken?or who is responsible for repair? do we have a container of spare parts? screens?chargers?
Why don’t you take this opportunity to study tablets and open up a business for tablet repairs? Wake up!
So i suppose the PM will provide free internet to students receiving tablets. Tablets without the service are useless, especially to those who can’t afford. Offer the entire package Mr. PM.
What are the specs on the tablets? I need one eh since the government did not pay my school as promised the least they can do is gimme a taab let.
rember the the Soufriere primary school grade 5 and 6 for tablets
You understand it is for SECONDARY SCHOOLS RIGHT!!!!!!!
That’s all people of Soufriere like handouts
Thanks to #### Nice Shirt i must add our Pm is on fire, also i hope all details ie Serial numbers, and all information was secured, in the event of theft of those highly touted devises, such sensitive info cant be made public. A word of caution to all those who received and willbe receiving those tablets, please protect them and be careful how you expose your valuables. This is a crazy world where those with wicked motives may try to take possessions of those valuables without the owners consent. Police them tablets everone.
Hope they put it into good use . People tend to stray from what they are supposed to do and hang out in facebook etc and talking with their little boyfriends /girlfriends
The PM has delivered on his promise albeit it 9 months late. I have a few concerns about as to how this issuing of tablets will encourage the kids to get on with school work. I can envisage that there will be a vast number of students utilising the tablets for purely social media reasons.
Just a thought but would it not be much better if the PM had installed computer suites in all the high schools. Now every child will now have access to all sorts of content on the net with parents struggling to understand and monitor what their children are using these devices for.
This could have been thought through much better than this as opposed to just dishing out tablets to kids with the hope of them using it for primarily educational purposes.
We need to come better than that people, surely we cannot be so naïve .
Just my thought, just my thought
It is obvious Trevor that you are not to educated or on top of modern technology. There are programs that can me installed to block off any negative stuff the kids may try to access online. It is never to late. Enroll in some adult education courses so you can come better than that.
well said
You see freeness; and so you have already forgotten what happened in Dominica less than a month ago. Review Skerrit’s briefing on the financial state of our country, and perhaps you will come to the realization that Dominica is a bankrupt country, all because of almost twenty years of Skerriot’s incompetence!
Prime minister delivered on what promises, a tablet is so damn cheap, because you all are so bloody poor without Skerrit’s demagoguery and bribes none of those children would ever touch a tablet! Some of you should drop dead, when you all allow Skerrit pieces of bribe to captivates you sick mind.
You do not care about a job, in order for you to be able independently take care of your children’s need, however most of you prefer to live on Skerrit’s back like a parasite, drinking his blood to survive: rather than you ask him where are the jobs you talk crap about prime minister delivered, how stupid are you people; what are your priorities?
Trevor boss we have great IT guys here and just to ease your brain we have installed FIREWALLS on these tablets, and also for your further knowledge most of the ‘parents’ you refer to as “will be struggling” are IT savvy, am not sure how long ago you left this island but it’s obvious you are out of touch!!!!!!!!!
I also want to say that you people in the DIE-AS-POORER are the biggest poison to Dominicans mentallity all you have them thinking that you all live in a PERFECT SPACE WITH ALL THE KNOWLEDGE GOD HAS TO OFFER!!!!!!! You all must STOP THAT!!!!!!!!
Dominica has the most QUALIFIED PEOPLE PER CAPITA THAN OUR OECS AND CARICOM NEIGHBOURS do the research and you will see, that we are the leaders in that field!!!!!!
Good boy! We will build Rome but not in a day….Laborrrrrrr…
So everywhere Labour win a seat, that’s where they distributing the tablets first?????
You vex? If you have a problem go buy your own!
You dem right! I did buy my own. Lol
@JustMe i hope is an Ipad
When will persons like u stop being childish, grow up man,
Go to Bullseye for yours!!!!
In all your mothers children including you, who do you love the most? Scratch my back and I will scratch yours.
Is this from thw Gov.t of Dominica or it is from the Labour Party ? Why bdoes the P.M always wearing a red shirt he makes so obviious. Is this tablet for All the Children of Dominica’ The red shirt says it all.
From the labour party sweetie!!
DNO this one is to you. I don’t see why when i come to read content on news stories I have to come across swear words in my face. I am referring to the persons comment I am now responding to. Is it okay to accept a name called Fu**ing? No, then why bom*****t. This is a Jamaican swear word and should not be allowed.
Did u read the news article, or listen to news, every secondary student will receive one, there are 5000 tablets
and that affect you,you all can not even tell friggin colors,this looks like red to you?
Joan that is a DUMB QUESTION and coming from you it is even more DUMB!!!!!!!! If uwp had won the election and they had fulfilled their campaign promise of purchasing fast ferry boats to ease travel throughout the region would you have ask this same question???????
Your HATRED FOR ROOSEVELT SKERRIT HAVE YOU DUMB DUMB DUMB even the clothes the man wear you hate SMDFH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AA but I don’t get your point u want d PM to put on a blue shirt for people like all u to say more.
People who really care about progress talk about ideas, not shirt colours.