THE MINISTRY of Education and Culture has spent $10 million from its Early Childhood Education Fund to purchase 19 computers and train teachers and Ministry staff in using information technology to teach students reading-preparation and other early childhood skills.
According to Euvina Haseley-Allen, Assistant Chief Education Officer of the Early Childhood Education Unit, 162 persons were being trained in information technology "in a way that reinforces elements of the curricula outlined by the Ministry".
She said the computers had been installed in resource centres and pre-schools in Portland, St. Thomas, St. Mary, Kingston and St. Andrew as part of an effort by the Ministry to upgrade its early childhood education resource centres, infant departments and recognised community basic schools.
"We are using computer software to teach concepts that will be used in an integrated learning system for children. This includes appropriate psycho-motor and cognitive stimulation and emergent literacy skills that will prepare them to learn to read at the primary level".
She told the government's news agency, JIS, that the programme which started a year ago, has hands-on activities for the children that would help them to develop problem-solving skills. She noted that working with computers allowed children of different levels to complete simple tasks at their own pace.
A portion of the Early Childhood Education Fund has also been used to upgrade the Centre for Early Childhood Education at the University of the West Indies (UWI). The aim is to strengthen the Centre as "a clearing house" for Caribbean research on early childhood education and develop materials for use in basic schools and resource centres.
She said five new computer stations had been provided for the Dudley Grant Resource Centre at the Institute of Education on the Mona Campus of the UWI.
