By Matthew Falloon, Staff ReporterAFTER DELAYS and numerous complaints, students at the private Institute of Management Sciences (IMS) are finally getting their hands on laptop computers, promised as part of their studies.
It has taken over 10 weeks for the company to provide laptops for a course in Information Management Systems, despite students being given assurances that the machines would be available within two months and indications that the laptops may have been ready from as early as October 16.
According to parents of affected students, their children enrolled in the one-year Information Management Sys-tems course at IMS and were required to pay a deposit, including US$1,000 as an initial payment for a specially configured laptop which, according to the conditions of enrolment, would be "made available within a maximum of two months from the start of the programme".
The programme kicked off on September 16. A letter was given to students in October explaining that the laptops would be available between October 16-20. The laptops were not produced during that time and a second letter was circulated to students indicating that the computers would appear on November 8. They did not. Yesterday, the laptops were finally distributed.
"It has been terrible," one mother, Maxine Perkins, told The Gleaner this week. "We were asked to pay US$1,000 up front for the computer, but each time I called to check on the problem, it has been a different story."
Michelle Williams, another parent, also described her continued frustration, accusing the company of taking advantage of their young students.
"They are treating these young adults with scant regard," she said on Tuesday. "It is a lot of money."
Executive Director of IMS, Winston Adams, expressed his surprise that the media had been contacted over the matter, stating that the delays were due to problems with their supplier.
According to Mr. Adams, IMS "advise people each year that the laptops will be delivered in eight weeks" and the "course is structured in such a way that students would not require laptops" until the second term in case of delays. "We try our best and the majority of students understand," he said.
However, he admitted that the late arrival of the laptops represents "a breach" of the enrolment conditions, but insisted it was the first time such a long delay had occurred. According to Mr. Adams, 36 students had been affected by the late arrival of the computers.
