Chantilly Primary and Infant School stepping boldly into the digital age

WESTERN BUREAU:

The Chantilly Primary and Infant School, in Eastern Westmoreland, has taken a giant step into the digital age as it is now outfitted with modern gadgets and digital devices courtesy of a collaborative effort of the CHASE Fund, the National Education Trust and e-Learning Jamaica Company Limited.The initiative, which forms part of a wider thrust by the Government and its education partners to bridge the digital divide in rural and under served communities, has brought much joy to the school and the wider community.

An elated Nichole Poyser, the principal of the school, was beaming with pride when The Gleaner spoke to her, hailing the investment as a “game-changer” for both students and staff.

“We are very privileged and elated for this opportunity to be gifted with these resources for our multi-grade institution,” said Poyser, after collecting a 65-inch interactive board, five computer tablets, screen protectors and adequate cases.

According to Poyser, the resources are very useful, especially now that Jamaica is transitioning into the digital age, which will require the nation’s children to embrace 21st century technology as a part of their teaching/learning experience.

“This means everything to us, our students will now have access to the tools and resources needed to thrive in the 21st-century classroom,” said Poyser. “Having a smart board at Chantilly Primary and Infant School is definitely an asset for us.”

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Poyser said plans are now in place to ensure that the school has a firm foundation at the early childhood level,and as such, efforts are now being made to recruit an early childhood teacher with the technological expertise to drive the project at the school.

Danielle Drummond, donor projects coordinator at the NET, says prior to now, Chantilly Primary had no form of technological devices, hence the decision to help them to get into the digital age.

“We had some criteria that this school would have met, hence we are here today to have them installed,” said Drummond, whose team also engaged in the school’s Labour Day painting project.

“When we invest in schools like Chantilly, we are investing in Jamaica’s future,” added Drummond, noting that this initiative adds to a growing list of rural schools across the island that have been equipped through public-private partnerships designed to strengthen the country’s education sector.

According to Drummond, based on NET’s assessment, the school had been operating with limited access to digital tools, relying heavily on traditional chalk-and-talk methods.

“With this latest development, the school is expected to see improved student engagement and performance,” said Drummond.

In addition to Chantilly Primary and Infant School, the other school across the island to have benefitted from the project are the Edgehill School of Special Education Ocho Rios Campus, in St Ann, the Porus High School, in Manchester, and Catherine Hall Special Education Unit, in St James.