Laptop for high school and college students moves closer to reality

BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, MAY 13, 2010 (CUOPM) – The St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Government’s election promise to provide every high school and college student with a laptop computer moves one step further towards realisation.

Minister of Technology, Hon. Glenn Phillip and Cabinet Secretary, Mr. Joseph Edmeade updated the Cabinet on the planned implementation on Monday.

Minister Phillip asserted that Government has identified Information and Communications Technology as one of the key sectors that will drive the economic development of the country, and that the One-to-One Laptop Project is a critical step towards achieving that objective.

“To date, government has received expressions of interest from a number of stakeholders who wish to participate in the project. The Ministry of Technology has already made recommendations on technical specifications for the laptops. Matters relating to the full implementation of the project including timeline, budgetary allocation, infrastructural requirements, process management, implications for curriculum and teacher orientation,” said Minister of Information, Sen. the Hon. Nigel Carty in the Post Cabinet Briefing.

One-to-One Laptop project is viewed as a way to jumpstart the creation of a technology-savvy population in the Federation by putting a computer into the hands of every high school student, of public and private schools in both Nevis and St. Kitts, to provide a tool that will allow them to explore technology and develop skills that are requisite for their full participation in the knowledge society and the e-economy.

Members of the planning and implementation committee are the Chief Secretary, the Education Planner, the Accountant General, Development Coordinator and Projects Coordinator in the Ministry of Technology, and a senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.