A total of 30,000 parents/guardians have redeemed vouchers valued at $20,000 to acquire devices for their children through the ‘Own Your Own Device’ initiative (OYOD).
Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Hon. Daryl Vaz, made the announcement during his 2022/23 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives, on May 10.
The initiative is a partnership between the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology and the Ministry of Education and Youth.
Mr. Vaz informed that approximately 34,000 vouchers, valued at $20,000 each, have been issued.
He added that his Ministry is happy to partner with the Education Ministry for Phase Two of the OYOD initiative.
The initiative has been implemented by the Government to assist with the purchase of tablets or laptops for students who are in need but are not on the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH).
Minister Vaz noted that several other programmes were introduced by the Government to increase access to technological devices for students.
Turning to the Tablets/Laptops in Schools programme, he said approximately 16,800 tablets have been distributed to more than 90 schools.
He said the remaining 8,200 tablets will be distributed during the first quarter of the 2022/2023 financial year.
During the 2021/22 period, the Government procured the targeted 25,000 tablets for PATH students in grades eight and nine.
Additionally, Minister Vaz informed that some 14,800 of the projected 15,000 laptops have been delivered to schools for distribution to PATH students in grades 10 to 13.
He said in the 2022/23 financial year, the Ministry will continue to partner with the Ministry of Education and Youth by providing support to initiatives such as implementation of the School Management System, the Learning Management System and the Technology in Education and Literacy in Schools programmes.