Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Freundel Stuart in conversation with the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China in Barbados, Wang Ke, while Education Minister, Ronald Jones (second from right) and Parliamentary Secretary in the Education Ministry, Senator Harcourt Husbands (right) take a closer look at the donated tablets.
$10 million gift
Students in Barbados are set to benefit from BDS$10 million worth of educational teaching materials, compliments the People’s Republic of China.
The gift, housed in nine 40 feet containers, was handed over to the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation yesterday during a ceremony at its Constitution Road, St. Michael headquarters.
“This is the Chinese largest material donation ever, since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1977,” revealed the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China in Barbados, Wang Ke, as she made the donation.
Sharing details about what was presented, Education Minister, Ronald Jones said it comprised “2 500 chairs and 2 500 desks” in addition to 3 000 desktops (with “monitors of 21 and half inches”), 2 000 laptops and 9 000 tablets. “That gave you 14 000 pieces of technology for our schools here in Barbados,” he stated.
Jones told the gathering, which included Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Freundel Stuart; Parliamentary Secretary in the Education Ministry, Senator Harcourt Husbands; and primary and secondary principals, that the furniture has “been delivered to secondary schools where there was the greatest need”.
Meanwhile, the electronic equipment has been and will continue to be distributed “across all public schools as well as private schools that are captured within the Education Act of Barbados”. The tertiary level institutions – Technical and Vocational, Education and Training (TVET), Barbados Community College (BCC), the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic (SJPP) and Media Resource Department as well as the Accreditation Council of Barbados will also receive equipment.
The Education Minister expressed his appreciation to the People’s Republic of China for their generosity. Echoing similar sentiments, the Prime Minister also urged recipients of the gift to use it in the best way.
“I want to suggest to those who will be using this equipment that they should make the fullest and most creative use of it. Excellent teaching aids, excellent teaching materials and the use of them should help to facilitate a deeper understanding of the world in which we live, the challenges we face and possible solutions to the problems that we confront from time to time.”