Tablets for 81 West Terrace Primary students

However, this time around, Aron and Christina Truss, who started the registered charity back in 2009, were joined by businessman Ryan Pannell and his wife Ursula to carry out the initiative.

 

Eighty-one Class three students were the recipients of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 tablets. Mr Truss said that Class three’s were selected because they are old enough to handle the responsibility of taking care of them and that it will assist them with preparations for the Common Entrance Exam.

 

“The tablets are for you to use in the classroom for research. Students at the other schools use them to research projects, for maths games, and the dictionary features are often used for English class – there are a lot you can do with them,” he told the students, also revealing that this academic year approximately 500 Class three students at 14 government primary schools received tablets.

 

“Yes, we know you are going to play games on the tablets, but as class three students, you are now preparing for the Common Entrance Examination so we think the tablets would be very useful for you. As you prepare for the exam, we hope your teachers will use them as a teaching tool, and incorporate their use into the curriculum. Therefore, we will present one extra tablet per class for the teacher.”

 

Member of Parliament for St James South, Donville Inniss, thanked the Foundation as well as the Pannells. He told the students to consider themselves very fortunate to receive such a valuable gift.

 

“What you are about to receive is valuable, not just in terms of its cost but its importance to you,” he indicated.

 

“That importance is really determined by how you make use of it. Therefore, you must be very careful in terms of what you use your tools for; use it to help you understand the world around it.”

 

“I want you to use the tablets to help you build upon what your teachers are teaching at West Terrace Primary. I always say to my children, as well as to other young people, that the computer is not meant to replace the pen and pencil and books, etc. If you don’t understand the fundamentals of Mathematics, if you don’t strive to be good at English, Science, etc… the computer is only going to be a paper weight.”

 

Principal of West Terrace Primary, Beverley Burrowes took the opportunity to express her gratitude.  She also encouraged the students to care for the tablets.

 

“Remember that it is an investment in you,” she expressed.

 

“It is to help you to progress, an investment in your education…Use the tablets wisely it is for your benefit, it is for your improvement.” (TL)