The chief executive officer at e-Learning, Keith Smith, says an estimated 15,000 teachers will benefit from the roll-out of the Tablets for Teachers Programme, schedule to begin in December.

Smith said the project implementation agency is currently undertaking the procurement process for the tablets, which will be distributed under the programme that is part of an agreement between the Government and the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) to provide each teacher in public schools with a 10-inch tablet computer as part of their compensation package.

The tablets will be for personal use as well as to help them deliver the curriculum and Smith told the Jamaica Information Service that the first phase of the programme will focus on infant and primary schools, and the second phase will focus on high schools.

The Tablets for Teachers programme is part of a series of projects that e-Learning is rolling out.

“We are now in [an era] that is being called the fourth industrial revolution, and we have to train our students in how to use these tools to get them ready for the workplace.

“Therefore, e-Learning is focused on ensuring that students in public schools have the right technology and tools to improve their learning experience,” Smith said.

Other projects for the agency include Tablets in schools and Technology integration for Primary Schools, intended to give all primary schools basic IT infrastructure and provide an IT infrastructure overhaul of some high schools.

He said that upon completion of these projects, there could be upwards of 400,000 devices operating in public schools.