Latest update November 26th, 2024 1:00 AM
Telecommunications Minister boasts of leading Guyana to ICT literacy
The Ministry of Public Telecommunications is boasting that it has almost completed phase one
Minister of Telecommunication, Cathy Hughes
of the Secondary School Internet Connectivity project which forms part of the E-Governance project.
At a press conference yesterday, Head of the E-government Unit, Floyd Levi, told the media that just about 100 schools across Guyana are now equipped with high speed internet. These include secondary schools in Regions Three, Four, Five and Six.
The 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) network extends from Skeldon, Berbice, to Charity, Essequibo Coast. All high Schools in Georgetown and its environs have also been connected to the fibre optic network that surrounds the city. The Regional Democratic Council (RDC) offices in the respective regions have been connected to the same networks as well.
Levi said that there were no reported problems with the system. He said that there was one “concern” raised by officials of the Ministry of Education. He said that there have been observations that some teachers have been having a little trouble pulling themselves away from Facebook. However, Levi said that there is an easy solution for that. “We will be putting administrative locks in place.”
Yesterday, Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes, told the media that she sees this development as the beginning of a long overdue process that will ultimately enhance ICT literacy across Guyana and improve the country’s chances for rapid business development.
Hughes said that the world has moved to a stage where technology is the name of the day and developing countries like Guyana need to play catch up.
She acknowledged that in addition to the increased ICT literacy, students will have easier times accessing information for other subject areas. Levi concurred with this point. He added that soon, School Based Assessments (SBAs) needed for the sitting of CXC will have to be submitted electronically.
Head of the EGovernment Unit, Floyd Levi
Levi said that marking of these projects will also be computerized, all the more reason why this project is a step in the “right direction.”
The Project Management team in the E-government Unit announced last week that it had completed installing equipment to connect the Computer Laboratories at all secondary schools and the Technical/Vocational institutes in East and West Berbice and East and West Demerara. By the end of the week, all high schools in Georgetown and its environs had been connected, as were all technical/vocational institutes.
The initiative is a vital part of the Ministry of Education’s five-year strategic plan which was drafted some years ago. It was hinged on the operationalization of the ill-fated fibre optic cable that the previous government had ‘landed’ from neighbouring Brazil. This cable was supposed to have been laid subterraneously along the Linden to Lethem corridor, then along the Soesdyke/Linden Highway to connect with the fibre optic internet network in the city.
A studied analysis of the severely damaged cable is still in progress. Reports state that it was very badly handled by the contractors who should have buried the full length of the cable at least three feet below the top soil.
Because this cable is currently unusable, internet connection for schools and public service agencies in inland and hinterland communities will now take longer than the original Education Ministry strategic plan for education connection had anticipated.
The E-government Unit is determined to satisfy the original Education Ministry objective of completing the connection of all schools and institutes located within radius of any LTE tower within the first two weeks of this 2016 academic Christmas term.
The specified timeframe is mainly to accommodate students preparing for the next round of CXC examinations. They are required to submit their School-Based Assessment (SBA) projects online, and much of their reading material is available only in e-libraries. (Abena Rockcliffe-Campbell)
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