– Food for the Poor donates systems
The Ministry of Education’s goal to fully computerise all secondary schools and 50% of primary schools was taken a step further yesterday when Food for the Poor (FFTP) Guyana Inc. donated complete computer systems to the Ministry to be used as training tools in the area of Information Technology for Regions Three, Four, Five and Six.

Food for the Poor Chairman, Paul Chan-a-Sue, hands over the systems to Minister of Education, Shaik Baksh, surrounded by some of the students and teachers who will benefit.

The schools benefitting from the donation of more than 20 computer systems are in depressed communities which have been targeted for skills development in keeping with the Ministry’s five-year strategic plan for 2008-2013. Among the beneficiaries are Supply and Plaisance Primary Schools, St. Winefride’s Secondary and Ascension and Wales Community High schools.

Minister of Education Shaik Baksh, who received the systems on behalf of the Ministry, said in setting this challenging goal, the Ministry assumed, that it would receive donations from the Diaspora.

“Last year we received about 500 computers in Canada and the USA, this year we expect to surpass that number. We will be working with a number of NGOs overseas; so I’m happy that Food for the Poor has now become a part of the donor group to assist the Ministry in achieving this goal,” the Minister said.

The Ministry of Education has an ongoing a programme, the ‘Success Maker’, under which, computer laboratories have been installed in 14 schools.

Minister Baksh said this programme has enhanced the learning capabilities of the students and had prompted the decision to extend it to 40 more schools. “We have received the funding and now in the process of procuring those computers,” he disclosed.

He said the training systems donated by FFTP will also assist in improving teaching and learning in the school system, in particular the literacy and numeracy.

Minister Baksh said the Ministry is committed to providing the necessary support services to the schools. “We are working with the schools to ensure that they prepare the area for the installation of these computers and they will be given technical assistance,” he said.

Chairman of FFTP, Paul Chan-a-Sue noted that the world is rapidly becoming computerised and Guyana cannot afford to be left behind.

He said the one training computer system comprises one Central Processing Unit (CPU), seven monitors, seven keyboards and other necessities.

The systems were designed solely for the purpose of training. The main CPU feeds directly to the other six units. The teacher or instructor can then assign a task to all six monitors or individual tasks to each of the students.

Food for the Poor has over the years assisted the Ministry with necessary school supplies, including furniture and books. Apart from the presentation of the Computer systems, the organisation will also be involved in school furniture exercise (combination chairs and cupboards) to various schools in the country to complement the existing seating arrangements available to students. This would cost about $800, 000. (GINA)