THE SchoolNet Guyana project aimed at computerising secondary schools across the country received a huge boost yesterday through a donation by ScotiaBank of 100 computer systems.
The presentation was held in the bank’s Carmichael Street office in Georgetown. The Global Partnership for Literacy (Global Literacy), a Canadian non-profit organisation, is working in partnership with the Ministry of Education on a literacy project aimed at computerizing all secondary schools in Guyana.
SchoolNet Guyana computer-based literacy project sets out at integrating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in approximately 120 secondary schools across the country.
The pilot project on SchoolNet Guyana was launched last January and the pilot consists of five schools: Diamond Secondary, Bygeval Multilateral School, Patentia Secondary, Parika Secondary, and Beterverwagting Secondary.
Manager of Products and Marketing of ScotiaBank, Ms. Jennifer Cipriani in brief remarks said the bank is extremely delighted to be a part of the project.
“It was brought to our attention last year, and as soon as we saw the brochure we thought this really is something that we should be involved in,” she noted.
She said the gesture is being made under the bank’s ‘bright future’ programme which is its corporate giving programme that targets the growth and development of children.
“We believe that our children – they all deserve a bright future hence the name of that programme,” she emphasised.
“Today, we will be committing to handing over 100 systems, and as we go along there might be more,” she hinted.
Chairperson of Global Literacy, and Guyana’s Honorary Consul General in Toronto, Mr. Danny Doobay, thanking ScotiaBank for its contribution, noted that it is a very generous one which will go a long way helping in facilitating the setting up of three labs in the different schools.
“ScotiaBank has been one of the organisations that have responded very early to request for computers,” he highlighted.
He reminded that the bank had already donated five computers to the Diamond Secondary School even before the SchoolNet programme got there hence “they have been part of this process of assisting with computerization in schools.
Adding, “I think it is very forward looking for any organisation to be participating at that level.”
Congratulating them for their efforts in educating young Guyanese in the area of information technology, Doobay reminded that the pilot programme was launched on January 29, 2010 at Diamond Secondary School on the East Bank of Demerara.
“It is our intention to have a number of schools completed this year, and for us to go on to complete the secondary sector somewhere by if not the end of 2011 somewhere in the middle of 2012,” he anticipated.
Mr. Doobay and Software Engineer, Mr. Varman Cholan, are currently in Guyana to setup a testing programme for the national student management software which will be rolled out in eight selected schools later this year.
Doobay explained that they are providing software and training for the programme, to which Cholan, who is part of the advisory board, is specifically responsible for the student administration software.
He said it will assist the Ministry of Education in managing students’ records including areas of attendance, scheduling and grades.
“So the ministry once this is implemented, will then be equipped and enabled with information at their finger tips on students from different parts of the country including a variety of reports,” he asserted.
He said he is thankful for Cholan for joining in this endeavour, and his presence at the ceremony speaks to the broader effort that is taking place with Global Literacy.
He said Cholan is originally from Sri Lanka, stressing that Global Literary has within its membership and advisory body, a number of individuals who are not Guyanese but “who are interested in assisting countries in bridging the digital divide.”
“We are grateful to have him onboard, and to assist us with designing and implementing the software,” he reiterated.
The Chairperson said while here, they will be meeting with a group of young Guyanese who are trained in information technology, a small technical team being assembled by the Country Manager, to assist in the testing of the student administration software which has been approved to be rolled out in the schools.
He also alluded to the fantastic work being done by the local management council in helping to mobilise support for this programme, adding, “We want this to be a programme for the kids in school but we don’t want it to be an overseas programme – we want it to be a joint endeavour between our overseas partners and local partners.”
He stated this include the Parents and Teachers Associations and local commercial sector.
“We see this as a joint effort and we think it’s a great way to involve all of the stakeholders in a very important area in our country, and that is the education of our young people,” he repeated.
The Software Engineer said being from a developing country as well, he thought this is an opportunity to give back something to the countries that are developing.
“I saw an opportunity to come down here and help Guyana so that is why I am here, and hopefully, everyone from this country would contribute to this programme and make the future of the kids brighter,” Cholan expressed.
Vice-Chairman of Global Literacy (Guyana), Mr. Conrad Plummer conceded that the donation will greatly assist and help in the Guyana’s SchoolNet project.
“The intention is to expose secondary school students from 120 secondary schools to make them computer literate, and this in fact fits in nicely with the Government’s overall programme that they have for the computerization of all the schools and making basically everyone in Guyana computer literate,” he pointed out.
He insisted that, for SchoolNet Guyana to be a success in the long run, it has to be a partnership among the various stakeholders including the business community.
“We are looking forward to the business community coming onboard because the business community, in fact, would help to reap some of the benefits of what they sow,” he stated encouraging them to come onboard.
Global Literacy is a non-profit organisation with a mission to bring ICT to schools in Guyana, and in pursuit of this objective, it seeks to develop innovative partnerships with a variety of non-governmental, business, and social organisations and particularly organisations, which share the vision of Global Literacy.
Global Literacy which was formed some two years ago is establishing SchoolNet Chapters in Canada, United States and the United Kingdom (UK) to assist with the acquisition of funding, equipment, technical expertise and promotion of the project.
SchoolNet Guyana seeks to support the national ICT strategy to expand the use of technology in education and help to bridge the digital divide; to assist the school alumni and community groups in realising positive outcomes of their investment in school programmes in Guyana; and promote computer-aided literacy in Guyana.
SchoolNet Guyana has five key elements: system-wide ICT infrastructure; professional development; digital content; software; and ICT dissemination.
SchoolNet Guyana vision is by 2013, every educator
and learners in the secondary stream of education in Guyana will be empowered to use appropriate and available technology in completing the curriculum requirement for the programmes.