MoE: Expanding Broadband Access for Education

(EMU) – St. Kitts, January 7, 2019: Believing that high-quality internet is crucial in today’s learning environment, the Ministry of Education has partnered with The Cable to provide high speed bandwidth to both secondary and primary schools in St. Kitts and other education establishments commencing January 7, 2019.

The partnership, which was cemented in December, 2018, signaled the start of a multi-phased project which will deliver a number of e-solutions to the education sector.

Seeking to ensure that all students have high-speed in-school internet access, enhanced bandwidth provisions is just the start in the enhancement project as it is viewed as a necessity rather than a luxury.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Vincent Hodge stated that it is his hope that with this improvement in internet access would enhance productivity in the Administration of the Education Sector. “We are looking forward to some of the services that we will attain through this upgrade such as Office365 and OPENSIS for example which will give us the opportunity to communicate more efficiently with parents, students and teachers.”

Christopher Herbert, Director – Education Management Information System (EMIS) in the Education Planning Division stated that, “This Internet enhancement project is in line with the Education Sector Plan and ensures the improvement of quality with respects to teaching and learning.”

He disclosed that it comes at a pristine time for students who are registered to sit CSEC examinations, as CXC is now pushing for electronic test taking. “School connectivity is especially important for those schools implementing the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examinations. E-Testing will now be possible.”

Mr. Herbert then cited other elements of the Internet enhancement project, “We are looking towards other phases of our partnership with The Cable that would see more robust infrastructural focuses coming into manifestation. CCTV, Voice over IP and Public Announcement Systems along with dense in-classroom wifi access.

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