Kingston Technical High School student Jemarrio Edwards (second right) and his schoolmates Carlan Clarke and Jahvani Lewis explain the operations of this housing biodegradable renewable gas solution system to Minister of Education, Senator Dr. Dana Morris Dixon (left); Dr. Kasan Troupe (second left), permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education; and Joanna Burke (third left), regional director, Americas, British Council Caribbean, at Wednesday's launch of the STEAM Education in Schools Programme at AC Hotel Kingston. Photo credit: Naphtali Junior.
KINGSTON, Jamaica--The government’s thrust to equip students with the requisite skills to effectively function in a world being increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence (AI) received a 1.7-million-pound-sterling (approximately J $340 million or US $2.2 million) boost from the British Council Wednesday.
“AI is already embedded in the way we live, work and learn, from intelligent tutoring systems to automated grading. A lot of Jamaicans don’t realise where we are; we are actually much further ahead than we think and that is a big deal,” Education Minister Senator Dana Morris Dixon said at the launch of the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) Education in Schools Programme at AC Hotel Kingston.
“We are going to be using a lot more AI in the work we are doing. The world has changed with AI and it is changing right in front of our eyes. There are so many jobs that are no longer going to be there because of AI. This reality presents challenges and opportunities,” Morris Dixon said.
“If we fail to equip our students and teachers with skills to understand and leverage AI, we risk widening the digital divide and being left behind as a country once again. However, if we embrace AI as a tool for enhancing learning, problem solving and innovation, we can position Jamaica as a leader in digital education and workforce readiness,” added Morris Dixon, whose portfolio includes skills, youth and information.
The funds will be spent through various entities connected to the Ministry of Education, including E-Learning Jamaica and the National Education Trust (NET).
Morris Dixon said the programme is a critical cross-agency, bilateral partnership that will impact more than 800 primary and high schools island-wide over the next three years.
The minister said she expects that through the project, more than 10,000 teachers will be trained in STEAM education, while 1,350 master STEAM teachers will be trained in online and offline courses.
“To transform our education system and Jamaica we have to transform the capacity of our teachers to deliver high-quality STEAM instructions. In terms of students, we think over 328,500 students will be directly benefiting from this particular effort,” the minister said.
“I have to thank Microbit, one of the technology components of this initiative. It is very important that it be used to help our children, especially in terms of coding, and they’ll learn how to control sensors and LEDs and just really bring life to their education, which is very important; and it is also going to be fostering problem solving, creativity and computational thinking, which are all very important skills,” Morris Dixon said.
Microbit is a pocket-sized programmable computer designed to promote creative thinking and teach people computer coding and “digital making” (creating using digital technology). Features of the device include sensors, buttons and an LED display.
To further support the STEAM programme, Minister Morris Dixon said E-learning Jamaica will continue to outfit schools – including those with special needs students – with laptops, desktops, tablets, interactive panels and projectors. ~ Jamaica Observer ~
