#Nassau, February 15, 2019 – Bahamas – The Ministry of Education signed a $3.3 million
contract with Walker’s Industries Ltd., February 13, 2019. The
signing of the contract is part of its ‘One Network’ project and marks the
final of four contracts to execute the full digitization of the public school
system. The Ministry previously signed contracts with BTC, Cable Bahamas and
Sam’s Business Machines.
During a Ministry of Education press conference and
contract signing ceremony, Minister of Education, the Hon. Jeffrey Lloyd said
that this contract facilitates the creation of wireless internet connectivity
in the school system, laying the groundwork for the realization of tech-smart
campuses throughout the country. Walker’s is partnering with US-based
technology giant, Cisco Systems in order to facilitate the project.
Minister Lloyd said that the system will be very
beneficial to students. “One significant benefit, among many others,
of such a smart-system would be the provision of distance education capability
for our now deprived students wherever they may be – and there are many.”
The Minister said that within the overall
objectives of the contract is a pilot initiative scheduled to be completed over
a three-month period. The initiative will feature four schools, which
will be utilized to target distance learning education via a virtual classroom
platform. The schools are Anatol Rodgers High, Old Bight High, Moore’s
Island Comprehensive and North Eleuthera High.
Minister Lloyd said that with this virtual
classroom platform, students throughout the country will be able to access
education in a more equitable way.
“In the Bahamian context, some of our students,
particularly those in the far flung family islands, have suffered the ignoble
perennial deprivation of specialists teachers in subjects areas such as Maths,
Science and Technology,” said Minister Lloyd. “When we consider that education
is a fundamental right, and the surest path to sustainable development for any
society, any deprivation being experienced by our students or teachers, cannot
be accepted. This is why digitization of the Bahamas school system is one of
the pre-eminent mandates of this government.
A critical component of the pilot project by Walker’s
and Cisco will be distance education. In the instance where a school
such as Old Bight High may be short for a Math, Science or Language teacher,
those students could be connected though an on-line platform to a class at
Anatol Rodgers High, where that subject is being taught and receive real time,
interactive instructions. And since the platform would be in a video format,
students would be able to access the session as needed. Teacher
shortage, therefore, becomes a thing of the past.
“We are aware of the need to be accountable when
dealing with our most important resource – our children – so we want to ensure
that we put in place a programme that will be effective in producing reliable
results sustained over the long term. For this reason, we have chosen to
initially carry out this online programme on the aforementioned schools.
Also in attendance at the contract signing were:
Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Education, Lorraine Armbrister, who
delivered brief remarks and Senior members of the Ministry’s Executive team,
including: Acting Director, Marcellus Taylor, who discussed some of the issues
the technology would address; Deputy Director of Technology, Julian Anderson,
who gave an overview of how the technology would be utilized and the
representatives from Walker’s Industries — Hilliard Walker and Jonathan Ford
who explained how the work would be carried out.
By Betty Vedrine
Release: BIS
Header: The Ministry of Education signed a $3.3 million contract with Walker’s Industries Ltd. for the creation of wireless Internet connectivity in the Bahamian public school system at the Ministry, February 13, 2019. Pictured from left: Ministry of Education Permanent Secretary Lorraine Armbrister, and Hilliard Walker and Jonathan Ford of Walker’s Industries.
Insert: The Government of The Bahamas has embarked on transforming the public education system with full digitization of schools, Minister of Education the Hon. Jeffrey Lloyd (fourth left) announced, February 13, 2019. The ceremony marked the final of four contract signings to accomplish the goal.
(BIS Photo/Raymond A. Bethel, Sr.)