Bids open for provision of 30,000 tablets in e-learning project

The E-Learning Jamaica Company is now accepting bids for the provision of  30,000 tablet computers under the pilot phase of the Government’s School Tablet Computer Programme. The pilot is scheduled to commence at the start of the new school year in September, and will culminate in June.

Phillip Paulwell, Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining, disclosed on Thursday that E-Learning Jamaica had put the project to tender last week for a period of 30 days.

Apart from providing the tablets, the Ministry is also seeking submissions from suppliers capable of fulfilling stipulated specifications.

Students and teachers at 35 early childhood, primary, and secondary institutions will benefit from the tablets, being provided free of cost, as part of the Government's efforts to enhance education through technology. This is expected to, among other things, eliminate the need for textbooks, thereby reducing the associated costs, as well as ensure that no child misses lessons, due to absence from school.

The initial 30,000 tablets form part of approximately 400,000, which the Ministry aims to allocate to all government schools island-wide over the next five years. The pilot phase will be assessed and analyzed and the results used to guide full implementation of the project, anticipated for the 2014/15 academic year.