As another school year opens parents are yet again continuously being faced with the challenge of the high cost of new school books, as new editions are released periodically.
Minister for education Emmalin Pierre says while the ministry cannot allow students to be disadvantaged by using outdated editions; they are however looking at alternatives to ensure learning is made easier.
EBooks she says are becoming a strong possibility to be introduced in schools.
Issues such as the health of students with the weight of school bags and the financial strain caused by the changing of booklists are apparently pushing the Education ministry to feverously pursue the introduction of EBooks in schools.
ICT upgrades and the promotion of technology for the improvement and enhancement of teaching and learning are also on the agenda of the ministry of education.
Permanent secretary in the education ministry Kevin Andall says the rollout of the MESH project by the NTRC and the CARCIP project would ensure schools have high speed internet, which would better facilitate EBooks and other projects.
“The ministry team went to Antigua to look at an EBooks platform there which was very effective, the principals and the staff and the students we interacted with really complimented that platform.”
Andall impresses that teachers and parents buy-in would be critical to the success of the program.
“We also learned that it is vital that we have the support system in place for EBooks because EBooks comes with devices and the management of these devices by students is critical.”
The ministry was scheduled to host a stakeholder consultation on Friday, to explore the introduction of EBooks.
This initial consultation will involve the union, principals, parent teacher associations and teachers.
