PRESS RELEASE
TCI SCHOOLS RECEIVES TABLET DONATIONS
21st July 2020, Ministry of Education Received Donations of Tablets from TCI Ports Authority Staff and Board Members. Earlier this year the country urged self-isolation in order to flatten the curve and reduce transmission of the novel coronavirus which has fundamentally changed the way in which we live.
The impact of this virus has seen the closure of schools throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands and indeed the world. Teachers, parents and students had to adapt very quickly to online and distance learning.
In these challenging times, organizations and individuals throughout the country sought to make a difference in the lives of many students in our country especially those students from low income families by donating tablets to various schools.
The Minister of Education, Youth, Culture, Social and Library Services, Honourble Karen Malcolm, takes this opportunity to express thanks to all organizations and persons in the Turks and Caicos Islands for their generous donations in helping the Education Department to pivot from the classroom to virtual learning.
Organizations such as The Grand United Order of Odd Fellows and Mr. Allan Robinson were among the various groups that donated tablets to the Ministry of Education during this pandemic.
Yesterday, the Ministry received a donation of 10 tablets from the Staff and Board members of the Ports Authority. This must be particularly noted, because the staff and board members of this noble institution donated money from their pockets to purchase these tablets to help the students from low income families.
The Honourable Minister stated “Contributors like these are valuable assets in Turks and Caicos Islands. They make such a difference in all of our lives and our country and we are truly grateful. Many things have changed, but there's one constant: the unwavering support and dedication of willing persons in the community to help the future leaders of this country. Thanks from the bottom of my heart. Thanks especially to the staff of the Ports Authority for their substantial donation.”
The Chairman of the Ports Authority, Mr. Urban Jason Francis stated “ Outreach Program is a new priority for us, we have heard about the challenges students are having with accessing the internet during these challenging times, we have donated tablets to our staff firstly, and now we are donating to the Education Department to assist needy students. We are developing our physical infrastructure, but we want to do our part to support our community.”
The Ministry is currently working on plans and guidelines for the reopening of school on 31st August 2020. As can be appreciated, we are living in a very dynamic environment and as such the Government are plans will take into consideration all potential scenarios.
In suspending schools early in the year, we recognize that this may have come at a surprise to many families and possibly did not have an opportunity to prepare for online learning for their students. We recognize that for many, the financial situation is frightening, but we wish take this opportunity to encourage all parents that can afford to do so, to purchase a laptop or tablet for each of their children to enable them to effectively participate in classes. We also encourage parents to review their internet service and ensure that they make the necessary arrangements to enable their children to be able to fully participate in online classes, if the need arises.