Collectivité, National Education, distribute iPads to schoolchildren | THE DAILY HERALD

GIG Education representative Marie Reynaud and schools inspector for St. Martin and St. Barths Dominique Boyer with schoolchildren in Hervé Williams School during the distribution of iPads. (Robert Luckock photo)

 

MARIGOT–National Education and the Collectivité have collaborated on a project to provide schoolchildren with iPads, or tablets, to enhance learning.

  Two distributions were made last week, the first at Collège Mont des Accords on Thursday where 1,300 tablets have been given out and on Friday at Hervé Williams School where 48 tablets were issued to children ages 10-11 in classes CM1 and CM2. The project started in French Quarter two years ago. The objective is that children in eight schools of the territory will each have a tablet. Some distribution schedules were delayed due to the passing of Hurricane Irma.

  Present for the distribution were Vice-President Annick Pétrus in charge of education, schools inspector for St. Martin and St. Barths Dominique Boyer, Délégué Académique au Numérique Benoît Fricoteaux, Hervé Williams School Principal Philippe Bertinaud, and representatives of the iPad supplier, GIG Education in Guadeloupe.

  Petrus said the total investment in digital learning amounts to more than a million euros. The iPads have specific educational programmes built in and Internet access is controlled or restricted. Children are protected from undesirable content and can work and browse in safety. Certain websites are blocked from access. The children are allowed to take them home to do homework and bring them to school every day.

  GIG Education representative Marie Reynaud said this phase of the project to supply three primary schools and one Collège amounts to about 600,000 euros including training and accessories.

  Fricoteaux explained that in the signed convention the State (Ministry of Education) contributed 50 per cent of 380 euros per tablet, but in education priority zones such as French Quarter and College Mont des Accords contributed 100 per cent.

  “The real cost to the Collectivité can be higher if you include installation of networks and when some iPads with keyboards are more expensive,” said Fricoteaux. “But subventions have been given to French Quarter over the past three years at four levels, two years for Collège Mont des Accords, and one year for Collège Soualiga. If you multiply the number of students by an average 380-euro tablet you come to an investment somewhere between 800,000 to a little over a million euros.  It’s a big project.”

Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/85292-collectivite-national-education-distribute-ipads-to-schoolchildren

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