On Thursday, June 28, the Chilean Ambassador, H.E. Alfredo Garcia will present computer and computer equipment to the Independence City Primary School in Portmore, St. Catherine.

“The donation is a gift from Chile to Jamaica and a gift from the children of Chile to the Children of Jamaica to enhance their education,” says Ambassador Garcia.

“The Embassy is donating laptops and other computer equipment valued at approximately US$15,000, which is a significant contribution to the school”, says Foreign State Minister, the Hon. Arnaldo Brown.

With a capacity of 800 students, Independence City Primary, built in the mid-1970s, facilitates 929 students from communities mainly in Portmore, Kingston and Spanish Town.

The school has managed to raise its Grade 4 Literacy Test result from 69% in 2010 to 80% in 2011. It is hoped that with the additional computers, the school’s performance in both the Grade 4 Tests and the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) will be improved.

“These computers will enhance our reading programme, since we use computer programmes for phonetic skills and the ones we had before were older models with no sound,” explains the school’s Vice-Principal, Mrs. Audrey Young.

The computers will also be used to assist the GSAT-age children access GoGSAT online while in classes.

This donation of computer equipment to a Jamaican school is the first such gesture from Chile to Jamaica.
 

Contact:

Ann-Margaret Lim

564-4241