E-learning Jamaica to provide 7,000 tablets for national census

E-learning Jamaica Limited has been procuring electronic devices to be used in the 2022 National Census. E-LJam has done partnership with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information along with the Statistical Institue of Jamaica for this procurement.

Acting CEO of e-LJam, Andrew Lee, while speaking at a JIS Think Tank session held on August 5 at the Agency’s Kingston Head Office, said that the responsibility of e-LJam in the project would be to procure 40 charging carts, 7,525 tablets, 40 projectors with 4,000 power banks for being used in upcoming census while using government procurement guidelines.

Deputy Director-General of STATIN, Leesha Delatie-Budair, was also present during the session, stated that all three organizations had signed a memorandum of understanding. It says once the census would get completed, they would be there giving tablets to MoEYI in support of developing the school programmes.

Delatie-Budair said that when their organization about five years ago started planning for the census, one of the major things they visualize was to try and forge strategic partnerships among various governmental and non-governmental organizations to make the upcoming census as efficient as possible. They were aware of e-Learning’s capability to procure thousands of devices as well as the need for more electronic devices in school.

The e-learning has done this procurement of these devices that would be used by the data collector during the census for the collection of data. This would also transform the working to an efficient and timely manner. It might help in adhering to the COVID-19 rules of social distancing than coming in the physical touch.

The Acting e-Learning CEO said that their organization is very happy with having such partners and encouraged and welcomed the partnership of other government and non-governmental organizations in the future.

Mr Lee said that e-Learning Jamaica is an agency of the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology, and their main focus is infusing technology in public-sector schools. However, they have been working with other government agencies to ensure that they leverage their expertise in technology devices, that’s the main reason this partnership was greatly welcomed.