More education or more distraction?

THE Ministry of Education has invested nearly $1 THE Ministry of Education has invested nearly $1 billion to the Tablets in Schools Programme, and has recently revealed encouraging results from the pilot project.

They will now move towards distrubuting the devices in more institutions across the island. The ministry hopes that tablets will boost literacy, attendance, interest, and participation, and ultimately, the overall grades of students.

Do you think tablets in schools are useful tools or just another source of distraction?

Shanique Gordon: I think they are useful tools, as they are an avenue to help students to be technologically inclined. Students are now able to download books and use it on the tablets -- this saves their parents money. Resources for school can now be transported without being printed. Yes, it is very effective, and will boost learning.

Leighton Walker: It all depends on the individual and how well they prioritise, how mature they are in making decisions. Technological advancements being made in schools is a great achievement, as it facilitates learning on a wider scale, and I think it is more of a useful tool than a distraction. It will also benefit the country in the future.

Jhana-Lea Barnes : I think the tablets are a distraction. Students have been excelling in school for years without tablets. It is not necessary. Most children will not use them for the intended purposes anyways. Unless there is some way to prevent it, all they will do is play Candy Crush and Pet Rescue.

Dajour Collins: Based on how it is supervised, it can be either a tool or a distraction. If mechanisms are put in place to block certain social networks and so on, it will get rid of a significant portion of the distractions. Also it is important that they are taught how to use and take care of the devices, as this will make the process easier. Notes can be disseminated virtually, and student research time will be reduced. It an be very effective if administered properly.

Khadeem McIntosh: Well, I think it is a very useful implement for education, as long as the software on the devices are programmed to block certain sites. They should not be allowed to download some apps on it, as games can also distract them. A specific set of apps that are approved by the ministry should be the only thing on them.

Tonia Revers: I think the tablets in schools can be either a distraction or a tool, or both. It depends upon the user of the device; their attention span and their interests. It also depends on the operating system of the tablets. They will be more effective if distractions are minimised.