The Hon Jerome K. Fitzgerald, Minister of Education, Science and Technology speaking to educators at the Micro Technology Forum on Wednesday, 22nd October.

Nassau, Bahamas - The following are remarks made by Jerome K. Fitzgerald, the Minister of Education, Science and Technology at the Bahamas Conference on the Microsoft Technology Forum held on Wednesday, 22nd October 2014:

"Mr. George Gobin, Microsoft Territory Manager;Ms. Queenie Ko, Microsoft Education Sector Manager, West Indies; Mr. Marcus Cheetam, President, Southworth Consultants Ltd.; Dr. Karen St. Cyr, Project Manager (IDB); Ms. Faye Bascom, Senior Education Officer and ICT Coordinator Members of the Press;

Ladies and Gentlemen, Good morning.

Ladies and Gentlemen, today marks yet another milestone for the INSPIRE Project;

Investing in Students and Programs for the Innovative Reform of Education has certainly been nothing short of inspirational. This is not only an investment in machines and equipment but by the same token, an investment in human capital; in which I am certain we will see an even greater return on the more than six million dollars invested. As Partners in Learning, the INSPIRE Project and Microsoft have embarked on something that has never happened in the history of education in our country. Today, I can boast that because of the commitment of the Technology Coordination Unit (TCU) and other stakeholders, every junior and senior high school throughout the Bahamian archipelago is outfitted with a state of the art computer laboratory as well as other technological components.

To date, this initiative has placed approximately 1,500 computers in our public schools and we are in possession of extensive server equipment as well as a wide array of software to compliment the hardware. This partnership also makes provision for an IT Academy where teachers and students alike will be able to take advantage of the various Certification Courses offered by Microsoft; PC Upgrades by Microsoft for those computers placed in school labs and the email platform that will officially be launched today where ALL public school administrators, teachers and students will receive a moe.edu.bs email address. The benefits of this initiative are grand in scope. Not only are we providing our teachers and students with opportunities for growth academically, but we are now able to connect with all of our administrators, teachers and students with the click of a button to ensure timely and effective communication and to better liaise with them. We have entered into the world of technology in the Bahamian education system like never before.

The INSPIRE Project which is a dynamic national education initiative financed by the Government of The Bahamas and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has become the major thrust for integrating Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) into our schools. From an educational perspective, “ICT is an essential ‘life skill’ in the same way as literacy and numeracy, and that the skills to manage these technologies convey an opportunity for economic development and a requirement for employability.”

This is no small feat; I wish to emphasize that what was embarked upon several years ago is no longer a dream but a reality, as we seek to deliver quality education that is consistent with global trends and best practices. We cannot lag behind the rest of the world and we all know that technology is the order of the day.

The initiative’s vision was “to incorporate a range of technologies into the public school system in order to enable optimal learning opportunities, empower all education stakeholders and ensure global competitiveness.” It is important to note that we cannot accomplish that vision without having the necessary infrastructure in place to ensure the sustainability and longevity of such an endeavour. Our vision could not be achieved in isolation and it was necessary to employ a three prong, holistic approach to the incorporation of ICT into our education system:

1. To ensure effective management of education.

2. Improve teaching and learning with the use of ICT.

3. To provide ICT career opportunities for students.

I am happy to report that we are in the third of four stages – the National Implementation stage and every junior and senior high school has been positively impacted by this phase. As we empower our teachers and those actively engaged in executing the integration of ICT in the curriculum and providing digital educational resources, we are delighted to have in our midst our Microsoft partners. We are committed to ensuring that all persons involved are trained and equipped to properly handle the  equipment in order to capitalize and meet the full potential of what is at their disposal.

Today’s workshop aims “to ensure the smooth and effective roll-out of the Ministry of Education’s moe.edu.bs email platform, provide participants with an understanding of the opportunities available through the Microsoft Products acquired, and to work with the TCU to receive hands on training on administrative functions in support of the various products.

I would like to thank all of you for your participation today and for the role you will play in guaranteeing that we make full use the opportunities and partnership that have been made available. I am excited about the future of education in our country and great changes that are taking place to ensure that our children and our educational system remain on the cutting edge. I wish you every success in this workshop and may you be INSPIRED.

Thank you and good morning."

Pictured L-R: Ms. Queenie Ko, Microsoft Education Senior Manager, West Indies; Mr. Marcus Cheetam, President, Southworth Consultants Ltd.

Teachers from various schools, who attended the workshop.