Cleopatra Murphy

Freeport News Reporter

cleopatra@nasguard.com

Ambassador of The People's Republic of China Ambassador Hu Shan donated computers to three schools on the island during a ceremony at The Beacon School yesterday.

The Beacon School, Program Sure and the Pace Center were presented with the instruments and Shan said it is based on the Chinese Embassy's long-term goal to support education in the country.

"We will present computers and laptops to local schools every year in the future," Shan said.

Minister of Education, Science and Technology Jerome Fitzgerald expressed his gratitude for the donation.

"Firstly, it makes the point that education is a shared responsibility, secondly, it reinforces my government's goal to create an educational system that is technologically sound and thirdly, it underpins two of the 10 initiatives outlined in our Charter for Governance, namely the transformation of schools into technological centers and the emphasis on special education, which my government will address during the next five years as we seek to transform education in our Bahama land," he said.

Fitzgerald said the computer presentation was the seventh distribution made by the People's Republic of China to Bahamian schools and Bahamian students had additionally benefitted from scholarships from China.

"These acts of kindness will foster goodwill and strengthen the relationship between your government and the government of The Bahamas," he said.

Fitzgerald said he was additionally pleased that the computers were given to special schools on the island.

"As special education is one of the priorities set out by the government in the 10 primary initiatives to bring about transformation in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology during the next five years," he said. "This investment will assist in revolutionizing the way education is delivered in these schools and help in the fostering of competence, character and citizenship in the pursuit of excellence in education," he said.

Fitzgerald said technology is having a significant impact on the classroom and helps to develop the strength of each child.

He noted that within the next two weeks each school on the island would be equipped with at least one interactive white board.

Fitzgerald said technology gives many advantages to special needs students.

"Their horizons are broadened and pathways to learning that are ordinarily out of reach become accessible. The impossible becomes possible for those students with dexterity and communicative issues," he said.

Minister of Grand Bahama Dr. Michael Darville said one of the greatest challenges on the island is that there is no official program for special needs children after they graduate, to allow them to hone their technical and vocational skills.

"Today I want to assure you that under the leadership of our minister of education, the honorable Jerome Fitzgerald we are moving swiftly to address concerns as it relates to disability, autism, and mental retardati-on..." he said.

Darville said he is excited to partner with China as the government begins to develop plans to form a delegation to visit China to learn special techniques of addressing issues of the disabled.