Mr. Parry was at the time delivering remarks to the 5th Form students who have already begun receiving their laptops.
The students hail from the Charlestown, Gingerland and Lyn Jeffers Secondary Schools on Thursday, and were in attendance of a brief but significant ceremony at which their Principals each received a laptop.
“This government led by me, it always has been people-focused but more importantly it is youth-focused.
“Our business, our duty is to ensure that you the young people of this country continue to move forward [and] continue to grow and that you get the best benefits of the efforts of any government on the island of Nevis,” he said.
The Premier also expressed satisfaction with the Taiwanese and Federal Governments for making the laptop programme a reality and also praised Attorney General Patrice Nisbett who ensured that Nevisians received their fair share of the project.
“I am very pleased that a promise was made that all the high schools on St. Kitts would get computers and I am even more pleased with the help of the Federal Government and the Taiwanese Government all the schools on both St. Kitts and Nevis will get computers because this is only the beginning.
“We are starting with the Fifth Forms of the Gingerland High School and the Fifth Form of the Charlestown High School and eventually computers will be made available to all the children right down to Form One and so there will be no excuse in terms of improvement in your lessons,” he explained.
The Minister of Education further noted that the expectation was a100 percent computer literacy among children on Nevis. So far computer banks have been provided in all primary schools and children had access to computers and were already knowledgeable with them.
Notwithstanding, Mr. Parry notified the Fifth Formers that the Administration was in the process of putting in place an internet system which they would be able to access free of charge which they would be able to access in the near future throughout the Federation but in the interim they would be able to access the systems available by the local providers.
The Premier used the opportunity to admonish the students to use the laptop as an educational tool to enhance their knowledge base and personality even though they would be able to use it for reaction at times but warned them to not be tempted to tinker and tamper with the device but instead they should focus on helping themselves.
(This article was written with content incorporated from a NIA press release)