Joseph Cunningham, Gleaner Writer"IT IS a novel move that we have launched a computer programme for basic school students!" says George Sterling, executive director of the Voluntary Organisation for Uplifting Children (VOUCH).
The computer room, equipped with 12 terminals, was officially launched on Thursday at the VOUCH Basic School, at 1 National Heroes Circle in Kingston.
According to Tamieka Frame, the computer teacher, "The programme affords relatively young children a level of academic exposure that could make them far superior to most children at their age."
It features state-of-the-art children's software, the 'English Literacy Programme', that has never before been implemented by basic schools in Jamaica. The programme uses a graphic representation of a pair of lips, displayed on the screen, which move just like human lips. This better enables children to pronounce each word and letter of the alphabet.
INNER-CITY BENEFICIARIES
The programme is special, said Ms. Frame, since most of its children are from the surrounding inner-city communities, like Allman Town, Fletchers Land and Orange Villa, who usually do not even have access to books, let alone computer facilities.
And she contends that while children of their same age group do not usually concentrate on more than one thing at a time, VOUCH students are stimulated, since they use the keyboard and mouse and pay attention to the computer screen simultaneously.
VOUCH was established in 1979 with a mandate of 'Providing vital services for children and their families through education and training, towards the realisation of their full potential'.
Sponsorship comes from the Bernard Vanleer Foundation, a Dutch-based funding agency which supports needy children; Jamaica Money Market Brokers; and the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica.
