OECS to implement school connectivity initiative for digital education

The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have signed an agreement to collaborate with Giga to enhance connectivity of schools and develop digital public goods. Giga is a UNICEF-ITU global initiative to connect every school to the Internet and every young person to information, opportunity, and choice. At the beginning, Giga will support the OECS to map every school in the region and to provide real time monitoring data on the quality of Internet connectivity. ‘The COVID-19 pandemic has made Giga even more relevant as we seek to bridge the digital divide and empower teachers, students, and families to use technology to enhance the delivery of education and continuity of teaching and learning. The successful delivery of Giga will be a major milestone for the OECS as there has been a clarion call across the OECS for improving digital inclusion, developing 21st century skills, and creating opportunities for children and young people to harness their innovative skills,’ noted OECS Commission’s Director General Dr Didacus Jules.