Government plans to integrate an E-Book Platform into the education system.
Finance Minister Colm Imbert made this revelation during his presentatio of the 2024-2025 Budget on Monday.
He said the E-book platform will “transition teaching and learning from a textbook-dependent and instructor-centered approach to a more interactive and student-centric paradigm.”
He said: “This initiative will offer cost-effective learning resources and promote equitable access to quality educational materials. The implementation of this platform guarantees access to e-textbooks covering all subject areas taught in primary and secondary schools, thereby preparing our students for the digital era.”
Imbert said the platform should be operational by June 2025.
He added further that in 2025, construction will also continue on several other new schools, with maintenance and repair of existing schools given the highest priority.
“Specifically, the Ministry of Education’s 2025 budgetary allocation will be supplemented with special purpose loan financing, to allow urgently needed school repairs to be executed by a state enterprise in a prompt and timely manner,” Imbert added.
Imbert also proposed that the $1000 school supply and book grant will be continued in the next academic year at an estimated cost of $20 million.
According to the minister, the government views the grant– which was issued to some 20,000 parents this year– as an “investment in potential and a step towards educational equity.”
Imbert also assured parents that many schools will be repaired, while new schools will be constructed in the coming fiscal year.
The education ministry was allotted $7.512 billion and Imbert promised that Government would prioritise school infrastructure improvement programmes.
“In 2025, construction will continue on several other new schools, with maintenance and repair of existing schools given the highest priority. Specifically, the Ministry of Education’s 2025 budgetary allocation will be supplemented with special purpose loan financing to allow urgently needed school repairs to be executed by a State enterprise at a prompt and timely manner,” he said without giving more details about the loan.