The Laborie Boys’ Primary School is the recipient of a multimedia smart classroom, compliments of the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in Saint Lucia.
On Wednesday, November 9, 2022, His Excellency Peter Chia-yen Chen, Taiwan’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia, joined Hon. Alva Baptiste, Member of Parliament for Laborie, at the school for the official handover of the newly-refurbished classroom.
The classroom now boasts two 65-inch smart screens and cameras, which teachers and students can use to make learning more interactive and fun. With access to various useful apps and platforms, students who are absent from school can now participate in classroom lessons virtually.
In his remarks, Ambassador Chen said Taiwan and Saint Lucia will continue to work together to provide a more inclusive and technologically-driven education environment for the present and future generations of students.
“Technology has made our new generation smarter and more accessible to greater extent of information, and has transformed the way they perceive our world,” said Ambassador Chen. “That is why the Taiwan Government has intended and implemented the smart classroom in Saint Lucia. Thanks to the support from Minister Baptiste, we made it happen at the Laborie Boys’ Primary School. I admire Hon. Minister Baptiste’s leadership of always putting community at the forefront.”
Ambassador Chen also thanked the Ministry of Education, and staff of the Laborie Boys’ Primary School, Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC), and Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) for their joint efforts in making the project a reality.
For his part, Hon. Alva Baptiste, who is also Minister for External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation and Diaspora Affairs, thanked the Taiwanese Embassy’s hardworking staff for their dedication in ensuring that Saint Lucian students are given the best learning opportunities. He said Laborians have always held their deep embrace of education in high esteem, and the smart classroom will build on that rich legacy.
“The smart classroom, with a computer, interactive whiteboard and projector, has changed the process of learning, and made it more exciting,” Hon. Baptiste said. “Through technology, it transports students to another place. There will still be the need for teachers because teachers must accompany the students on that journey of discovery and learning….It keeps students engaged, and the teachers can now experiment and have the flexibility with a lot of different aspects.”
Meanwhile, school principal, Julian Darcheville, was beaming with excitement as he thanked the Government of Taiwan and others who made the donation possible. He said the students will indeed benefit immensely from the new gift.
“I want to thank everyone who made this project possible, including the Government of Taiwan,” Darcheville said. “I would like to assure you that we will put this classroom to good use. It will go a long way to assist us in preparing our students with the requisite skills for navigating the 21st century.”
As part of its mandate to assist the socio-development of Saint Lucia, the Government of Taiwan has pledged to equip primary and secondary schools in Saint Lucia with smart technology.