Since October, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology (MoECST) has been distributing Chromebooks donated by the Republic of China (Taiwan) to primary and high school students in Belize. On Tuesday, December 5th, the distribution of these devices came to San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, benefiting the San Pedro High School (SPHS) and two primary schools.
The Minister of State in the MoECST, Honourable Dr. Louis Zabaneh, made his first stop at the SPHS with his team to hand over the devices. In a special ceremony at the Angel Nuñez Auditorium, he was joined by the Area Representative for the Cayes, the Honourable Andre Perez, Deputy Mayor Marina Kay, Councillors Jose Castellano and Dianeli Aranda. The school’s principals, teachers, and student body welcomed the donation of 92 Chromebooks to those most in need of this device.
Minister Zabaneh shared some encouraging words with the students, stressing the importance of investing in education. He noted Taiwan’s assistance to Belize in education, infrastructure, health, and other areas. Zabaneh also shared a brief history of Taiwan, which was a poor country in the beginning. He said they invested heavily in education, science, and technology. “What we want to achieve is to invest the time to listen to our parents, teachers, and principals; then we really have a chance to do great things,” said Zabaneh. “We must not think small; we must think of great things and work together for that to happen because if other people have been able to do it, we can do it as well.” Zabaneh encouraged students to work hard for their goals and contribute to the development of Belize. He hopes that someday, Belize will be like countries such as Taiwan and be able to assist other nations.
Area Representative Perez also emphasized the importance of education. He said that technology plays a big role in this era, and he is grateful to the MoECST for their donation, which will help many students. Perez also commended the students and their parents for their continued education support. The Area Representative shared with his colleague, Zabaneh, that the island community is very united and always ready to work and excel. He said there is talent in the Cayes, and these types of assistance further encourage their potential.
Principal Emil Vasquez thanked the MoECST, the people, and the Government of Taiwan for this donation. Vasquez said this greatly assists those students who do not have access to a laptop. With such assistance, the beneficiary students can now attend online classes if required and work on their assignments using the Chromebook.
Afterward, the Chromebooks were presented to the SPHS students and staff. Student Angelina Worthington thanked the MoECST on behalf of the student body, teachers, and principals for their generous donation. Following the ceremony, the SPHS Marching Band delighted those present with a dance presentation.
The distribution of Chromebooks continued in San Pedro. Minister Zabaneh headed to the Holy Cross Anglican School in San Mateo, where more Chromebooks were given to teachers and students. The Holy Cross Anglican School principal thanked the ministry for thinking of them and donating 22 devices. Next, they distributed another number of Chromebooks to the Seventh Day Adventist Primary School in the DFC Area.
According to the MoECST, the Chromebooks distributed nationwide are modern, lightweight, and highly portable computing devices designed to enhance educational experiences and facilitate interactive learning. They provide access to various educational apps and online resources, making them ideal for research and homework. Additionally, their cloud-based nature ensures that students can collaborate on projects and access their work from anywhere with an internet connection.
The ministry will distribute these devices to schools countrywide for students from Standard 4 to Form 4. They noted that recipient schools were identified based on their access to reliable internet connections, and the devices were allocated based on the schools population.
