The 22 computers were provided by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) to improve the teaching and learning of science and technology in the school.
Minister Faye in her speech spoke of the significance of science and technology in providing quality education.
The fully-equipped lab has a printer, projector and internet connectivity to facilitate the access to modern technology for the students, she said.
Minister Faye urged teachers to develop their skills in the IT sector, adding that the establishment of the computer laboratory is in line with the government’s promotion of the use of modern information technology to enhance the socio-economic development of The Gambia.
According to her, provision of the computer lab would play a pivotal role in improving learning, especially for the science students, and she urged teachers and students to effectively utilize the facilities and maximize its availability for all users through careful planning and management.
Such investments in schools should not only be beneficial to the school, but also to the communities where they are situated, Minister Faye said.
PURA’s Director of Consumer Affairs, Solo Sima, said the project was designed to meet the government’s quest to achieve the development aspirations of The Gambia’s Vision 2020.
He added that this was in support of the President’s medium-term development strategy and investment programme, 2012 to 2015, the Programme for Accelerated Growth and Employment (PAGE).
PURA supports the uptake of the sciences and technology at schools in line with the ethos of President Jammeh’s plans to strategically continue to contribute in collaboration with all stakeholders.
He added that The Gambia’s objective under the guidance of the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education in improving access to education mirrors the target of connecting all primary, secondary and post-secondary schools to ICT by 2015 set at the World Summit on the Information Society, WSIS.
Some of their provision includes ensuring quality for all students in the ICT sector, hence their modest intervention. PURA’s strategic contribution to the children in need of facilities aims to make a difference and make children competitive globally in the technological era, Sima added.
Baboucarr O. Joof, chairman board of governors of the schools, urged the teachers and students to make best use of the lab by researching enough to equip them with relevant knowledge to teach.
