Tyrone Reid, Enterprise Reporter

Major glitches in the Government's e-Learning programme have delayed the implementation of the multibillion-dollar education initiative by almost a year.

As a result, thousands of secondary school students, who should have benefited from the proposed improved instructions promised under the programme that is designed to ultimately improve Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate passes, were not afforded that privilege.

The pilot phase of the pricey programme was scheduled to start in September 2006 and end in June 2007. That did not happen.

The two subsequent months - July and August 2007 - were to be used to study the pilot and the teething pains experienced during its implementation so as to avoid similar difficulties impeding the roll-out of the second phase. That too did not happen.

The e-Learning pro-gramme, which is projected to cost in the region of US$50 million (approximately J$3.45 billion) over a three to four-year period, is a joint venture between the ministries of Energy, Mining and Technology and Education.

Avril Crawford, CEO of e-Learning Jamaica Company Limited (e-ljam), admitted to The Gleaner that the programme has been jolted by some significant setbacks.

"There were some major obstacles, but I think we have got over them superbly," she said.

She pointed out that the most difficult challenge faced to date is getting the schools' infrastructure ready to accommodate the high-tech equipment.

"What has turned out now to be the major problem is the completion of the building works at the schools," Crawford emphasised.

"Inordinate delays in the rate of completion of building works at the schools (were) mainly due to pressure of work and other priorities of the Ministry of Education's building officers," read a section of the February 2008 summary report on the programme's achievements and plans for completion.

No immediate benefits

The Education Ministry's transformation unit is undertaking the infrastructure development at the schools.

Crawford revealed that the two ministries subsequently brokered an agreement to solve the delays in the building works. But, she lamented that the benefits would not be immediate.

"Somewhere around mid 2007, we agreed ... in the two ministries that they would provide dedicated building officers to us, but it is for the next phase so we still have to be struggling now to finish up the pilot phase," she said.

While she admitted that the glitches did not result in a total system failure, the hiccups have set the programme back by almost a year.

tyrone.reid@gleanerjm.com