Stakeholders from a cross section of Saint Lucian society met at the Union Orchid Gardens on Monday, to discuss the Smart Education Project.

Curriculum Specialist for Technology Integration, Germain Anthony, said several factors need to align before the project can be realized, including training teachers and school leaders, assigning human resources, sourcing software applications, and acquiring the necessary infrastructure. “The Smart Education Project is a subset of the Smart Nation Project which was conceived by the Ministry of the Public Service in the first instance,” Mr. Anthony said. “It is also aligned with the Ministry of Education’s ICT in Education Policy. The Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Government of Saint Lucia through the Ministry of Education have collaborated on the project to deliver on some of the very important resources required to integrate technology in schools.”

Head of the Taiwanese Technical Mission to Saint Lucia, Mario Chen, said it is important for stakeholders to have an input into this project.

“The reason why we try to share our Taiwan Smart Education Programme is to let our Saint Lucian stakeholders know what the cooperation projects are about,” Mr. Chen said. “We also like to hear the local feedback, after which we decide what the best project for Saint Lucia is.”

Professor Huang facilitated the meeting, sharing his expertise in using smartphones for education.

“Smartphones are very useful in education. If mobile phones and education combine, it helps improve how knowledge is imparted and absorbed. This can motivate students and inspire them to succeed. So it is a good tool to help students learn and it’s also good for teachers,” Professor Huang said.

The Republic of China (Taiwan) is one of the most important strategic partners in technology integration in Saint Lucia.