The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information will commence the phased introduction of electronic textbooks to replace printed versions during the 2020/21 academic year, which starts in September.
Acting Chief Education Officer, Dr. Kasan Troupe, said the process will get underway in secondary institutions, noting that “some of our high schools will be benefitting from e-books or flat books”.
Flat books utilize page units, applied to screens which enable users to read a text document as conveniently as turning the pages of a printed book.
Dr. Troupe, who was speaking during the Ministry’s back-to-school digital town hall meeting, on Tuesday, August 4, indicated that discussions are underway with the Book Industry Association of Jamaica (BIAJ) to undertake the engagement.
She said the Ministry, having committed to rolling out the initiative in high schools, will continue the transitioning process across the educational system.
The information session was jointly hosted by the Ministry, the National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC), and the National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica (NPTAJ).