Women’s Centre opt for eLearning to ensure education is remotely accessible for adolescent mothers

Kingston, JAMAICA – Adolescent mothers attending the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation (WCJF) will have the ability to attend their CSEC classes, virtually. The WCJF Virtual CSEC programme, funded by the Rotary e-Club of the Caribbean, launched on Thursday.

“The Women’s Centre recognizes the importance of keeping up with this digital revolution. We welcome any change that can help ensure our girls are able to complete CSEC,” says Executive Director, Dr. Zoe Simpson.

Staff at the WCJF and Lesli Prendergast, the past President of the Rotary e-Club of the Caribbean, arranged a handed over ceremony to launch the Virtual CSEC eLearning platform. A number of CSEC girls were introduced to the platform, and were given access to the online content through the WCJF website.

“A great benefit for this programme is that girls will be able to access CSEC course content from home. Many girls are absent from class due to sickness (because of pregnancy), or because they have to tend to their babies. This virtual programme will help reduce the rate of absenteeism among our CSEC students,” says CSEC Coordinator, Georgianna
Hill.

The adoption of eLearning among institutions continue to rise across the globe. The traditional chalkboard learning method is slowly becoming replaced with a simple, easy and more effective method – the virtual classroom. Most postsecondary and some secondary institutions in Jamaica already offer an online learning option to their students.

“As the Rotary E-Club of the Caribbean 7020, it is our privilege to partner with the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation, in providing a virtual classroom for enrolled adolescent mothers to be able to advance their education and not have to leave their babies and communities especially for those who live in rural areas. We are so proud to have worked with Dr. Zoe Simpson and her team to make this a reality, in providing a channel to allow continued studies in CSEC for a brighter future for these young ladies,” says Leslie Prendergast.

The Rotary e-Club of the Caribbean donated approximately $5,000 USD towards the WCJF Virtual CSEC programme.