In a vibrant celebration at Cumberland High School in Portmore, St. Catherine, the Government of Jamaica and the United Nations officially launched the Empowering Jamaica’s Future: SDG Joint Programme on Digital Transformation for Education. The three-year joint programme, supported by the Joint SDG Fund, is poised to modernise Jamaica’s education system through digital innovation—impacting over 450,000 students across the country.
With over USD $3.7 million in joint funding, the programme aims to bridge the digital divide in education, ensuring that no child is left behind—especially the most vulnerable. By harnessing technology, the initiative will improve access to inclusive, quality education and strengthen the resilience of Jamaica’s learning systems.
“We are working hard to enhance and transform how we operate in the education sector for the betterment of our students and teachers. This joint project takes us one step further toward ensuring equal access to quality education for every Jamaican child. In addition to fostering resilience and equipping educators and children to thrive in a rapidly changing digital environment, integrating this type of technology into our schools improves our capacity to monitor the uptake of critical support services, such as our school nutrition programmes to ensure that resources reach the students who need them most. The systems we are putting in place will provide real-time data and the necessary tools to make even more informed decisions about how best to support our schools,” said Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon.
The initiative is already in motion, with pilots underway to introduce a modern Education Management Information System (EMIS) in selected schools. This system will digitise school administration processes and track the delivery of the National School Feeding Programme, helping the government make smarter, data-informed decisions.
“This programme is a testament to our shared commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals,” said United Nations Resident Coordinator Dennis Zulu. “It underscores the critical role of digital innovation in advancing educational equity and national development.”
The joint programme brings together four UN agencies—United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)—to support implementation in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education.
With momentum already building, Jamaica’s digital transformation in education marks a powerful turning point—one that empowers students, equips teachers, and builds a more inclusive and connected future for the next generation.
Originally published by UNICEF in Jamaica
Note:
All joint programmes of the Joint SDG Fund are led by UN Resident Coordinators and implemented by the agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations development system. With sincere appreciation for the contributions from the European Union and Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and our private sector funding partners, for a transformative movement towards achieving the SDGs by 2030.
