NICTA to build new ICT lab for Tubusereia Junior High School

Students from Tubusereia Junior High School will benefit from a proposed information and communication technology laboratory, set to be built by the National Information and Communications Technology Authority [NICTA].

A memorandum of agreement [MoA] was signed today between NICTA and the Tubusereia Junior High School board to commence work for the new ICT lab.

NICTA will supply VSAT [very small aperture terminal] with WiFi and 20 desktop computers to the school once the project, under the universal access and service [UAS] scheme is completed.

High school board chairman Kora Nou said implementation of this vital facility will enhance students learning with the latest technology and also provide service to locals interested in building their ICT capacity. 

“We thank the UAS Secretariat for visiting the school and talking to us about the requirements to set up the place and to demonstrate our keenness to embrace this learning facility,” Nou said during the signing today.

“We have more or less met all the requirements that the UAS Secretariat has put to us. It's quite timely because the Tubusereia Junior High School was just established in the 2024 academic year and so this is an important learning facility that will be built in the school.

“We thank NICTA through the UAS for looking after the facility in terms of connectivity for the next two years and we will do well to learn from the experience of the others in how to sustain them.

“I'm also encouraged that we put out work to the community to identify IT knowledgeable villagers and the response has been quite overwhelming because it's important that we have those kinds of people to guide us in the initial setup the next two years and how to sustain it after that," Mr Nou said.

The project's three main objectives are to provide ICT access for education, bridge the digital divide by ensuring internet connectivity for students, and promote sustainable ICT integration in the school’s educational programs.

NICTA will handle procurement, establishment, and management of community access points, including internet delivery, installation, and the provision of computers or smart devices as needed.

A two-year MoA formalizes a partnership between NICTA and Tubusereia Junior High School, benefiting around 400 students in grades 7-10.

NICTA CEO Kila Gulo-Vui emphasized that the MoU with Tubusereia Junior High School is a government-backed commitment to providing internet access to students and the broader community.

“This project is under the government's Universal Access Program run through NICTA and it has taken us a while to get here but we are very excited to partner with the school.

“Of course, the teaching community will also benefit from the project as they engage under this program.