The investment of tablets to T.G. Glover Primary School by United Sanitation Services is helping to move the Ministry of Education (MOE) towards its goal to put a device in the hand of every student in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

Henry Dean, proprietor of United Station Services, donated 80 tablets with WiFi devices to the Hon. Jeffrey Lloyd, Minister of Education, Dr. Marcellus Taylor, Director, and Sheniqua Miller, principal, during a ceremony at the school’s campus on Friday (November 6).

“We will not stop until every student, every educator has a device in his/her hand. By the end of this year we expect to achieve that. We expect that the 46,000 students in the public school and the 45,000 educators, administrators, teachers will have an appropriate device capacitated to deal with online learning,” said Minister Lloyd.

He thanked Mr. Dean for his contribution and described him as someone with decades of philanthropy behind him – one who is committed, giving, sincere and dedicated.

It is the Minister’s hope that others would be inspired to think and emulate Mr. Dean.

“This is a proud moment in the life of T.G. Glover, in the MOE and the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. That’s where we have to start with our learning.”

Dr. Marcellus Taylor, Director, said the tablets are not something that can be viewed the same way prior to COVID-19.

“Prior to COVID 19 parents would give tablets to children as a toy or recreational activity. Now, due to COVID-19 many are realizing that these tablets are now the new pathway to children getting a college education,” he added. Mr. Dean believes in giving back.

He has lived in the neighboring community of the school, located in Horseshoe Drive, for more than half a century.

“I owe this to T.G. Glover,” he said as he related the story of parking his company vehicles on the school’s property when his business first opened.

“I did not pay rent then, so I’m paying it now,” he quirked.

“T.G. Glover is personal and profound to us because we live here. I believe that a good number of the students who attend T.G. Glover come from the surrounding area. It would be foolish of us not to pay attention to what’s next door. We want to encourage, enhance, support those in the neighborhood academically but it goes beyond that.

“My presence and involvement bring respectability to the environment. We want to continue to build that kind of reputation.

“I did not have tertiary education but my daughter and two other children [do]. I know what the value of education is. I have invested in it and seen it produce. My children have succeeded, but they can’t be the only ones to succeed. This would be a troubled society for all of us,” said Mr. Dean.

Employees of United Sanitation Services, the oldest private garbage collection company in New Providence, along with Deacon Allison Dean, daughter of Mr. Dean, attended the presentation.

This is not Mr. Dean’s first act of generosity to T.G. Glover. Previously, he has donated computers, books and uniforms to the institution. 

The Hon. Jeffrey Lloyd, Minister of Education; Dr. Marcellus Taylor, Director and Shaniqua Miller, principal of T.G. Glover, accept a donation of tablets with WiFi devices from Henry Dean of United Sanitation Services. Parents, students, teachers and administrators of the school along with employees of United Sanitation Services were also present. (BIS photo/Derek Smith)