"If Jamaica's children are not computer literate in this generation who are beginning schools today, they will not be able to compete in the economy of the year 2020.  Nor will the country be positioned to complete effectively against our neighbours," said Mr. Twomey on Saturday night at a fund-raising dinner organised by friends of the Marcus Garvey Skills Training Centre at the Almond Tree Restaurant in Ocho Rios.

Explaining what he called Jamaica's competitive disadvantage in the global market place, Mr. Twomey said with a population 2.7 million people there was only about 125,000 Internet users in Jamaica.

ALTERNATIVE SKILLS TRAINING

"There needs to be a coherent public and private policy to increase the education standards in Jamaica and to provide alternative skills training to those who have difficulty in normal school environment, and to increase the technical aptitude of our children", he charged.  He also criticise the private sector, which he said has not done enough to assist the country's children in building the skills necessary for excellence in the school system.

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