An evaluation of the role of information technology in preparing Barbadian school-leavers for employment

• Main Author: Scantlebury, Barbara Ellen
• Published: University of Salford 1995
• Subjects: 370; Education & training
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.261994

Barbados, like other countries, has been influenced by the introduction of the computer in the education system. Much has been invested in this new 'tool' in education. The local industrial sector in its quest to keep abreast of world-wide technological developments, is increasingly making use of computer technology and so in turn, is making certain demands on the education system, about the way in which it is preparing young people for work in modern business organisations. This study seeks to examine the wide-ranging influence of Information Technology in education and its role in preparing school-leavers for employment in the business environment in Barbados. It also analyzes the need for the implementation of meaningful I. T. programmes as an integral part of the school curriculum in the light of the technological developments which obtain in the business environment worldwide. This was done by analyzing the views of students, educators and employers in Barbados and a small cohort of secondary school teachers in the U.K. It is anticipated that the recommendations made as a result of the outcomes of the study will be useful in assisting in the establishment and implementation of effective I.T. programmes in the Barbadian school system.