Veteran educator Jeff Broomes donates laptops to students

By Anesta Henry

Five Parkinson Memorial School students have received early Christmas gifts from former principal Jeff Broomes.

Broomes presented the students identified by the Pine, St Michael school’s guidance counsellor Kara Maynard, each with a brand new laptop, to help them with their studies.

He told Barbados TODAY that he saw the purchase of the laptops as necessary, considering that students now operate in a learning environment where there is a need for them to use technological devices to successfully complete certain aspects of their studies. 

He said in the past, whatever devices the schools had could suffice, which is not the case in the post pandemic era.

“I know that I am not the only one, but I think other people are reaching out to help children. I got them sent in from New York, so I just made the presentation this morning with the Guidance Counsellor, the children and their parents. 

“I feel very good helping these students because my passion has always been children and education and I think that once I can do anything to assist children I am more than willing.

“I am not a rich man by any means at all but I believe that if I can do any little thing to help children, it is not going to make me starve. These devices are going to help the children with their SBAs [School Based Assessments] and other areas of their studies,” Broomes said.

The former principal who has also given free lessons in preparation for the Barbados Secondary Schools Entrance Examination (BSSEE) for many years suggested that other retired educators, once they can afford to, should give back to the education system to make it better than they left it. 

“I teach lessons for free throughout the years, even before I retired. And other people may not be able to do the same things that I do, but I feel it is necessary to give back to this country that was so good to me. Barbados has been extremely good to me and I must give back,” he said.

The recipients extended gratitude to Broome for their early Christmas gift and assured him that the devices would be put to good use. 

anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb