The staging of this conference on children and the Internet comes at a time when there is closer scrutiny of the messages that are communicated to our children via different media and how this information is managed.

As more and more households in Jamaica gain access to the Internet, every effort must be made to ensure that as we encourage our students to realize their potential using the means available to them including information technology, that the risks to them are also minimized.

This conference is therefore timely, as it should help to focus attention on how information technology may be used in a positive way to empower our students. The Government welcomes the suggestions arising from this conference on how information technology may be used to enhance the delivery of education.

I commend the Cable & Wireless Childnet Academy for hosting what is anticipated to be an informative and enlightening conference on children and the Internet.

PJ Patterson
Jamaican Prime Minister