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Prime Minister Holness Proposes Incorporating Conflict Management in Schools’ Curricula

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says conflict management should form a part of the curricula at schools as a means of reducing violence in the society.

Addressing students and teachers at Manchester High School in Mandeville on Friday (January 12), Prime Minister Holness said the principles of conflict resolution and management are critical to violence reduction and prevention, particularly among youth.

He referenced data indicating that a significant percentage of the shootings and murders are committed by young males under 24 years, adding that they are predominantly the victims of violence.

“We have a problem with resolving conflicts… we have a problem with violence. But we also have a problem with our young men [being] in conflict and using violence [to resolve it] and being the victims of violence.

“Governments usually try not to get too involved in regulating households, even in how they discipline children. But the social problems that we have, have become so challenging, they are now at crisis proportion that the Government has to be direct and instrumental in dealing with this problem of violence in a frontal way,” the Prime Minister stated.

Consequently, he maintained that “we need to take a different approach to solving conflicts; we can’t use violence to solve it.”

“We are going to have to incorporate the schools now, to deliberately teach in the curriculum how to manage conflict. It is going to have to be a curriculum subject,” the Prime Minister emphasised.

Meanwhile, Mr. Holness said there will be greater collaboration with the National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC) and educational institutions to reinforce best principles of conflict resolution.

“There has to be a solid link between the home and the school. What is being taught in the schools must also be reinforced in the homes. So, yes, the two-pronged approach… we will be dealing with the schools directly about treating with conflict and about dealing with violence and building peace; and through the National Parenting Support Commission, we will also be carrying this message to parents to see a transformation of our society,” he stated.

Mr. Holness encouraged the students to be Ambassadors for peace, noting that they will be instrumental to Jamaica’s continued growth and development.

“You are going to be the ones to inherit a properly run and structured economy, and you are going to grow it. You are going to create the labour force that will attract the investment that will [transform] Jamaica into a first world country. But on the other hand, we need good citizens. We need people who will respect the law, we need people who will become good parents, we need people who will take a peaceful stance in resolving conflict.

So as we have worked on the economy and building the productivity of the country… we must now work on the person, the human being,” he underscored.

Prime Minister Holness was joined on the visit to the school by Member of Parliament, Manchester Central, Rhoda Moy Crawford, and other stakeholders.

Education Ministry Prepares Procurement for More Security Cameras at Schools

The Ministry of Education and Youth is preparing the procurement to enable system-wide installations and coordination of security cameras across the education system.

Portfolio Minister, Hon. Fayval Williams, made the disclosure during a statement to the House of Representatives on Tuesday (January 16).

A survey conducted in July 2023 showed 154 schools with a total of 1,955 cameras.

“This year, an additional eight schools have benefited from $15 million in grants to procure CCTV cameras that will improve safety and security at their schools,” Mrs. Williams stated.

The Minister also informed that the Ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, will be ramping up restorative justice practices in schools along with conflict resolution.

Approximately 3,600 participants across 120 schools will benefit from this training.

Mrs. Williams pointed out that the team at the Ministry is looking forward to continuing the dialogue with the Ministry of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport to develop an expanded rural transportation programme that will benefit more than the current 7,500 students.

“This programme currently costs approximately $390 million annually,” the Minister noted.

Meanwhile, 150 students across 10 secondary schools will benefit from Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) training, made possible by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) – Positive Pathways to Guidance Counsellors and Social Workers – within the targeted schools.

“CBT training raises awareness of depression, anxiety, personality disorders and other socio-emotional issues,” Mrs. Williams said.

Delegation from Boston College Visits Education Ministry

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Youth, Dr. Kasan Troupe (seated, right), and Chief Education Officer, Terry-Ann Thomas-Gayle (seated, left), accept a gift from Boston College student, Justin Smith (seated, centre). The occasion was a courtesy call from a Boston College delegation, at the Ministry’s main office in Kingston on Tuesday (January 9).

Learning Should Improve at Homestead Primary with Smart Room

With the establishment of a smart room, learning should improve at the Homestead Primary and Infant School in St. Catherine.

Recently, the Digicel Foundation gifted the school with the facility at a cost of US$60,000. It is equipped with 12 laptops, 12 tablets, a smart board, a printer, air-conditioning units and is furnished with desks and chairs and can accommodate 24 students at a time.

“This means that Homestead is on a new path for learning, because the students are now into technology a lot, and learning will go up. I expect reading to go up, numeracy level, literacy level – all of them will go up with this smart room. They (students) will have to treat everything in the room with care, so that generations to come will have access to the facility,” said grade-four teacher at the school, Shauna-Kaye Dehaney, in an interview with JIS News.

Reading teacher at the institution, Neisha Davis Carr, said integration of school lessons into technology has become very necessary for students since the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19), and teaching with the various devices “will help them to understand better, because they are using something that they are very familiar with”.

“I am expecting higher grades, and more exciting students,” she said, adding that attendance should also improve.

Meanwhile, Head Girl, Ainsley-Ann Wright, said it is now “easier for the teachers to teach, and I am happy because it is helping students in the school, and I want to thank Digicel for creating this smart room”.

Prefect, Analdo White, said students will learn more in the smart room, and they “need to take care of it, because the future students will need it to understand their work”.

Another student, Paris Newton, said she is overjoyed for the “smart room, because it is going to benefit us a lot”.

“Some kids learn more when they are face-to-face with a tablet or a television,” she said.

For Kevesha Dias, the benefits from the facility will be great. “I look forward to coming to school, and going into the smart room,” she said.

The smart room initiative forms part of Digicel Foundation’s Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) project, which is aimed at helping to bridge the digital divide.

Several Activities for Earthquake Awareness Month

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) is organising several activities for the month of January, to commemorate Earthquake Awareness Month.

Being observed under the theme ‘Drop, Cover, Hold, Earthquake Readiness Is Within Our Control’, the Earthquake Awareness Campaign was officially launched by ODPEM on Sunday, January 14.

Among the activities being planned are a Press Launch at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in Kingston and an earthquake awareness exhibition at parish libraries across the island on Tuesday, January 16.

Earthquake Awareness Day for schools and businesses will be on January 17 and 18, respectively.

The ODPEM is encouraging them to conduct earthquake safety drills.

On Friday, January 19, the ODPEM will carry out its own earthquake drill to highlight its readiness, while on January 25, it will host an earthquake symposium at Kingston High School to discuss the country’s level of readiness for seismic events.

The symposium will begin at 5:00 p.m.

A newspaper supplement will also be published on January 25 to promote and share earthquake safety awareness information and best practices.

The activities will culminate on January 31 with an Earthquake Roadshow dubbed, ‘Talk in the Park’.

This event will be held at the Portland Marina and is aimed at providing a unique opportunity for questions and answers about disaster related events.

A fact sheet issued by the ODPEM says that Jamaica’s geographic location along the northern margin of the Caribbean Plate and the presence of an active fault line makes the country vulnerable to earthquakes.

The agency also indicated that with the lasting impact of the October 30, 2023 earthquake, it is quite timely that the nation pause to reflect, share expertise and ensure preparedness for the threat of earthquakes.

Citizens are being urged to take the necessary precautions and arm themselves with knowledge and information about earthquakes.

Persons may contact the ODPEM via telephone at (876) 906-9674-5 or send an email to [email protected].

The ODPEM is the National Disaster Organisation responsible for disaster management in Jamaica and has been charged with the responsibility for taking action to reduce the impact of disasters and emergencies on the Jamaican population and its economy.

It plays a coordinating role in the execution of emergency response and relief operations in major disaster events.

Teachers and Principals to Upskill Themselves Through NCEL and JTC

Teachers and principals at the early-childhood, primary and secondary levels will continue to upskill themselves in numerous professional development opportunities, through the National College for Educational Leadership (NCEL) and the Jamaica Teaching Council (JTC).

Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams, made the disclosure during a statement to the House of Representatives on Tuesday (January 16).

Mrs. Williams also informed that all remaining teachers and lecturers are expected to receive their laptops this term.

“There will be more smart/electronic whiteboards, more multimedia projectors and more computer labs in primary and secondary schools that will serve as the basis for the development of critical skills for the digital age,” she said.

Mrs. Williams pointed out that information and communications technology (ICT) is a major pillar as the Ministry transforms education for national development.

“We will continue the work to have all our schools connected with broadband internet. To date, we have 663 schools connected and we will be getting to more infant schools, primary schools, and secondary schools this term,” she noted.

She also expressed appreciation to Digicel, which has set up smart rooms in 11 primary schools and has committed to another 10 in the upcoming financial year.

Education State Minister Commends Grange Hill Primary for Reaching Milestone

State Minister in the Ministry of Education and Youth, Hon. Marsha Smith, has lauded the Grange Hill Primary School in Westmoreland for reaching the milestone of 100 years of existence.

“It is no small feat that the school has been able to get through the various challenges… and has provided primary-level education for many persons in the community and the wider parish,” she said.

The State Minister was addressing the Launch Service for the Grange Hill Primary School’s Centenary Celebration, which was held at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Westmoreland, on Sunday (January 14).

Ms. Smith also commended the institution and its staff for their resilience and for the contribution they have made to the lives of all its past and present students.

“Your educators, administrators and ancillary staff have played a central role in training and developing the minds of young Jamaicans in this area, guiding them into becoming productive citizens who have and are contributing to the development of Jamaica and the world,” she outlined.

“In this regard, it is always a good thing to reflect on and to celebrate the successes achieved over the years and to appreciate the journey travelled, while we look forward to better things to come,” the State Minister added.

Ms. Smith highlighted that the school, which started in 1924, was unique, as there are not many institutions that have been able to get to a century of existence.

For his part, Chairman of the School Board, Samuel Williams, called the school’s centennial anniversary “a remarkable achievement”.

He noted that one of the school’s greatest achievements, to date, was the removal of the shift system, which came into effect last September.

This came on the heels of a new classroom block being constructed at the school to further accommodate its more than 700 students.

The service, which marked the start of the school’s Centennial Celebration Week, was held under the theme ‘Grange Hill Primary 100: Celebrating the past, embracing the present and positioning for the future’.

Two New Child-Friendly Spaces Opened

Two Child Friendly Spaces (CFSs) were officially opened at separate locations in the corporate area, as part of efforts to effectively respond to victims of child trafficking.

The facilities, funded by the Warnath Group, are located at the National Children’s Registry (NCR) and the Glenhope Child Care Facility.

The spaces created are directly for the interviewing and screening of suspected and confirmed child trafficking victims, and other vulnerable children, who may be in need of care and protection.

It will also be accessible to the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), and other child protection organisations in the government’s heightened response to child trafficking.

In her remarks at the opening ceremony held at National Children’s Registry in Kingston on December 15, Minister of State in the Ministry of Education and Youth, Hon. Marsha Smith said the facilities will be transformative for children in need of support

“The partnership has allowed us to build capacities human and infrastructural, to respond to the victims of child trafficking in a manner that provides a sense of safety, stability, and our professionals are able to deliver service to our children in need,” Ms. Smith said.

A child-friendly space is an environment designed to help children who are victims of crime to feel safe, calm, and comfortable while interacting with professionals, including law enforcement officers, social workers, healthcare professionals and prosecutors.

Children who access the facilities will also be able to get counselling, emotional support, crisis intervention, court preparation, and victim advocacy for child victims of crime, including human trafficking. Five other facilities have been established across the island.

For his part, United States (US) Ambassador to Jamaica, His Excellency, N. Nick Perry said the opening of the two facilities is another signal of the US’s commitment to supporting the Jamaican Government, and people “in efforts to minimise the trauma for children who have been impacted by crime and other challenges that make growing up more daunting than any child should face”.

In May 2018, the Government of Jamaica and the Government of the United States entered a four-year Child Protection Compact (CPC), aimed at strengthening Jamaica’s capability to respond to incidents of child trafficking.

Specifically, the US-Jamaica Child Protection Compact is geared at expanding the capacity of stakeholders primarily along the three ‘Ps’ of Jamaica’s response to human trafficking, which includes Prevention, Protection and Prosecution.

Under the compact, a number of other initiatives, inclusive of the CFSs, were funded and executed by the Warnath Group, and implementing partners, Winrock International and the International Organization for Migration