Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams, has informed that almost 400 schools now have ramps installed, as efforts are made to accommodate students with physical challenges who use wheelchairs to access classes.

“Additionally, we are beginning, for those schools with multiple levels, to put in lifts so that our students have access. We’re not there yet in terms of seeing that 100 per cent of our schools have ramps, but we have a pathway to getting there and every year there’s budget for installation of ramps in schools,” Mrs. Williams said.

She was speaking in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (October 1), at Gordon House.

Regarding the provision of shadows, Mrs. Williams informed that currently almost 350 shadows are in the system, who receive a stipend, to assist those children in classes who need the help.

“We consider this a significant benefit that we are able to provide to our students.

In the school system, we do have some institutions that are dedicated to children with special needs, and so of course those classrooms and bathrooms will be so fitted out for those students,” she said.

“Where we have students with special needs that are fully integrated or mainstreamed into other classes, of course we make provisions as well for those students if they have to use wheelchair or they have other special requirements. We have an entire unit at the Ministry of Education dedicated to dealing with and ensuring that the needs of our special needs students are attended to,” Mrs. Williams added.

The Minister also informed that the Ministry uses private persons and private institutions with specialty in this area as well.

“The Ministry will pay the full fee for those students to access private schools. So, we are ensuring that special needs students have the focus that they deserve in the education system. I will admit there is always more that can be done, but so far, I think you know there is good work that we’ve been doing in that area,” Mrs. Williams said.

The Education Transformation Oversight Committee (ETOC) is reporting that work has commenced on 136 recommendations targeted for implementation in the Jamaica Education Transformation Commission (JETC) report.

Chairman, Dr. Adrian Stokes, made the disclosure while addressing Thursday’s (October 3) ETOC press conference held at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Regional Headquarters in St. Andrew.

He advised that seven of the 136 initiatives have been finalised and 129 are in progress.

“Of the 129 initiatives currently under way, 128 of them are on track and one initiative is lagging. Overall, ETOC sees this as good progress being made with implementation,” he said.

The seven initiatives that have been finalised are the structural review of the National Council on Education to strengthen its capacity; preparation and dissemination of National Education Inspectorate (NEI) inspection reports; making reports on school financials public; conducting an institutional review of the Early Childhood Commission (ECC); requesting approval for increased budget to support in-service training of early childhood practitioners; training of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) officers; and work to improve the capacity of pre-service teachers at all level of the education system.

Dr. Stokes said that the lagging initiative is the Jamaica Teaching Council Bill.

“That Bill is still going through the various parliamentary review procedures before it is finalised,” he said, urging that the process be fast-tracked “so that we can begin to see the benefits of the legislation in the education sector.”

ETOC has been charged with monitoring the implementation of 365 recommendations contained in the JETC report, which was chaired by Professor Orlando Patterson.

Launched in July 2020, the JETC was mandated to comprehensively review and assess Jamaica’s education system, including its structure, operation and processes, and recommend an action plan for change.

Students of the Seaward Primary and Infant School display their project, ‘Farm and Solar’, during the Scientific Research Council’s Annual Science Fair at Hope Zoo in Kingston on Thursday, September 26, 2024.

The Early Childhood Commission (ECC) has handed over a newly retrofitted inclusive classroom to the Salvation Army Arthur Wint Basic School in Lucea, Hanover.

Done in partnership with the Digicel Foundation, the facility forms part of the ECC’s Inclusive Legacy Project.

The classroom, which includes an adjoining sensory room, can accommodate some 20 students and is equipped with all the necessary resources and teaching materials to cater to the unique needs of the children.

During the handover ceremony held on September 18, Executive Director of the ECC, Dr. Karlene DeGrasse-Deslandes, lauded the contribution of Digicel Foundation, which created the infrastructure of the classroom and the sensory room, while the ECC provided the furniture and learning resources.

She said that the legacy classroom initiative is having a profound impact on the development of all students.

She noted that the project, which commenced in 2022, was created to advance early-childhood development through the establishment of inclusive learning environments, where students with special needs can learn in the same setting as their peers.

“To date, the ECC’s legacy classrooms have transformed the lives of children with special needs, providing them with the foundation to thrive, to dream and to succeed,” she said.

Dr. DeGrasse-Deslandes further posited that through the initiative, the ECC has demonstrated that when children with special needs are given the same opportunities as their peers, they can exceed expectations, redefining what success looks like.

“Our classrooms have become more than spaces for learning; they are environments of empowerment where diversity is celebrated and each child’s unique potential is unlocked,” she said.

“What we are witnessing is the legacy of inclusive education, children with special needs who are no longer sidelined but integrated, supported and encouraged to shine,” Dr. DeGrasse-Deslandes emphasised.

She further underscored that inclusive education is a powerful approach that enriches the learning environment for all students.

“By fostering an atmosphere of empathy, collaboration and diversity, we are teaching our children valuable lessons in understanding and acceptance from an early age,” she outlined.

For her part, Board Chair at the Digicel Foundation, Joy Clark, said the project represented the collaboration of like-minded persons who are committed to the future of the island’s children.

“This initiative is a testament to the Digicel Foundation’s mission of creating a world where no one gets left behind. We believe that every child, regardless of their abilities, deserves the best possible start, and that it is what today is about,” she said.

“This is our third inclusive classroom project with the ECC. Early-childhood education has always been and will always be close to our hearts,” Ms. Clark said.

Chairman of the school board, Major Jonathan Kellman, thanked both entities for choosing the school as a beneficiary of the project, noting that the initiative was another opportunity to reach out to those children who are at times not included.

Education Officer for Agriculture in the Ministry of Education and Youth, Okemo Duckie, (left), with (from second left) Phenomenal Woman Representative, Michelle Sadler; Teacher, Knockalva Polytechnic College, Kareen Stewart, students from Knockalva Polytechnic College, Sandra Cummings, Kemonie Williams and Sanjea Ward; and Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), Derron Grant, during the recent launch of the JAS’s Phenomenal Clubs in four educational institutions and provision of bursaries and grants to needy students during a ceremony at JAS’s offices in downtown Kingston .

The Government is placing a lot of emphasis on Civics education to tackle behavioural issues among students, says Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams.

Addressing the ceremonial reopening of schools in Manchester, on September 24, at the Winston Jones High School, she said the country has witnessed sporadic episodes of violent and antisocial behaviour among a handful of students, and to prevent them, there has to be an “emphasis on respect for self and respect for others”.

“This means there is no place for violent attacks against each other. No place for bullying. Our civics education curriculum places significant emphasis on students’ development of values/virtues and intellectual competencies that enable individuals to operate as exemplary citizens,” the Minister said.

She pointed out that in alignment with the focus of the National Standards Curriculum, Civics was designed with a co-curricular counterpart, the Culture in Education and Citizenship Programme, that provides “complementary experiences” for students, and through the experiences, it is expected that they will become individuals who are caring, respectful and resilient.

The Minister told the audience that in addition, over the past two years, the Ministry has been working with the Ministry of Justice and other Government agencies to promote restorative justice practices in schools, a vehicle through which students can defuse conflicts and the desire for retaliatory action when individuals feel they have been wronged.

Held under the theme ‘Innovating with Integrity and Inclusion: Embodying Values and Attitudes in STEM Education’, the event was also used to launch the new STEM education programme from the Office of the Custos for the Parish of Manchester.

The initiative is aimed at fostering critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills among students, and was designed to prepare young minds for the future by equipping them with the knowledge and competencies needed in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

 

Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams, is projecting that the performance of Jamaican students in Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Mathematics will return to pre-pandemic levels next year.

Only 39 per cent of students received a passing grade in the May/June 2024 sitting.

“That’s a very low number. It was low in the Caribbean as well, and as we look across the globe, we are seeing other countries bemoan their maths results as well. Not an excuse, but we are still recovering from COVID,” she said.

Minister Williams was delivering the keynote address during Thursday’s (September 26) Rotary Club of Kingston luncheon meeting, held at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston, under the theme ‘Basic Education and Literacy’.

She pointed out that the students who recently sat CSEC were the cohort that missed face-to-face teaching in grades seven and eight.

“We have hope, though, because when we look at the results pre-pandemic, in 2019, 54 per cent of the students then passed mathematics. We are targeting to get back to that level by next year and then work on taking it even higher,” she said.

Minister Williams said education is a sector on which all Jamaicans are depending to carry the nation forward, and the Ministry is committed to making improvements by implementing the 365 recommendations of the Jamaica Education Transformation Commission.

“If we significantly improve the educational outcomes from the system, our future will be significantly brighter because of the quality of jobs that we will be able to attract in Jamaica,” she stated.

The Overseas Examinations Commission (OEC) is looking to build out its e-testing infrastructure as part of the digitisation of its operations.

Enhanced e-testing facilities will be made possible through the construction of the OEC’s state-of-the-art multipurpose facility, slated for completion in 2026.

The entity recently broke ground for the more than $1-billion facility, to be constructed at its Manhattan Road complex in Kingston.

In his address at the ceremony, OEC Chairman, Brian Bennett-Easy, said the entity’s bold move to establish this advanced digital examination hub will enhance the efficiency of its systems.

“[It will] also expand the scope of services we offer to Jamaica and the wider Caribbean region. This facility will be pivotal in ensuring that our students and educators are better served, reflecting our vision for a more responsive and inclusive education system,” he said.

In addition, the OEC’s recent achievement of ISO:9001:2015 certification will play a critical role in expanding the Commission’s capacity to respond to the changing examination landscape and increase the pace at which the organisation can bring innovation to administration and testing in the e-testing environment.

“This globally recognised standard for quality management is an extraordinary achievement, affirming the OEC’s dedication to service excellence,” Mr. Bennett-Easy said.

Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams, has commended the Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica (CCCJ) for its role in assuring quality in higher education in Jamaica.

“CCCJ… continues to play an instrumental role in advancing higher education through programme, curriculum, assessment design and development, certification and awards,” she said.

“Through innovative approaches, the Council has expanded programme offerings to reflect the diversity and flexibility required in today’s education landscape,” she noted.

Minister Williams was addressing the opening of the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics (WFCP) World Congress hosted by the CCCJ, at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa in Montego Bay, St. James, on September 25.

Minister Williams credited the CCCJ for the introduction of micro-credential courses, which she noted, are a testament to the island’s commitment to lifelong learning and a recognition that education must be agile, accessible and aligned with the current demands of the workforce.

“These stackable credentials offer learners at all stages of life the chance to build upon their skills incrementally, creating pathways for continuous growth,” she noted.

Mrs. Williams also highlighted the CCCJ’s partnership with the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) in advancing educational equivalency across institutions.

“This partnership creates new pathways for students to earn bachelor’s degrees through our colleges and polytechnics, strengthening the alignment between tertiary-level programmes and creating greater resource sharing across higher education institutions in Jamaica,” she pointed out.

“Such collaborations are critical as we work towards building a seamless and robust educational ecosystem that serves the diverse needs of our students and the industries that they themselves will lead one day,” Mrs. Williams said.

The World Congress brought together global experts and professionals to collaborate, share insights, and catalyse transformative change in the education landscape.

Mrs. Williams expressed the hope that the discussions would not only shape policies and practices within the island’s institutions “but also echo throughout the global educational community”.

The WFCP is an international network of colleges and associations of colleges.

The organisation provides leadership in delivering workforce education for the global economy, and members share leading-edge education strategies and best practices to increase workforce employability in countries around the world.

The congress was held from September 25 to September 27 under the theme ‘Empower, Equip, Excel’.

The Buff Bay Primary School in Portland is using farming technologies to generate the interest of students in agriculture and to boost food production for their canteen and for the market.

Vice Principal at the institution, Keisha Braimbridge, told JIS News that last year they won a school garden prize at a 4-H Clubs event in the parish, and from that they upgraded their semi-greenhouse with the installation of tanks and irrigation drippers, to automate the operation.

“We are promoting sustainable agriculture, using hydroponic and aeroponic methods, and those are the technologies that we are teaching,” she said.

Ms. Braimbridge pointed out that the aim is for the students to take the technology into their homes and communities and promote sustainable framing.

The Vice Principal noted that the school is very competitive in 4-H Clubs competitions, and over the years they have won a number of medals.

She said they teach the students, from early in their schooling, the love of agriculture, with many of them making careers in farming.

“It is important for them to know that agriculture is not the old man riding a donkey and the various sustainable ways that they can do agriculture within their own environs,” Ms. Braimbridge said.

“The things that we grow, we use them in the canteen, and when we have a surplus, parents support the 4-H Clubs by buying the produce,” she said.

Meanwhile, Principal of the school, Jacqueline Edwards, said an objective of the enterprise is to use it to train students from other schools.

“They would come in, look at what we are doing, and model whatever we are doing at their schools,” she said.