GLEANER:  Minister of Education Ruel Reid said the Government is prepared to take disruptive students from the regular school system and place them in what he is proposing as ‘Time Out’ facilities.

 

Speaking to journalists during a Gleaner Editors’ Forum held at the newspaper’s offices in central Kingston, the education minister said that starting with Kingston and St Andrew, serious consideration is being given to establish special facilities to treat children who display deviant behaviour.

 

He indicated that the moral decay that continues to plague the society has resulted in a breakdown in family structures, which then produces children with severe behavioural challenges.

 

“We are a bold administration and it was something I had to do at JC (Jamaica College). There have been students who required deliberate and specialised treatment, where they do a whole cycle on social analysis to drill down to some of the issues. Meaning, therefore, that some of them can’t remain in the regular classroom for awhile,” the minister said.

 

 

 

MOVING AHEAD

 

 

“We can dance around it as much as we would like but we are now going to be moving ahead to see how we can establish in each region, in the first instance, Kingston and St Andrew, to establish time-out facilities so that those students with serious challenges would have to be taken out temporarily, treat them and bring them back,” he continued.

 

Reid said the ministry will be strident in ensuring that discipline and holistic development become the pillars that guide all educational institutions.

 

“It doesn’t mean that they are necessarily not going to have educational opportunities while they are out, but I don’t like the notion of having children in a regular school that you can’t control,” he said.

 

CAPTION: A policeman from the bicycle patrol team searches a group of schoolboys who were seen loitering in the St William Grant Park in downtown Kingston

GLEANER: With only a year left before the Ministry of Education replaces the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) with the much-anticipated Primary Exit Profile (PEP), the preparation for transition is on in earnest, and further details have emerged on how students will be tested, graded and subsequently placed in high schools.

 

Education Minister Senator Ruel Reid, speaking at a Gleaner Editors’ Forum at the newspaper’s North Street offices in central Kingston last week, said he has interrogated the system and is so far pleased with the progress the ministry has made in preparation for PEP.

 

He said further training of teachers and school administrators would get under way soon to prepare them for the new dispensation of the Primary School Exit examination, which commences in 2019.

 

It means that current grade four students will be the first cohort to sit PEP.

 

 

 

SWEEPING CHANGES

 

 

Part of the sweeping changes the ministry has disclosed is a shift in the examination period from March to May, and there will be an introduction of short-answer questions to complement multiple-choice questions which are now solely presented to students.

 

Reid declared: “The change is not just going to be a name … .

 

“It is intended for it to be a better preparatory mechanism for students moving into the secondary system to make sure we have better outcomes,” Reid said, adding that the PEP will shift the status quo of students regurgitating to developing critical and creative thinking skills.

 

The Primary Exit Profile (PEP) exam slated to begin in 2019 will have three distinct components which are the high order test, the performance task, and an ability test.

 

“The high order test will be the test that they will perform at the end of their time in grade six, and it will be a combination of multiple-choice and short-answer essay-type questions,” Education Minister Ruel Reid disclosed on Friday at a Gleaner Editors’ Forum at the company’s North Street offices in central Kingston.

 

The performance task, the minister disclosed, will be comparable to the current school-based assessment done by students preparing to sit the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) exams and will span grades four and five.

 

Reid addressing the issue of quality control of the assessment said, like at CXC, teachers will assess the students at the school, but there will, however, be moderation by way of a sampling mechanism.

 

The minister said the ability test would not be curriculum-based and will be presented to students in the form of multiple-choice questions.

 

As for high-school placement, the education minister said there would be no changes in that respect.

 

 

 

SMOOTH TRANSITION

 

 

Adamant that there must be a smooth transition into PEP, Reid disclosed that beginning September of this year, a change-management and communication team will be responsible for preparing primary-school teachers and administrators for PEP, while keeping the public informed on related matters.

 

The introduction of PEP coincides with the ending of the implementation of the national standards curriculum.

 

This financial year, the ministry has allocated $389 million for preparatory work and further training of teachers for PEP.

 

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CAPTION: Central Branch All-Age School Students.

JIS: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, is challenging researchers at the Northern Caribbean University (NCU) to undertake more agricultural based studies and innovations which would redound to the benefit of the country.

 

“If we manage to infuse technology and good management into our agricultural practises, we could increase our agricultural output tenfold and where you are in the centre of the island, I think you are well placed to lead that initiative,” he said.

 

The Prime Minister was speaking at the Northern Caribbean University’s (NCU) fundraising banquet held on Thursday (June 15) at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.

 

The banquet was to commemorate the inauguration of the NCU’s 24th President, Dr. Lincoln P. Edwards.

 

Mr. Holness encouraged the institution to develop and expand their research training capacities.

 

He further urged the school to train more students who will be ready for the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector at all levels, particularly in accounting, and software development.

 

“You have students who could easily transition into a work study programme in partnership with people who have business process outsourcing opportunities to do in Jamaica,” he said.

 

He noted that while more than 1000 persons have been employed in the sector in Mandeville, discussions with directors in the area have revealed that there is a need for more trained individuals and infrastructure.

 

Meanwhile, Mr. Holness said the institution is integral to the development of Mandeville through student housing and all the allied services that are provided to the university.

 

He further lauded the students for the numerous awards they have received both locally and internationally and encouraged them to continue being trailblazers in their respective fields.

 

In his remarks, President, NCU, Dr. Lincoln Edwards said the university aims to raise in excess of US$10 million over the next three years.

 

The initiative dubbed the NCU Restoring Every Student Confidence Using Education (RESCUE) 2020, will provide scholarships to needy students who are in at-risk communities in the island.

 

“We would also like to equip and build a dental hygiene and community outreach centre-a multipurpose building…and medical clinic to deliver dental and medical services to underserved populations, particularly in rural communities,” he said.

 

CAPTION: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (left) listens to a point being made by President, Northern Caribbean University (NCU), Dr. Lincoln Edwards, during the institution’s fundraising banquet, in commemoration of the inauguration of the new president, at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on June 15 .

JIS: The diaspora has contributed US$186,000 to the education sector for the period April 2016 to March 2017.

 

This was reported by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, while speaking at a Jamaica Diaspora Day Breakfast event held on Friday (June 16) at the Jamaica National Financial Centre on Belmont Road, Kingston.

 

The event was held to commission a study on the economic value of the diaspora being undertaken by the Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CaPRI) and the Jamaica Diaspora Institute (JDI).

 

It was also part of activities to observe Diaspora Day celebrated locally and abroad on June 16.

 

Minister Johnson Smith said the money came from in-kind donations in the form of educational materials, inclusive of books and computers.

 

“We truly value the sacrifices that many of them make to their families and communities evidenced by their generous gifts, whether through philanthropic donations or sharing of their time, skills and expertise,” she said.

 

The Minister said that Jamaican nationals overseas have also provided an important niche market for non-traditional products.

 

She said that products, such as yams, sweet potatoes, papaya, dasheen, pumpkin, mangoes, breadfruit, callaloo and ackee are now top agricultural exports to the United Kingdom, United States of America (USA) and Canada.

 

“During the period 2005 to 2015, the USA represented the major market for agricultural exports,” she added.

 

The Foreign Affairs Minister said that the Government is committed to removing the bureaucratic hurdles that hinder investments.

 

She cited the Economic Growth Council, which she said was created “to remove the bureaucratic barriers that exists and encourage innovation and a level of pragmatism in our government processes.”

 

Turning to the study which will highlight the true value of the Diaspora, Minister Johnson Smith said it will enable the government and the private sector to design innovative strategies that are relevant to the Diaspora, taking into account their unique needs and preferences in their respective locations.

 

“It is imperative that we secure empirical data of the current and potential value of the partnership between Jamaica and its Diaspora,” she stated.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith speaking at a Jamaica Diaspora Day Breakfast event held on Friday (June 16) at the Jamaica National Financial Centre on Belmont Road, Kingston. The occasion was the launch of a study on the economic value of the Jamaican diaspora, to be undertaken by the Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CaPRI) and the Jamaica Diaspora Institute.

JIS: Prime Minister the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the Government will be undertaking a review of tertiary education funding.

 

He said the objective is to ensure that more students will have access to higher learning.

 

“A part of the transformation in the way in which we fund tertiary education is to fund the students rather than the institutions. I think if you do that, you will see institutions becoming more efficient, because they now have to compete for the students and I think, that, in itself, will make tertiary education more accessible and more affordable,” he said.

 

The Prime Minister was speaking at the Northern Caribbean University’s (NCU) fundraising banquet held on Thursday (June 15) at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.

 

Mr. Holness said the new funding arrangement will include careful negotiations and public discourse.

 

He said while the Government does not have the resources to make tertiary education free, there are ways to restructure student loans and the resources being provided so that more students are able to complete their courses.

 

“Every year, the number of students who register but then are unable to complete their courses is increasing, and it amounts almost to a waste because, you start, you pay down then can’t finish, you drop out, and that money is gone,” he lamented.

 

He said the Government has heard the concerns regarding funding and is moving to make improvements.

 

“We know the difficulties that students face, which is why we have been very sympathetic and acted to support students who reached out to us at the University of the West Indies (UWI), to ensure that they could stay in school and complete their education. They are far more valuable to the society with a degree than without,” the Prime Minister pointed out.

 

The banquet was to commemorate the inauguration of the NCU’s 24th President, Dr. Lincoln P. Edwards.

 

During the function, awards were presented to several persons for institutional advancement.

 

They include Dr. and Mrs. Ethelred Carter; Mr. Victor Dixon (posthumously) and Bernice Dixon; Drs. Neville and Angela Gallimore; the Hon. Michael Lee-Chin; Dr. and Mrs. Milton Morris; the Most Hon. Percival James Patterson; Dr. and Mrs. Witford Reid; Dr. and Mrs. Herman Ricketts; Dr. and Mrs. Byron Robinson; Mr. and Mrs. Aston Tai; Dr. Herbert Thompson; Dr. Ouida Westney; and Dr. Lennox Westney (posthumously).

 

CAPTION: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (right) greets President, Northern Caribbean University (NCU), Dr. Lincoln Edwards (left), on his arrival at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on June 15 for the institution’s fundraising banquet in commemoration of the inauguration of the new president. Looking on is Chairman, NCU Board of Governors, Pastor Everett Brown.

GLEANER: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information will shortly roll out its policy guidelines on the grooming standards for students as it relates to styling of their hair, uniform, and general deportment, portfolio minister Ruel Reid disclosed yesterday. However, schools will still have the final word in its application.

 

This is in keeping with a commitment last year and drawing on the recommendations from islandwide consultations with students, parents, teachers, and school board chairmen conducted by the National Council on Education.

 

“We will provide our full position on that shortly. We are reviewing the recommendations so that we can sign off on the guidelines that we will issue to schools,” Reid told a Gleaner Editors’ Forum at the company’s North Street, Kingston, headquarters.

 

The final document, however, will not be quite as definitive as anticipated, especially in light of the recent incident at the Vauxhall High School in the Corporate Area, which resulted in three teachers being arrested and charged after they, reportedly, forcibly gave a male student a trim.

 

The long-overdue grooming policy will still give schools some leeway in making a final determination as to what is fit and proper in terms of hairstyle, accessories, and uniform. It was this latitude that led to the decision by a private preparatory school last year to bar a three-year-old based on his frizzy, Afro-centric hairstyle.

 

“The Vauxhall and the prep school are the same issue. The schools had no documentation that specified what the standard of the hair should be, but you are policing in the absence of a clear standard, and it becomes very subjective. We have to say to the schools now that we are in an environment now where we need clarity; where rules have to be very clear and specific, and the sanctions also have to be specified, which is also consistent with the regulations,” Reid declared, adding that the ministry would still need to offer guidance to educators.

 

 

 

LAW DOESN’T SPECIFY

 

 

He added, “If the law doesn’t specify, you can’t interpret that the law allows you to implement certain sanctions. So we also are going to guide the schools as to what is permissible under the law. The overwhelming position, I would say, is that the ministry should not prescribe what the hairstyles, or even the standards, should be, but give a framework, and the schools would be allowed, through the normal process with their boards, to sign off on what the standard is. Standard of grooming means standard of your hair, uniform, etc.

 

“What we are likely to say is that within the law and the Constitution, you’ll be mindful that whatever you do is non-discriminatory; that you can’t discriminate; that there has to be access; that the person can’t be barred without due process.”

 

Reid further said: “All I’m saying is that we are not going to say that the length of your hair must be X, Y, Z. The ministry is not going to say that. The ministry is going to give guidelines that you must go through a process that is legal and constitutional, and each school will have the flexibility to make the determination as to what the height of your hair should be, with due consultation with the parents, which is the general recommendation.

 

“However, once it has been so established, it becomes the rule of the school, and the sanctions are to be also explicit. Indeed, you are to be very clear … even providing graphical representation as to what the hairstyle is to be.”

 

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CAPTION: Ruel Reid, Minister of Education, Youth and Information, at a Gleaner Editors’ Forum yesterday

 

GLEANER: A proposed formal policy for the zoning of secondary schools will not be in place for the 2019 implementation of the Primary Exit Profile (PEP), which is slated to replace the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), stated Ruel Reid, minister of education, youth and information.

 

“I want to definitively say that zoning is not being contemplated for 2019, and even if there’s going to be any such shift in policy, I’ve made it very clear it has to be a national consensus. The ministry by itself won’t implement such a radical change in approach,” declared Reid in the presence of a team from his ministry at a Gleaner Editors’ Forum at the media house’s North Street, Kingston, office, yesterday.

 

The proposed zoning system would see students being mandated to attend secondary schools within a particular geographic region, usually within proximity of their residence.

 

“There have been recommendations to that end and in terms of changing how we place students, but we’re not there yet. We would have to secure the full endorsement of the Opposition, the National Parent-Teacher Association, the Jamaica Teachers’ Association, Parliament, Cabinet, and the National Council on Education,” noted the education minister.

 

 

 

SHORT OF SCHOOLS

 

 

The lack of schools in some regions was also noted as an impediment to the zoning, along with Reid underscoring the need for the quality of education across all schools to be raised before any such shift becomes effective.

 

“We’re already short 17 schools, and if you’re going to do clustering and zoning, you have to ensure there is an adequate number of schools aligned to the needs of the particular population in each area. The ministry would also have to ensure that the quality of all schools is standardised,” he pointed out.

 

With regard to school placement, students will continue to have seven options for their preferred institutions.

 

In July 2015, then education minister Ronald Thwaites stated that while he was hopeful about the widespread implementation of zoning, it was too soon to consider a formal zoning policy.

 

Factors such as the additional transportation cost parents bear as a result of their children having to travel several miles to school and the impact the lengthy journey has on the learning ability of students was also highlighted by Thwaites.

 

Parents and other stakeholders have voiced their discontent with the zoning proposal, citing that it presents a barrier to higher-learning opportunities.

 

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CAPTION: Senator Ruel Reid, Minister of Education, Youth and Information

JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information is to allocate $1 billion in budgetary support to primary, all-age and junior high schools for the 2017-2018 academic year.

 

This is in line with the Ministry’s commitment to provide greater support to schools to improve the quality of education in Jamaica.

 

A bulletin issued by the Ministry states that all schools at the infant and primary levels will receive $2,500 per student, up from an average of $850.

 

All-age and junior high schools will get $19,000 per student, up from $1,100.

 

Schools will also continue to receive a maintenance grant of $50,000 and janitorial grant of $172,000 per school. The money will be disbursed in four tranches beginning this month (June).

 

The second and third tranches will be given in September and December, respectively, and the final tranche will be handed over in April 2018.

 

The Ministry will also provide additional teachers for schools that require special support, based on the nature of the students and special programmes being offered.

 

Selected schools will be fitted with additional classrooms, and some infrastructure upgraded.

 

Lighting systems in schools will also be upgraded. Beneficiaries under the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) at the all-age and junior high levels will be supplied with literature books, and $2,000 will be allocated to each student to cover the cost of identification and uniform-related items.

 

The Ministry will cover the cost of insurance for PATH beneficiaries and wards of the State.

 

School administrators are reminded that no fees are to be charged; however, schools should work with parent-teacher associations (PTAs) to determine the level of contribution that parents can afford to assist in the long-term development of the schools, or for special projects.

 

The bulletin says that for schools which may require additional support, their operating costs will be carefully reviewed and, if necessary, additional allocations will be made within one month of a request.

 

Meanwhile, schools that fall short of funds, during the course of the year, should write to the Permanent Secretary requesting consideration for additional support.

 

Schools will be required to submit annual comprehensive income and expenditure statements for all funds received from all sources, followed by an audited financial statement.

 

CAPTION: In this file photo, Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (right), adjusts the collar of a student at Spanish Town High School, during a tour of the institution.