JIS: State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, says the observation of Child Month provides an opportunity for Jamaicans to reflect on and renew their commitment to the nation’s children.

 

He noted that the theme for the month, ‘Take Action! Break the Chain of Abuse Against our Children’, serves as an urgent reminder that “all of us, as individuals and as a society, need to do more to protect our children”.

 

Mr. Green was speaking at a Think Tank at the Jamaica Information Service’s (JIS) head office in Kingston on Thursday (May 4) to announce activities for Child Month.

 

The Child Development Agency (CDA) is collaborating with the Office of the Children’s Registry (OCR) and other child-related agencies to undertake a number of activities in observance of the month.

 

On Tuesday (May 9), CDA Cares will be launched at The Knutsford Court Hotel, New Kingston. This initiative is a structured volunteer programme through which members of the public can assist residential childcare facilities by sponsoring a child, adopting a home, or volunteering in specific areas.

 

As part of the ongoing Child Protection Campaign, community walk-throughs will take place on May 12, 19 and 26.

 

Chief Executive Officer of the CDA, Rosalee Gage-Grey, who also addressed the Think Tank, noted that these walk-throughs, which will be held at CDA regions across the island, will enable face-to-face interaction with citizens.

 

“We are targeting those hotspot communities from which we get a lot of reports in relation to abuse and missing children,” she informed.

 

Some of the targeted areas include Half-Way-Tree and White Hall Avenue, St. Andrew; and Barrett Town community in St. James, where the late Ananda Dean lived.

 

On Saturday, May 13 the CDA and other agencies will participate in Food For The Poor’s 5K Run at Emancipation Park, to raise funds to build houses for the less fortunate.

 

On Monday, May 15, the CDA will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the United Kingdom (UK)-based Debate Mate for the staging of a four-week programme aimed at providing children in State care with debating and conflict resolution skills.  The programme will culminate with a debate competition.

 

The signing will take place at the Homestead Place of Safety, St. Catherine. One of the highlights of Child Month will be the staging of Child Management Day on Friday, May 19.

 

Mrs. Gage-Grey told JIS News that on the day, which is also observed as National Children’s Day, more than 200 wards of the State will assume management positions within CDA offices, parish councils, government ministries and agencies, and corporate companies.

 

“The child will be afforded the opportunity to make at least one decision on that day in his/her capacity as the chief executive officer, executive director, or managing director,” she pointed out.

 

On Labour Day, May 23, the CDA will partner with Food For the Poor and other stakeholders in giving a facelift to the home of a mother of three in Barrett Town.

 

International Day for Missing Children will be observed on May 25, with the staging of an International Safeguarding Children Conference at the Shaw Park Hotel in Ocho Rios. More than 300 children are expected to participate.

 

The CDA’s Child Month activities will culminate on Saturday, May 27 with a National Children’s Expo and Special Needs Resource Conference at Hope Gardens, St. Andrew.

 

The conference is being spearheaded by the Nathan Ebanks Foundation, with support from the Ministry, OCR, National Child Month Committee, National Health Fund (NHF), Diabetes Association, Sickle Cell Foundation, and Jamaica Down’s Syndrome Foundation, among others.

 

CAPTION: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green (centre), fields questions at a JIS Think Tank on Thursday, May 4. He is flanked by Registrar at the Office of the Children’s Registry (OCR), Greig Smith (left); and Chief Executive Officer at the Child Development Agency (CDA), Rosalee Gage-Grey

JIS: 

 

Mr President

 

I am pleased to provide an update to members of the Senate on developments and programmes in the early childhood sector.

 

The Government of Jamaica, recognising that an emphasis on early childhood development (ECD) is strategic to national development has committed to a multi-pronged transformation programme aimed at achieving the best possible outcomes for all Jamaican children from birth to 8 years.

ECD Policy

 

Mr. President while government policy must meet the needs of all children, it is imperative that particular emphasis be placed on the most vulnerable, particularly children with special needs and those living in poverty. Our ECD policy therefore sets out the provision for comprehensive, universally available and equitable early childhood development programmes and services for children.

 

Historically, Jamaica has evolved a cooperative community based culture of child care provision through churches and civic societies such as the Jamaica Welfare Society which built the first crèche in Jamaica in 1948.

 

See Full Statement Here 

 

CAPTION: The Hon. Senator Ruel Reid, CD, Minister of Education, Youth and Information.

JIS: The Government plans to restructure the funding arrangements for tertiary-level education to make it more accessible.

 

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says he is looking at instituting a new model for financing tertiary education, which will entail a subsidy on loans.

 

Mr. Holness was speaking at a ceremony to induct him into the Park of Honour located at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, on May 3.

 

“If we are going to expand tertiary education, then the subsidy may have to shift from the fees to a subsidy for the financing, meaning you have to make it easier and more accessible for students to finance their education, rather than to give a subsidy for fees,” he explained.

 

Mr. Holness argued that “it might not be the best model, but it is the model that I believe could see an expansion in the number of students entering tertiary education”.

 

“It is the ability to access the financing of tertiary education, making it affordable over the lifetime of the student, treating it more like a mortgage on a house, because, effectively, your tertiary education is your greatest capital acquisition. It probably would mean an increase in the total cost borne by each person wanting to access (funding),” he noted.

 

Mr. Holness said the Government will be looking at expanding the resources available to fund tertiary education, with the assistance of financial institutions.

 

“In this context of a very fixed education budget, the solution has to be how do we engage (and) encourage financial institutions plus the government to increase the pool of the student loan (and to ensure that) the interest rates are affordable,” he argued.

 

The Prime Minister further suggested that under this funding proposal, preferential treatment would be given to programmes that support skills the country needs. In addition, he said greater programmes of bonding, and expanding the offerings of universities would also be considered.

 

“We cannot implement such a measure right away, but we must at least start the discussion, otherwise we will continue, every year, to have students who start their courses and can’t pay for it,” he said.

 

The Prime Minister said he will be engaging various stakeholders in discussions about the proposed new funding arrangements, including Leader of the Opposition, Dr. Peter Phillips.

 

In the meantime, Mr. Holness is imploring students who are to benefit from the Government’s recent financial support of $300 million to “pay back and pay forward”.

 

The money, which will come from the Education Ministry’s budget, will help financially challenged Jamaican students at UWI, University of Technology (UTech) and the Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI). The funds will be available as at September this year.

 

“We have assisted, but you must pay back (the money) so that others can benefit, and you must pay forward – help others who are coming (and) give back to society,” he said.

 

Mr. Holness is the 18th Head of Government to be inducted into the park, which was established in 2005 to honour UWI graduates who have been or are serving as CARICOM Heads of Government.

 

CAPTION: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness makes a point while addressing attendees at a ceremony to induct him into the Park of Honour at the University of the West Indies, Mona, on May 3. Mr. Holness is the 18th Head of Government to be inducted into the park, which was established in 2005 to honour UWI graduates who have been or are serving as CARICOM Heads of Government.

JIS: Minister of State for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, is calling on service clubs to partner with early-childhood institutions to assist them in meeting the certification standards.

 

He said that of the more than 2,700 schools across the island, only 34 have been certified as meeting the Early Childhood Commission’s (ECC) stipulations. The first one was approved last year.

 

“With your network and your resources, you would be able to move schools to certification,” he contended.

 

Mr. Green was delivering the keynote address at a luncheon hosted by the Lions Club of Kingston on Wednesday (May 3) at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.

 

The 12 Standards for the Operation, Management and Administration of Early Childhood Institutions (ECIs) relate to nutrition; staffing; development and educational programmes; interactions and relationships with children; physical environment; indoor and outdoor equipment; health; safety; child rights, child protection and equality; parent and stakeholder participation; administration and finance.

 

Mr. Green noted that almost 90 per cent of early-childhood institutions are registered with the ECC, and urged the Lions Club members to contact the agency for information on how they can assist the schools to make the necessary improvements in order to meet the standards.

 

He further called on the service club to help in addressing child abuse in the communities that they serve.

 

He noted that more than 13,000 reports are made annually of children being ill-treated. He told the club members that while they face some hostility in their efforts, this should not be a deterrent in protecting the nation’s children.

 

“We still have to do the things that we know are right to protect our children; because (child abuse) affects all of us,” the Education State Minister said.

 

CAPTION: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green. (FILE)

JIS: State Minister in the Education, Youth and Information Ministry, Hon. Floyd Green, has reiterated the call for more students to pursue studies in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

 

Mr. Green noted that TVET training is an asset in the global job market.

 

“The reality is that TVET is not a second-chance opportunity. It is not for those of us who are not so academically gifted. It is actually a necessary ingredient now in the reality of our modern world. Skills training is a valid choice,” he said.

 

Mr. Green was addressing a TVET Empowerment Forum hosted by the Ministry, at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on May 2.

 

He told the students in attendance from schools across the island that traditional and “old-time professions” are becoming more saturated and will not necessarily generate significant income in the future.

 

In addition, he said, with advancements in technology, some of the professions being clamoured over now will not be available within the next five to 10 years.

 

He noted, therefore, that it is the skills and competences of TVET that will prepare students for the technology-driven future.

 

“Vocational training now, therefore, has a greater role in our education system and in the formulation of educational policies,” he pointed out.

 

Mr. Green said it is in this regard that the Government is placing strong emphasis on apprenticeship and occupational degrees.

 

He noted that the HEART Trust/NTA is playing an essential role in preparing young people for existing and emerging technical jobs, through diversification of its programme offerings. Among them is its occupational studies and upskilling programme.

 

The TVET forum was held under the theme ‘Using Apprenticeship and Occupational Degrees as Educational Tools to Secure Productivity and Growth in Jamaica’ and saw a number of schools showcasing innovations in science and technology.

 

These included a solar-powered building, an irrigation system and haircare and skincare products.

 

The day’s activities included a National TVET Quality Awards ceremony to recognise institutions with the best TVET lab, project, and the student and teacher of the year.

 

Among the schools that participated were Bog Walk High in St. Catherine; Denbigh and Central High in Clarendon; Jamaica College and Holy Trinity High in Kingston.

 

CAPTION: State Minister in the Education, Youth and Information Ministry, Hon. Floyd Green, addresses a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Empowerment Forum hosted by the Ministry at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on May 2.

JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information is collaborating with One-on-One Educational Services Ltd. to assist students in their preparation for the upcoming Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.

 

Based in Kingston, One-on-One provides personalised educational services and e-learning solutions to secondary-school students and corporate entities.

 

Portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, said that 4,500 access cards have been provided to students from targeted schools, who will be sitting mathematics, English language and the sciences.

 

“Students… are able to use the cards to access online tutorials and practice questions in the coming weeks as they prepare for their examinations,” he noted.

 

He was addressing a press conference at his Heroes Circle offices in Kingston on Monday (May 1).

 

Senator Reid informed that the Ministry will be administering a standardised test for grade-10 students who will be sitting CSEC mathematics in 2018.

 

“The results of the test will be used to identify students needing (further) critical support,” he said.

 

A summer programme will also be developed for these students, which they can access at their schools. They will be given early access to the One-on-One platform to complement the face-to-face interactions they will have at school.

 

Meanwhile, Mr. Reid noted that the Ministry has been partnering with universities to deal with the issue of outstanding tuition fees by some students. He informed that negotiations were held with institutions in order to facilitate settlement of the outstanding amounts.

 

He informed further that $45 million remains outstanding by approximately 329 students of the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI).

 

He said provisions will be made through the Jamaica Values and Attitudes Programme (JAMVAT) to cover the $9 million owed by 225 students who benefit from the programme.

 

The remaining $36 million will be facilitated through a fast-track Students’ Loan Bureau (SLB) application process.

 

“We will work with our students and stakeholders to facilitate scholarships and legitimate financial arrangements,” Senator Reid said.

 

CAPTION: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (centre), emphasises a point at a press conference at his Heroes Circle offices in Kingston on May 1. Others looking on are Senior Advisor to the Minister, Sharon Hay-Webster and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dean-Roy Bernard.