JIS: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, is urging school administrators not to allow the issue of fees and indiscipline to affect children’s education.

 

He said the Government has taken a bold step to increase funding for schools, and where children are cited for being indiscipline, they should be redirected to other learning institutions, under strict guidance.

 

“We cannot allow that in our Jamaica, because we know that were it not for education, we would not be here,” the Minister said.

 

He added that if children are out of school, it provides the opportunity for them to get into activities that are not good for their well-being.

 

The State Minister was delivering the keynote address at the Bog Walk High School Annual Awards in St. Catherine, on Thursday (March 23).

 

Mr. Reid encouraged the students to develop a passion for the career path they want, while at the same time encouraging parents to support their children’s choices.

 

Meanwhile, student at the institution, Tyana Stanberry, thanked the Minister for his contribution, noting that “your speech delivered a series of fundamental advice.”

 

“The students are now motivated more than ever to raise the bar, to excel in character and to serve others,” she said.

 

For her part, Member of Parliament for North Central St. Catherine, Natalie Neita Headley, encouraged the students, not to allow circumstances to keep them from succeeding.

 

The Past Students Association awarded two students with plaques, one each from the lower and upper school, as well as provided $25,000 for needy students who will be doing the Caribbean Secondary Education (CSEC) examinations.

 

CAPTION: Top achievers at the Bog Walk High School in St. Catherine, display their trophies and certificates at the school’s Annual Awards ceremony held on March 23 at the institution.

JIS: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Floyd Green, is urging school administrators not to allow the issue of fees and indiscipline to affect children’s education.

 

He said the Government has taken a bold step to increase funding for schools, and where children are cited for being indiscipline, they should be redirected to other learning institutions, under strict guidance.

 

“We cannot allow that in our Jamaica, because we know that were it not for education, we would not be here,” the minister said.

 

He added that if children are out of school, it provides the opportunity for them to get into activities that are not good for their wellbeing.

 

The state minister was delivering the keynote address at the Bog Walk High School Annual Awards in St Catherine, last Thursday.

 

Green encouraged the students to develop a passion for the career path they want, while at the same time encouraging parents to support their children’s choices.

 

Meanwhile, a student at the institution, Tyana Stanberry, thanked the minister for his contribution, noting that “your speech delivered a series of fundamental advice.”

 

“The students are now motivated more than ever to raise the bar, to excel in character and to serve others,” she said. 

 

For her part, Member of Parliament for North Central St Catherine, Natalie Neita Headley, encouraged the students, not to allow circumstances to keep them from succeeding.

 

The Past Students Association awarded two students with plaques, one each from the lower and upper school, as well as provided $25,000 for needy students who will be doing the Caribbean Secondary Education (CSEC) examinations.

 

CAPTION: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Floyd Green (right), receives a gift package from student at the St Catherine based Bog Walk High School, Tyana Stanberry, at the institution’s annual awards ceremony held on March 23, 2017.

JIS: The Industrial Arts Department of Vauxhall High School on Friday (March 24) hosted an Open Day to showcase the skills of secondary students preparing for careers in technical and vocational fields.

 

The institution was supported by students from Kemps Hall, Dunoon and Donald Quarrie Technical High Schools, who also mounted displays, some of which were a part of students’ School Based Assessment (SBA) projects for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination.

 

The displays included a hydraulic press, a circuit board featuring a motion sensor, and furniture including hassock, ironing boards, bedside lamps and step ladders.

 

Speaking with JIS News, Acting Principal of the institution, Prudence Brown Pinnock, was pleased with the event’s staging and expressed confidence that the Industrial Arts will receive rightful recognition and place in modern Jamaica.

 

“I think it’s a great event… and I think that more and more the industrial arts are getting the prominence they deserve and I think the display today supports that – that industrial arts has a place in the centre of students’ education,” the educator said.

 

The Acting Principal, who used to supervise industrial arts department and maintains a keen interest in the area, noted that the presentations were good and well received by students.

 

“It augers well for where we will go as a school in promoting the industrial arts and getting our students certified and competent in these areas,” she stated.

 

Chairman of the Board, attorney Christopher Honeywell, said the event signified the commitment that the board and staff, and that the school has a valid and comprehensive offering in the industrial arts.

 

“It underpins the management and staff’s commitment to developing this area of the school’s curriculum in recognition of the fact that as we grow as a school and as a nation, industrial arts and the ability to do things is going to be critical in transitioning Jamaica from a nation that simply talks and hopes, to a nation that achieves.” Mr. Honeywell said.

 

Head, Industrial Arts Department, Gavin Derizzio, said the overall aim is for all students who graduate from Vauxhall High School in the technical and vocational departments, to be certified and competent to enter the world of work or higher education and be ready to take on the challenges of today’s society.

 

Outlining the schools success in the area, Mr. Derizzio noted that passes by students in all the technical subjects at the CSEC level have been good.

 

He informed that students who sit the examination in Construction register no less than 90 per cent passes, and Mechanical Technology students score within the seventy to eighty per cent pass rate.

 

Automotive Technology is not offered at the CSEC level, so students sit the NCT-vet level 1 certification in motor vehicle engine repairs.

 

“Most students who sit CSEC here at Vauxhall in the different disciplines are usually successful. They normally transition to Rockfort vocational training centre, some proceed to find employment and some move on to universities such as University of Technology. We want to work on getting the students to proceed to institutions where they can obtain at least a first degree in their disciplines,” Mr. Derizzio noted.

 

For fifth form student, Brandon Bennett, who participated in the making of a two point control switch, the Open Day is an opportunity to show that young people are competent and can be good examples for others to emulate. He pointed out that inner-city youths frequently are seen as the perpetrators of crime.

 

“Having an opportunity to do this (Open Day) is showing the world that we are not here to slack off or (be in) bad company. Instead of us being out there trying to change the world in a negative way, we are here trying to show the younger students what we know and if they want to know more, we are here to help them out,” the student said.

 

CAPTION: Brandon Bennett, student of Vauxhall Technical High School (centre), explains how the circuit which he helped to build works. The device was on display at Open Day held at the institution on Friday March 24.

JIS:  The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information in collaboration with the Jamaican American Athletic Development (JAMAAD) Incorporated have launched a new sporting initiative called ‘The Touchdown Project’.

 

It will be rolled out in 16 Schools Island wide as of September 2017 and will be used as an avenue for the introduction of American Football in local schools.

 

The sporting initiative is seen as another way through which Jamaican youth, with right guidance and coaching can develop their full potential and excel in another arena.

 

Speaking at the launch of the project Minister of Education Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid said a careful selection process was used to choose the 16 schools in order to facilitate a league format with eight teams in each conference

 

Schools were selected based on having a suitable playing field and a record of being listed in the top 50 high academic performers. Any child from the Parish can play for the team, and the school will act as the home base for that Parish.

 

Senator Reid said that this decision was taken to ensure that the programme is accessible to the all high school students across the island.

 

“Jamaicans living in the United States have indicated that great scholarship opportunities can be derived from this and other sport programmes and we believe these opportunities should be explored,” he said at the launch held on March 23 at the Overseas Examination Commission in Kingston.

 

Students from grades seven to twelve who are in good academic standing will be eligible to participate in the student athlete programme.

 

The programme will be fully funded by JAMAAD and its affiliates. Additionally, the project has been warmly received by the Jamaican Diaspora, who have provided some US$800,000 in funding for certain aspects of the initiative.

 

The sum will cover the cost of procuring safety equipment and gear and other associated expenses at no cost to the Government of Jamaica or the participating schools.

 

In the first phase of the initiative, a comprehensive training programme for local coaches is being developed as an introduction to the basic principles and rules of American Football.

 

The coaches will receive certification and training and will work with American coaches and industry professionals to develop the sport in Jamaica.

 

In phase two, focus will be placed on the recruitment of potential student athletes through a series of fitness and agility camps.

 

Meanwhile, Minister of Culture Gender Entertainment and Sports, Hon. Olivia Grange said the youth represent vibrant possibilities for national development and that the project will empower young people to realize their full potential.

 

She noted further that the project will introduce core American sports to Jamaica’s youth, enabling them to pursue goals and dreams by competing globally.

 

The Minister’s speech was read by Senior Director in the Ministry, Florette Blackwood.

 

For his part, Director of JAMAAD, Zachery Harding said the project is fully endorsed by both Ministries of Government.

 

“The Ministry’s role in the project is to act as an interface between the project and the schools. This is a school based project so we have to partner with the schools. They are responsible for the curriculum, the Physical Education teachers and the coaches,” Mr. Harding said.

 

“So through them, we access the schools to get permission to introduce the programme (and) access the coaches to get them trained. Through them, we would also access the safety officers to get them trained,” he added.

 

He further explained that once the programme is integrated into schools, the Ministry of Culture Gender Entertainment and Sports, will coordinate the establishment of leagues and interface with the Inter-Secondary School Sports Association, in implementing the rules and regulations aspect of the programme.

 

“At the appropriate time, we will also bring in the Jamaica Anti- Doping Commission (JADCO) to educate them, because anti-doping in schools is an important part of the programme,” Mr. Harding stated.

 

The Touchdown Project is the first of a three part programme which aims to introduce baseball and basketball to the island.

 

It is anticipated that the development of these sports will assist in positioning Jamaica as the top destination for recruiting professional American sports talent. The initiative is conceptualized and founded by Jamaican born Director of JAMAAD, Nicole Hoyen-Birch.

 

JAMAAD is a Diaspora U.S. non-profit organization which seeks to ‘Champion the Dreams of Youth Through Sports’.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (third right) is pictured with from left, students of the Kingston Technical High School, Javier Grant and Javaughn Rose; Founder and Director of the Jamaican American Athletic Development (JAMAAD) Incorporated, Nicole Hoyen-Birch and Students of the Kingston Technical High School, Rayion Watson and Garfield O’Connor. They were at the launch of the Touchdown Project at the Overseas Examinations Commission in Kingston on March 23. Others in the background are from left: Education Officer for Physical Education in the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Elton Johnson and Director of JAMAAD, Zachery Harding.

JIS: The Hanover Educational Institute has received a $10-million (US$82,986) grant from the Government of Japan, through the Grassroots and Human Security Project, towards the construction of a hospitality training facility.

 

Japan’s Ambassador to Jamaica, His Excellency Masanori Nakano, and Principal of the Hanover Educational Institute, Angela R. Haye, signed the grant agreement during a ceremony held at the Ambassador’s residence on Paddington Terrace, on March 23.

 

The new facility, to be built on the grounds of the Institute, will entail a dining room, one classroom with a computer room, kitchen, bar/event area, and male and female restrooms.

 

State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, said the Administration is grateful for the significant contribution that the Japanese Government has been making to the country in various areas.

 

He noted that the Grassroots and Human Security Project has helped to empower many Jamaicans.

 

“I think we all appreciate that unless our young people are empowered, we will not be able to transform Jamaica, and empowerment largely comes through a significant programme of education and training,” Minister Green said.

 

“What I like about the Hanover Educational Institute’s model is that it really gives our young people a second chance. It targets young people who may have not done so well in high school… to complete their high-school journey and ensures that they get a marketable skill,” he added.

 

Ambassador Nakano, for his part, said the project will be a great addition to the parish “in terms of providing skills training and educational opportunities and also poverty alleviation through employment opportunities for the people in need within the region”.

 

He noted that the Institute has been proactively engaged in activities to promote education as well as technical and vocational skills training for those who could not attend, or had to drop out for various reasons.

 

“At the end of their course of study, graduates should be well equipped and poised to enter the job market and seek gainful employment, hopefully in many hotels within the hospitality and tourism sector, which is very promising and a major income-earner for Jamaica,” the Japanese Ambassador added.

 

Chairman of the Hanover Educational Institute, Kenric Davis, in a message read by teacher at the Institute, Marcia Allen, expressed gratitude for the grant.

 

He said the construction of the hospitality training facility will enable the Institute to offer hands-on vocational training in addition to academic training.

 

Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects supports initiatives proposed by various bodies, such as non-governmental organisations and local government authorities for development at the grassroots level.

 

CAPTION: State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green (2nd left), looks on as Ambassador of Japan to Jamaica, His Excellency Masanori Nakano (2nd right) and Principal of the Hanover Educational Institute, Angela R. Haye, sign an agreement for the provision of grant funding for the building of a hospitality training facility on the grounds of the institute. The signing ceremony was held at the Ambassador’s Residence on Paddington Terrace on March 23. Looking on (at left) is Consultant, Ministry of Tourism, Dr. Lloyd Waller.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, is challenging teachers to find new and creative ways of teaching mathematics to students, including the incorporation of technology.

 

“Don’t be afraid of technology; don’t feel, necessarily, that you are less of a person if you use the technology to aid the current process,” he said.

 

Senator Reid was speaking to JIS News following the Jamaica Public Service (JPS)/Marubeni Caribbean Power Scholarship Awards ceremony on Thursday (March 23), at the JPS offices located at 6 Knutsford Boulevard in Kingston.

 

He informed that approximately 70 mathematics coaches have been placed in schools to assist teachers and “we look forward to, over time, put in specialist maths teachers in the primary system”.

 

He urged teachers to excite and motivate their students to learn.

 

“Learning needs to be fun… . If we are going to make sure that our students master mathematics, the teaching has got to be fun as well. We can’t, therefore, approach it in such a way where they lose interest,” he said.

 

The awards ceremony was to recognise 15 schools that received the highest ranking following tests under the Calculation Time programme.

 

The Japanese-owned Marubeni Caribbean Power, which is the parent company of JPS, presented $100,000 to each institution for the purchase of learning resources and equipment to improve the teaching and learning of maths.

 

Introduced in 2011, Calculation Time is a collaborative effort between the Governments of Japan and Jamaica and is designed to improve students’ knowledge and appreciation of mathematics.

 

The initiative incorporates the use of games, toys, music and other non-traditional tools as a means of making the subject fun for the students.

 

The Education Minister lauded the partnership between the countries in improving student achievement in mathematics.

 

He noted that JPS will require a reservoir of quality trained persons, so it is in the company’s best interest to invest in a programme of mathematics.

 

President and Chief Executive Officer, Marubeni Caribbean Power Inc. Tatsuya Ozono, said the company is pleased to support education in Jamaica.

 

He commended the Japanese Embassy and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) “which have continued this Calculation Time programme for five years”.

 

He encouraged children to value the subject of mathematics, adding that it is the language that drives science.

 

“It is quite a useful tool to find a logical solution when you face problems. I wish that you will work hard and enjoy the art of science,” he said.

 

The Calculation Time programme is now available in the form of an app at https://goo.gl/aSuP71 and is accessible to all students at the primary level.

 

 

JIS: THE Early Childhood Commission (ECC) recently formalised a partnership with Digicel Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to provide assistance to five early-childhood schools to become certified under the ECC’s 12 Operating Standards.

 

The schools are New Works Primary and Infant, Westmoreland; Upper Rock Spring All-Age and Infant School, Hanover; Pratville Infant Department, Manchester; Carisbrooke Infant Department, St Elizabeth; and Cassava River Primary and Infant Department, St Catherine.

 

Acting executive director of the ECC Karlene Deslandes told JIS News that these schools were selected in an effort to extend assistance to institutions in rural areas where there is need for such an intervention.

 

“The ECC is quite happy for this partnership because it means the 300 children in these five institutions will be positively impacted in terms of their outcomes. We will be providing technical assistance for them to meet our 12 standards, providing guidance as to what is required,” she said.

 

“We work with the schools in terms of their plans and policies. Our officers go out and work with them to get their plans and policies done — the fire plan, nutrition plan and others. They are part of the requirements under the ECC Act and Regulations. We also arrange for training with our agencies, such as the Child Development Agency and public health departments, so that they receive the necessary training in these areas,” Deslandes added.

 

The certification process requires early childhood institutions to satisfy the criteria under the ECC’s standards, which relate to health, safety and educational quality, including teacher qualification certificates. They must also pass a rigorous inspection process.

 

She noted that so far, a site visit has been conducted at Cassava River Primary and Infant. Visits will shortly be made to the other four schools to determine the specific needs of each institution.

JIS: The Enrichment Initiative, which seeks to achieve 100 per cent literacy among primary-school students, has been handed over fully to the Ministry of Education.

 

The project was initiated in 2009 by the Education Ministry and the Digicel Foundation, which provided funding. In 2013, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) came on board with more funding.

 

Through the initiative, Jamaica’s literacy rate at the grade-four level reached 86.5 per cent in 2016, exceeding the ministry’s target of 85 per cent.

 

The programme was handed over to the ministry on Wednesday at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in Kingston.

Keynote speaker at the event, State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Floyd Green, said every effort will be made to ensure the continued success of the programme, which has impacted more than 43,000 students from 104 primary schools across the island, so far, who have shown marked improvement in reading and mathematics skills since the programme’s commencement.

 

Green said the initiative has had a significant impact on the primary-level education sector, showing student improvement from 23 per cent to 42 per cent in some schools, after two years of programme intervention.

 

“We at the ministry are pleased at what has been achieved. We have established a number of enrichment centres and 61 mobile enrichment carts. (Participating) schools have been resourced with 258 computers and laptops with educational software. The project included comprehensive training for over 190 teachers in the development areas of literacy, numeracy, special needs and gender strategies,” he informed.

 

He added that more than 60 principals were trained in effective school management, and an enrichment management familiarisation and training manual was developed for schools.

 

Also, a two-year summer intervention programme targeting 1,086 grade-one students who showed weak advancements in literacy was held.  

 

Importantly, 450 information sessions were held with more than 6,000 parents and guardians to incorporate the parent/guardian as an important stakeholder in the development of underperforming children.

 

In her remarks at the ceremony, USAID Mission Director, Maura Barry-Boyle said the collective efforts of the Ministry of Education, the USAID and the Digicel Foundation have successfully improved the early-grade reading skills of hundreds of children and enhanced the parental information necessary to secure a sound education for Jamaica’s future generations.

 

“USAID, together with the ministry and the Digicel Foundation formalised an arrangement to improve literacy at the primary-school level. We did this because we recognise this as a critical means through which Jamaica’s prosperity will be secured,” she said.

 

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Digicel Foundation, Jean Lowrie-Chin, said the four- year project has yielded great success in the improved literacy levels of the students, and thanked the various stakeholders for their unwavering and enthusiastic support of the project.

 

CAPTION: State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Floyd Green (right),  in discussion with  United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director, Maura Barry-Boyle (left) and Chairman of the Digicel Foundation, Jean Lowrie-Chin, during the handing over of  the Enrichment Initiative to the Education Ministry on Wednesday at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in Kingston. The programme seeks to improve literacy in all primary schools.

JIS: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, says the job market has become very competitive and students should now be guided as it relates to careers they pursue.

 

The Minister, who was speaking at the media launch of the MoBay City Run on March 21 at the Holiday Inn Hotel, St. James, said this has taken on special significance, so as to ensure that students graduating from tertiary institutions are able to find jobs in their areas of speciality.

 

“One of the frank discussions that we must have as a country is that just pursuing a degree is not enough. This is especially so if at the end of the day the currency of that degree is not of a value that can be utilised,” the State Minister said.

 

Mr. Green said he is cognisant that it might not be a popular or a politically correct discussion, but is “one whether we like it or not, that we will have to have”.

 

“There are a number of students who have gone on to pursue tertiary education, and when they come out, they are oftentimes frustrated. They are frustrated because the courses that they have pursued in that field of endeavour do not lend themselves to jobs that are open. What you often find is that those areas are saturated,” the State Minister pointed out.

 

He noted that there are a number of areas that are badly in need of qualified personnel and urged students to explore courses that will make them marketable once they finish school.

 

The State Minister said there are some institutions where 97 per cent of their tertiary graduates are placed in jobs upon completion of their courses, and there are other institutions with rates that “we wouldn’t want to talk about”.

 

“We have to do some realignment in the tertiary sector. We have started the discussion where we have appointed some youth advisors to advise us on some of the tough decisions we will have to make in our Ministry,” he said.

 

The Minister said the advisors have been asked to look at the funding model of the tertiary institutions, as “we are in a climate where resources are scarce and we really have to look at how we prioritise those resources”.

 

“They have submitted their recommendations and we will be looking at them. We will engage our universities and community colleges in that discussion, to find out if we are adequately aligning our funding of tertiary education,” he said.

 

Meanwhile, Chairman of the organising committee, Janet Silvera, said everything is in place to ensure that this will be the biggest Montego Bay City Run yet.

 

“We are expecting to have approximately 4,000 participants, up from the 3,000 we had last year. We have some very good sponsors on board, and there is a great deal of enthusiasm in the communities across the region,” she said.

 

The MoBay City Run is a charity event that raises funds to assist needy students attending tertiary institutions in western Jamaica

 

CAPTION: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, addressing the media launch of the 3rd annual Mo Bay City Run at the Holiday Inn Hotel in St. James on March 21.

JIS: The Mico University College will launch ‘The Education Conversation Series’, on Thursday, March 23, under the distinguished patronage of Governor General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen.

 

In an interview with JIS News, Pro Chancellor and Chairman of the Mico Board, Professor Neville Ying, said the focus of the first conversation will be on the ‘Migration of Teachers: Opportunities for Game-changing Strategies for Teacher Education’.

 

Explaining the focus, Professor Ying said that migration of teachers is a trend and it is an important issue facing the education system in terms of loss of teachers, especially in critical areas such as mathematics and science.

 

“It is now an opportunity for us to take seriously the whole issue of migration, which is a fact of life. Rather than thinking of it as a threat, we should think of it as an opportunity to come up with some game-changing strategies for teacher education,” he said.

 

Participating in the conversation will be the Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, who will speak on how to use migration as an opportunity to come up with creative strategies for teacher education.

 

Meanwhile, Director General of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Dr. Wayne Henry, will align his presentation to Jamaica’s policy on international migration and development, which is now being developed by the PIOJ and other partners. Former Ambassador to China and the United States of America, Ralph Thomas, will speak to the international perspective of the topic.

 

The presentations will be followed by interactive conversations. According to Professor Ying, Education is the single most important vehicle to achieve sustainable development which is critical to achieving Vision 2030 goal number one – empowering people.

 

He added that the 180-year-old The Mico University College, as the leader in teacher education, will always use the opportunity “to demonstrate our core values, through leadership, service, integrity and excellency in performance, so that is why we think we are in an ideal position to lead this series”.

 

Professor Ying is encouraging Jamaicans to be a part of the ‘Conversation’, which will be held at the Enos Nuttall Lecture Theatre, The Mico University College Campus, starting at 6:00 p.m.

 

Two follow-up ‘Conversations’ will also be held later this year and will look at crime and the economic growth agenda.

 

CAPTION: In this file photo, Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (right), is greeted by Pro-Chancellor of the Mico University College, Professor Neville Ying, at the launch of the University and College Leadership Training Programme (UCLTP), last year at the Mona Visitors’ Lodge and Conference Centre, University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus.