JIS: They suffer in silence, afraid to speak up. Suppressed by fear, these child-abuse victims are led to believe that they are powerless to do anything about their situation.

 

Their cries are muffled by those meant to protect them. Through ‘Aria’s Story’ these young victims are being empowered to speak up and speak out about abuse.

 

An eight year-old victim of abuse, Aria is an animated character, who was created to lend her voice to those suffering in silence by telling their stories for them.

 

The brainchild of the Office of the Children’s Advocate (OCA), Aria’s Story defines and highlights the nature and types of abuse that children experience, in order to provide those in abusive situations with information to take preventative actions and find solutions.

 

The initiative is being undertaken with funding support from the High Commission of Canada in Jamaica.

 

The online animated series, which began airing at www.ariastory.com, on February 13, chronicles Aria’s life of domestic servitude and sexual abuse at the hands of her uncle, when she is sent from her home in rural Jamaica to live with her “well off” aunt in Kingston.

 

Aria’s only escape from this reality is through identifying with characters from a book she finds while cleaning one day. This book features six characters that are grappling with different types of abuse.

 

Describing this innovative public-education campaign as a “social digital revolution” Children’s Advocate, Diahann Gordon Harrison said the aim is to encourage children to speak up when they have issues facing them.

 

“Our hope is for children in Jamaica to be empowered through the knowledge that they will garner, to be assured that they are not alone in their various situations, and for adults to be exposed to the realities that some of our children face and, ultimately, for them to model appropriate responses to these situations,” she said.

 

She was speaking at the media launch of the campaign at the agency’s offices in downtown Kingston on February 7.

 

As persons follow Aria’s Story over the next two months, they will get to see how Aria eventually gains her freedom, having learnt what each of the six children did to escape their situations and find avenues for help.

 

Helping Aria to tell her story is Stacy, who is 14 years old and experiences sexual abuse as well as domestic violence between her parents. There is also 15-year-old Yuri, who is being molested by an adult male relative; 12-year-old Lisa, who is a victim of bullying; and Brian, 12 years old, who is enduring child-on-child abuse.

 

The other characters are 15-year-old Tashanya, who is dealing with self-esteem issues, online predators and human trafficking; and 14- year-old Darell, whose story centres around violence against children by negative elements in society.

 

“The stories and the situations put the pain and the negative experiences children face into sharp focus, but end with that reverberating message of hope, resilience and the ultimate lessons that are taught through each episode,” Mrs. Gordon Harrison said.

 

The website will feature interactive content, where persons have the option to send direct messages, and bring issues to the OCA’s attention.

 

“We anticipate and hope, as well, that we may even get some reports coming out of the sensitisation and the empowerment that we hope to be bringing to persons to tell their stories,” Mrs. Gordon Harrison said.

 

She noted that there will also be ongoing social media awareness strategies that will accompany the unfolding of the episodes, pointing out, for example, that Twitter chats will be hosted at critical points across episodes to engage the public and to ensure that the larger messages are not being lost.

 

State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, in endorsing the campaign, said it presents an innovative way to bring a number of issues to the fore “and to help our young people confront those issues… and also encourage our young people, when they are facing issues of abuse, to speak up”.

 

For his part, High Commissioner of Canada to Jamaica, His Excellency Sylvain Fabi, said the initiative was “a nice way to expose children to the fact that these things exist, especially when they are a victim of it; they know it’s not only them; this project will allow them to find solutions”.

 

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, and Opposition Spokesperson on Youth and Culture, Lisa Hanna, also welcomed the initiative, which is expected to reduce the incidence of child abuse in Jamaica.

 

Opposition Spokesperson on Information and the Knowledge Economy, Julian Robinson, also gave his full support for this initiative, noting he was pleased the OCA is embracing and using technology to help to address the issue of abuse.

 

“I think it is important to encourage persons who are suffering from abuse to feel confident that they can share their stories and also that they can talk out about the issues that are affecting them,” he said.

 

Persons can join in the discussions through the Instagram and Twitter handle @readariastory, using #ariastoryOCA.

 

The Children’s Advocate said she is confident that Aria’s Story will serve to “channel the voice of change in communities across Jamaica in a fresh and relatable way”.

 

CAPTION: Children’s Advocate, Diahann Gordon Harrison (right), shares details of ‘Aria’s Story’ with High Commissioner of Canada to Jamaica, His Excellency Sylvan Fabi, prior to the recent launch at the Office of the Children’s Advocate (OCA) in downtown Kingston. The public-education campaign, which is an initiative of the OCA, is an online animated miniseries being rolled out across various social media platforms.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says several areas of the education system are being fixed, and more schools are getting leaders equipped to move the institutions forward.

 

The Minister, who was delivering the keynote address at the start of a two-day International Conference organised by the National College for Educational Leadership (NCEL), at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, in New Kingston, on February 21, said school leaders are being provided with the necessary skills to transform education.

 

“It is coming together, because we are making sure there is no excuse about the quality of leadership that we have in our schools,” he told the forum, which comprised school principals, and local, regional and international experts in education.

 

The Minister explained that the training that is provided by the College enables quality leadership in schools, and he expects that the educational performance and outcomes will soar at those institutions.

 

He appealed to the school leaders to set “high standards for every student and every school, in terms of leadership, management, and accountability”.

 

Held under the theme ‘Transforming Educational Leadership, Disrupting the Narratives’, the conference addressed the topics ‘Effective Principals’, ‘Leadership for 21st Century Learning’, and ‘Transformational Leadership Through International Voices’.

 

The NCEL was created to develop and support educational leaders who are able to create and sustain effective schools, thereby contributing to national development.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (right), engages Director of the National College for Educational Leadership (NCEL), Rosemary Campbell-Stephens, at the start of a two-day International Conference organised by the College, at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, in New Kingston, on February 21.

JIS: More schools across the island are to benefit from the construction of 26 sanitation blocks this fiscal year.

 

A sum of $200 million has been set aside in the 2017/18 Estimates of Expenditure to carry out this activity under the School Sanitation Project.

 

The project aims to replace pit latrines with flush toilets in order to reduce the contamination of underground water and reduce the spread of diseases caused by faecal matter.

 

To date, under the project, sanitation blocks have been completed in 59 schools islandwide.

 

The project was started in January 2012, and, following further extensions, is slated to end in March 2018.

 

It is being implemented by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), with money provided through the PetroCaribe Development Fund.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, has expressed satisfaction at how financial and other resources are being used to assist the teaching-learning process in schools across St. Elizabeth.

 

In an interview with JIS News following a recent tour of a number of primary and high schools in the parish, the Minister said the early disbursement of funds to educational institutions, not only in St. Elizabeth but across the island, has been making a significant difference in improving operations.

 

“At all the schools that I have visited, the Principals have said how appreciative they have been of how early they have been receiving the funding, and they are able to do far more with these resources, because we have been far more efficient in getting the money to them. So, that has been very comforting and encouraging,” Senator Reid said.

 

The Minister toured the Glen Stewart Primary and Maggoty, Black River and Newell High schools.

 

He said as a Minister who has worked in the formal education system, these tours have given him a true appreciation of the very high interest being shown in education by all stakeholders.

 

“It’s very encouraging as Principal and now as Minister of Education that as I tour these schools, you are feeling the energy…you are having a sense that people are really interested in education,” the Minister said.

 

Senator Reid said he was particularly impressed by the progress being made at Newell High School by the administration, teachers and, in particular, the 1,010 students.

 

He told JIS News that as a school which has had its fair share of challenges, the institution has made remarkable progress and is now rated as a model secondary institution in St. Elizabeth.

 

“They are meeting the needs of the diversity of students they have. This is how we can reach out to all different types of students that come to our schools and how we can uplift them,” the Minister said.

 

CAPTION: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (centre), speaks with Principal of the Newell High School, in St. Elizabeth, Paul Grant (second right), during a visit to the institution recently. Others (from left) are Councillor for the Pedro Plains Division of the St. Elizabeth Parish Council, Jeremy Palmer; Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green and Chairman of the Newell High School Board, Jason Henzell.

JIS: There is a 30 per cent increase in the 2017/18 budget for early-childhood institutions (ECIs), and resources are being set aside to help those institutions most urgently in need of assistance.

 

This was stated by Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, at a meeting with members of Region Five, at Everglades Centre, in Black River, St. Elizabeth on February 17.

 

This was the third in the series of Early Childhood Commission (ECC) Certification fairs, aimed at getting all of the island’s infant schools to operate according to the 12 standards set by the ECC.

 

Senator Reid noted that in the 2016/17 fiscal year, the Ministry also budgeted $30 million to partner with the ministries of Health, and Labour and Social Security to reactivate the stimulation programme for mother and child, from birth to age three.

 

He said that come September, there will be an increase in the allocation for grade-one and -two students from below $1,000 to $2,500 each; and grades seven to nine would move from $11,000 to $19,000 per student.

 

The Minister pointed out that there are examples of persons who informally started a basic school on their verandahs, and it is important that all stakeholders achieve the 12 standards set by the ECC in the shortest possible time.

 

“The objective of today’s fair is to sensitise you about what the standards are and what needs to be done. The rationalisation process is to ensure that more children have access to trained teachers in established, certified, government-operated infant departments and infant schools,” Senator Reid stressed.

 

There are currently 2,859 ECIs operating in Jamaica. Of that number, 2,515 have applied for certification and, to date, only 26 have achieved certification status.

 

As part of the certification process, 206 ECI practitioners have been fingerprinted in order to acquire police records, and 63 have accessed medical examinations. Police records and medical examinations are among the requirements for ECI staff, in keeping with the standards for the operation, management and administration of ECIs.

 

Senator Reid also told the hundreds of participants at the fair that an Oversight Committee is being established to oversee the development of a comprehensive strategy to revitalise the vision for the Jamaican child from birth to eight years.

 

This, he said, is intended to advance the early-childhood-development sector towards internationally accepted levels.

 

Meanwhile, the ECC Chairman, Mrs. Trisha Williams-Singh, said the certification fairs came about as a result of listening to the needs of the practitioners and ensuring that the sector is improved and can move forward.

 

“I am hoping to have 100 institutions certified by August. This drive is solely to improve the standards of our early-childhood institutions. Many times we make decisions without consulting with those most affected. We are now involving the stakeholders for the benefit of our most vulnerable citizens,” she said.

 

Also attending the fair were sponsors and participants, including the Jamaica Constabulary Force; the fire services; National Commercial Bank; Digicel; the College of Agriculture, Science and Education; Carlong Publishers; Child Development Agency; Social Development Commission; Red Cross; and National Bakery.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (left); State Minister in the Ministry, Hon. Floyd Green (centre) and Member of Parliament for St. Elizabeth North-East, Mr. Evon Redman, watch a performance by infant-school children at the Early Childhood Commission Certification Fair for Region Five, held at Everglades Centre, in Black River, St Elizabeth, on February 17.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says the Government is committed to addressing the infrastructure needs of schools across the island.

 

He said that this will be done by increasing capital expenditure, through the work of the National Education Trust (NET), and by forging beneficial partnerships.

 

“The Ministry is very much aware of the challenges and we are committed to addressing the most urgent situations within the context of our overall national plan and available resources,” he said.

 

Senator Reid was addressing the official handing over of the Happy Grove High School in Portland on Thursday (Feb. 16), which has benefitted from a $10 million renovation project.

 

The work was undertaken through funding from the Japanese Government under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects.

 

The Education Minister extended gratitude to the Government and people of Japan for the support.

 

He said the investment represents one of the finest examples of the generosity of Japan to the people of Jamaica.

 

Meanwhile, the Minister urged the students of Happy Grove High to begin to prepare themselves for the job market, which will be driven by technology.

 

“You have to look at how you can combine your dexterity with computers and tablets and modern technology with the evolving needs of the marketplace,” he said.

 

Other speakers at the event were: Japan’s Ambassador to Jamaica, His Excellency, Masanori Nakano; Mayor of Port Antonio, Councillor Paul Thompson; Chairman of the school board, David Abrikian; and Principal, Monique Grant-Facey.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator Hon. Ruel Reid (centre), makes a point during a tour of classrooms at the Happy Grove High School in Portland, which was recently renovated through $10 million in support from the Japanese Government. The improvement project was officially handed over to the school on Thursday (February 16). Others (from left) are: Mayor of Port Antonio, Councillor Paul Thompson; Principal, Monique Grant-Facey; Japan’s Ambassador to Jamaica, His Excellency Masanori Nakano; and Chairman of the school board, David Abrikian.

JIS: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, says progress is being made in making it easier for persons to adopt children in state care.

 

This is even as the Government looks to amend the law to improve the adoption processes and procedures.

 

Mr. Green informed that in January seven children were able to leave state care to live with new parents. He said that some 50 children have been identified for adoption.

 

“We have been making significant strides in adoption. We have put in a new Adoption Board and I am very pleased by the reports that we have been having,” he said.

 

The State Minister was addressing a recent press conference held at the offices of the Overseas Examination Commission in St. Andrew.

 

Persons have complained that the adoption process takes too long. The State Minister noted that part of the challenge has been getting consent from the parents of children for them to be put up for adoption.

 

He said that many parents refuse to confirm their interest in the children and there are persons, who are desirous of taking them into their homes.

 

“The Government will be taking a firm stance; if we have children in our care and people are willing to take care of those children then ways must be found to expedite the process,” Mr. Green pointed out.

 

Turning to other matters, he informed that over 12,000 books will be distributed under the ‘Break the Silence’ campaign being spearheaded by the Office of the Children’s Registry (OCR).

 

The books contain information to assist persons to identify, respond to and report child abuse.

 

As it relates to the Youth Parliament, which was re-convened in January, the State Minister informed that the Ministry is looking to act on some of the issues raised in the presentations.

 

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