Minister of Education, Youth and Information Ruel Reid has announced the rollout of new initiatives to help students and teachers better prepare for examinations such as Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) in March and Caribbean Examinations Council Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CXC CSEC) in May/June 2017.

 

Additionally, the ministry said in a news release today that other initiatives such as the Alternative Pathways to Secondary Education started in March 2016 and a pilot school bus service, which began in November, are set to continue this year.

 

In a broadcast to the nation yesterday, Reid said the ministry intended to provide greater support to school leaders and teachers to improve the performance and general development of students and to cater to their varied welfare needs.

 

“We intend to customise education to suit the needs of each student, giving him/her the opportunity to maximise his/her potential,” he said.

 

The ministry has already started a series of Professional Development Sessions for teachers to provide additional support to a select set of schools as they prepare their Grade 11 students to sit the 2017 Caribbean Examinations Council Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate examinations in mathematics, English language and the sciences. A series of workshops has also been started for students to better prepare them for the examinations.

 

In his national broadcast ahead of the reopening of schools for the easter term, Reid said the ministry intended to support legislative changes to allow for programmes and entities to be more inclusive and efficient.

 

He noted that last September, Jamaica had one of the smoothest starts to the school year.

 

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

JIS: The HEART Trust/NTA, the National Youth Service and the Jamaican Foundation for Life Long Learning are to be merged.

 

Education Minister Ruel Reid says discussions about the process are underway.

 

He said other agencies in the education system will also be merged as part of the Government’s push to facilitate greater alignment with the needs of the labour market. 

JIS: A national mock examination for the 2017 Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), designed by the Education Ministry,  will be administered in all primary schools on January 11 and 12.

 

State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, says the examination will cover  Mathematics, Language Arts, Communication Task as well as practice papers for Social Studies and Science.

 

“For the first time we will be conducting a national mock examination. What normally happens is that the primary schools administer their own form of mock examination around this time to judge the level of the students in terms of their preparation and readiness for GSAT,” he told JIS News in an interview.

 

“We have already put together the examination and we will be providing all the papers to schools across the country. We will also be taking care of the marking process and provide the schools with the details in terms of the students and the areas they may need to focus on to ensure that their readiness is brought up to an acceptable level for GSAT,” the State Minister added.

 

Mr. Green said  this move will assist schools to tackle the challenges related to administering the examination, particularly printing costs.

 

Meanwhile, the State Minister said all is on track in preparation for the 2017 GSAT, slated for March 16 and 17.

 

Mr. Green told JIS News that final arrangements are being made, with emphasis on making provisions for students with special needs.

 

“In January we normally make a call to all the parents, whose children may have special needs for the examination, to provide us with that information and those children that are visually impaired and require special accommodation,” he said.

 

 Mr. Green said a bulletin is to be issued next week to primary schools across the island that are reopening for the new academic year, to collect information to accommodate students with special needs, who are sitting the examination.

 

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

Senator the Honourable, Ruel Reid, CD

Minister of Education, Youth and Information will address the nation on back to school matters on SUNDAY, January 8, 2016.

RADIO: On TBC at 7:30 pm and all other radio stations at 8:00 pm

TV: CVM at 7:00 pm, LOVE TV at 8:00 pm and TVJ at 9:30 pm

JAMAICA and China have signed agreements to implement several new initiatives in the education sector, including a student exchange programme and a reciprocal teacher exchange project, are set to begin this year.

 

The programme will focus on best practices in technical and vocational education (TVET) and science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM).

 

The agreements were reached during a visit by a five-member Jamaican delegation, headed by Minister of Education, Youth and Information Senator Ruel Reid to China between December 11 and 19.

 

The visit was aimed at establishing linkages with the Ministry of Education in China as well as to view, first-hand, the manufacturing of air-conditioning and lighting systems as well as solar panels. Other members of the visiting team were Dr Fritz Pinnock, executive director of the Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI); Robert Miller; senior advisor to the minister, Balfour Peart, master’s student at the CMI and Dr Grace McLean, chief education officer.

The team visited four provinces in China, meeting with education, youth and information personnel in Beijing as well as with representatives of China’s Youth Facilitation Agency.

 

In welcoming the Jamaican delegation, the agency’s deputy secretary general, Dong Xia, indicated that China has had official ties with Jamaica since 1972 and pointed to the long-standing partnerships with the Caribbean and Latin American countries.

 

He explained that the organisation was responsible for engaging young people between the ages of 15 and 35, through which they get an opportunity to join the Youth League and to participate in activities designed for their upliftment. By joining the Youth League, they also had an opportunity to participate in the political system.

 

During the discussions, an offer was made for Jamaican young people to visit China on exchange programmes commencing in 2017, with the Youth Agency head undertaking to draft an agreement and work through China’s ambassador to Jamaica to have this finalised.

 

The Jamaican delegation also conducted several factory tours coordinated by BINY Corporation, a Chinese company that produces lighting systems of various types.

 

During a visit to the Ministry of Education, the vice minister in the ministry, Dr Zhanyuan Du, indicated that China was interested in teacher exchanges and said a memorandum of understanding had been drafted for signing which would be an improvement on the one signed in 2014. Under the reciprocal teacher exchange programme Jamaican teachers will go to China to teach English, while teachers from China will come to Jamaica to teach Mandarin and other subjects.

 

Out of these discussions, the Chinese education vice minister indicated they were also interested in having further discussions on information, communication technology (ICT) as they would like to share their best practices with Jamaica.

 

Senator Reid said the sharing of best practices in TVET and STEM would be useful, and the Chinese agreed and indicated that the specifics of this partnership would be worked out. A memorandum of understanding was subsequently signed by the two ministers.

 

The visiting group also met with Gao Fan, general manager, and other representatives of the China Educational Instrument and Equipment Corporation, a company that makes mathematics and science kits for the school system in China. These kits can be customised to suit the needs of any country. A catalogue was presented and the president of the company extended an invitation to Jamaica’s Ministry of Education to partner with his company in producing kits for the Jamaican education system. A memorandum of understanding was also signed and the parties committed to follow-up talks.

 

Among the other places visited was the Luxun High School, which caters to children from age seven to 14 years. Considered to be one of the best in China, the school uses a mix of both the academics as well as STEM/TVET-related courses.

 

The Jamaican delegation was told that the Chinese have adopted aspects of the British system. The facilitator indicated that the school originally started out as a girls’ school but over the years transitioned into a co-ed school.

 

Chinese Vice Minister of Information Guo Weimin and members of his team said China was pleased with the partnership with Jamaica although both countries were so far apart geographically. He spoke about the 2005 China /Jamaica agreement, promoting economic co-operation and the fact that they wanted to continue to encourage economic exchanges. He said China would be moving to increase media information and exchanges as part of the steps to facilitate this improvement in the partnership.

 

Among other areas of the collaboration was for the two countries to have an exchange of best practices and training in the use of advance equipment, while a documentary to sell the tourism aspects of both countries is also to be produced. Scholarships for training in various fields funded by the Chinese Government are also to be provided.

 

Minister Reid thanked thanked the Chinese for their “generosity and excellent work” being done in Jamaica.

 

 CAPTION: Minister of Education Senator Ruel Reid (second left) and Chinese Vice Minister of Education Dr Zhanyuan Du (seated right) sign the memorandum of understanding for the teacher exchange programme, an improvement on the document signed in 2014. Under the reciprocal teacher exchange programme, Jamaican teachers will go to China to teach English while teachers from China will come to Jamaica to teach Mandarin and other subjects. Standing at the back are Robert Miller, senior advisor to the minister of education, and Dr Grace McLean, chief education officer. Aides to the Chinese vice minister also look on.

JIS: The Early Childhood Commission (ECC) is encouraging entities and individuals to consider making donations of cash or kind to early-childhood institutions (ECIs), especially during the festive season, in order to help them to meet certification standards.

 

The Commission is working to certify 100 more ECIs by August 2017. Eighteen institutions were certified this year.

 

Acting Executive Director of the ECC, Karlene Deslandes, told JIS News that plans are in place to launch the ECC’s Support-A-School Programme in 2017.

 

The initiative seeks to encourage the donation of toys and play equipment, teaching and learning materials, tablets, computers, Internet and telephone service, or fund required documents such as police records, and food handler’s permits.

 

Mrs. Deslandes said that the ECIs to be considered for funding and donations are those most in need, based on location as shown on the poverty map created by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ).

 

She explained that ECIs must have submitted an application for registration to the ECC, and had their premises examined by an ECC Inspector.

 

Any private individual, reputable group, or entity may offer funding and donations to an ECI.

 

The main area of need that has been identified among ECIs is infrastructural development, such as building/renovation works, fencing, furniture, and ramps for wheelchair access.

 

Mrs Deslandes noted that there is also a need for funding for training and professional development for practitioners at the bachelor’s or master’s degree levels, or to fulfil the specific requirements for training in universal precautions, paediatric first aid, and child abuse.

 

The ECC, which is an agency of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, coordinates all activities, development plans and programmes within the early-childhood sector.

 

For further information on how to make a donation, persons may contact the ECC at 922-9296 or by email: [email protected].

 

CAPTION: Photo contributed – Principal at Hemmingay Preparatory and Kindergarten in Norwood, St. James, Pansy Picott, with students in the school’s playground. Hemmingay Preparatory and Kindergarten is certified by the Early Childhood Commission (ECC).

JIS: In September 1998, a young Kerene Nelson, fresh from completing studies at the University of the West Indies (UWI) joined the academic staff of the St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) in Santa Cruz as a teacher of Spanish.

 

Eighteen years later, she has copped one of the most coveted honours of her profession, that of the 2016/17 Lasco Teacher of the Year award.

 

She was recognised for her innovative lesson plans, professionalism, contribution to student and school development as well as community involvement.

 

Miss Nelson tells JIS News that she considers herself fortunate to be among the group of outstanding educators that have received the prestigious honour.

 

“Most of us serving in the system do not expect public recognition. The fact that I have received this (award) is extra motivation for me to continue doing what I have always done,” she notes.

 

Miss Nelson, who has spent her entire teaching life at STETHS, describes herself as a passionate educator, who strives to inspire her students to pursue excellence.

 

“I love to impact lives and I love to see students succeed,” she says.

 

The Spanish language teacher, who is well respected by her students, colleagues and the wider community, says she does not feel any additional pressure to perform, as she loves her job.

 

She says she is even more enthusiastic about teaching today than when she entered the classroom 18 years ago. She is encouraging persons who are thinking of becoming educators to be prepared to invest their all in the profession.

 

“If one aspires to be a teacher, one must be prepared to be the quintessence of commitment to duty and serve with diligence and integrity… to consistently go beyond the call of duty to ensure that our students, our clients are given the best opportunities to succeed,” she says.

 

Meanwhile, Miss Nelson tells JIS News that she has been in dialogue with Principal of STETHS, Keith Wellington, who is the 2016/17 Lasco Principal of the Year, to establish a computer laboratory at a primary school in the parish.

 

She says she strongly believes in the use of technology in enhancing the teaching and learning processes and is inspired by the words of noted American educational reformer John Dewey, which say: ‘If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we will rob our students of tomorrow.”

 

“We live in a digital age, and technology is the way to go right now… we are thinking that maybe some primary schools that do not have the technological facilities, that we will be able to do something to provide additional educational tools for them,” she says.

 

Miss Nelson says she also intends to establish a fund to assist needy students at the STETHS with a view to ensuring that they are able to maximise their academic potential. She also has dreams of establishing a Spanish language school.

 

Meanwhile, students and teachers at STETHS are full of praise and admiration for Miss Nelson.

 

Anna-Lee Levy, a seventh-grade student, tells JIS News that “Senorita Nelson” is a great motivator.

 

“When I got 99 on my (test) she gave me a token, and she makes me (feel) proud,” she says.

 

Brandon Jones, who is also a seventh-grader, describes Miss Nelson as “very jovial, and kind. There is this boy, who got zero in a test. She gave him another test and he got zero; and the third time, after she coached him, the boy got 90 per cent. Senorita Nelson, you are the best teacher in the world”.

 

Vice Principal of STETHS, Donna Legister Hendricks, also lauds Miss Nelson for her achievement.

 

“I am quite elated. Miss Nelson is an outstanding teacher, who goes beyond the call of duty to ensure that her students succeed. She is very creative in the classroom. The achievement has really lifted the morale of the staff,” she tells JIS News.

 

Since 1997, Lasco has been collaborating with the Ministry of Education to salute educators, recognising them for their outstanding performance and impact on education in Jamaica as well as for displaying exceptional contributions to the school community.

 

The 2016/17 Teacher and Principal of the Year received the champion trophies, $250,000 and an all-expense-paid trip to the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) conference in Anaheim, California. 

 

CAPTION: Spanish Teacher, Kerene Nelson (standing), instructs a grade-seven class at the St. Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS). Miss Nelson is the 2016/17 Lasco Teacher of the Year.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says the 800 students who graduated from the Career Advancement Programme (CAP) on December 7 is testament to the Government’s commitment not to leave any child behind.

 

Senator Reid, who was speaking at the Edu-Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) conference at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Montego Bay, St. James on December 8, emphasised that 80 per cent of graduating students from now on should, by age 30, have the equivalent of an occupational degree or higher.

 

“That is the aspiration under our watch. The mantra from now on is that zero to age 30 are the learning years, while 30 to 60 are the earning years. Sixty and above will be the returning years,” he said.

 

The Minister noted that there is clear evidence that the CAP programme has rescued a lot of young people who, in the past, would have been turned out from schools without a future and with nowhere to go.

 

“I was truly moved at the graduation when I saw that vision of rescuing so many of our Jamaican students who otherwise would have had no hope materialized,” Senator Reid said.

 

The Minister said he is very proud that the problem with students not having anywhere to go after Grade nine is now a thing of the past, adding that the opportunity is now there for high levels of training and certification.

 

“What we don’t want is that population to continue to become the unattached…to create other social problems,” he argued.

 

Senator Reid pointed out that a part of the current strategy is that every youngster must remain in school, and continue in a culture of continuous education, training and certification up to at least age 30.

 

“We want as a nation, to value education and not to think of it as having some terminal date,” he said.

 

The Minister emphasized that for Jamaica to achieve the prosperity vision that it yearns for, it has to be predicated “on us providing that critical highly trained work force where we can attract that high level of investment.”

 

The CAP is an initiative of the Government, through the Ministry of Education, to respond to students who complete secondary level education without any formal certification and has not matriculated to post-secondary level education or work.

 

It is focused on providing opportunities for all learners to identify, understand, choose, and prepare for careers and occupations of their choices.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, addresses Edu-TVET Conference at the Hilton Hotel in Montego Bay, on December 8.