JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says the Ministry will be looking at establishing a special education framework that will better enable teachers to identify students with special needs.

 

“Each student is unique, they have different learning styles; so you have to have a framework of special education that also empowers your teacher to be able to diagnose our students,” he said.

 

The Minister was speaking in a recent interview on the Jamaica information Service (JIS) television programme Issues and Answers.

 

Mr. Reid explained that under this system, each student would have their own profile “almost treating them like a doctor would treat a patient.”

 

This structure, he said must now be the part of the new norm in education and will ensure that no child is left behind, and is able to achieve his or her full potential.

 

“It is a conversation now that I need to have with our policymakers within the education system and our teacher training institutions because how we have trained our teachers, many of them don’t have this kind of skill set to be able to diagnose effectively, and to deal with students with diverse needs,” he said.

 

The Minister recently attended the Education World Forum in London, where addressing students with special needs was one of the areas of focus.

 

In the meantime, Mr. Reid is encouraging persons to aspire for higher education, lamenting that very few students go beyond Grade 11.

 

“We want all our citizens to aspire to highest possible potential they have and we want tertiary education to be an aspiration for every student,” he said.

 

He pointed out that when the Government designed the Career Advancement Programme (CAP), it was “(a) signal to the entire community that you just don’t out school, you yearn for lifelong learning.”

 

“We want full certification for all our students…We take them through CAP, from Grade 11 to Grade 13 (up to) age 18, but they are not to stop there…they shouldn’t even feel comfortable until they have achieved their full potential in tertiary education,” he noted.

 

The Minister noted however that Jamaica is ahead of most other developing countries in terms of getting more students to pursue higher learning.

 

CAPTION: Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security, Senator the Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., with Guidance Counsellors at Hampton School in St. Elizabeth (from left) Kayon Whyne and Shellion Rowe, when he addressed the school’s Safety and Security Staff Sensitisation Workshop on February 1.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says the Ministry will be looking at establishing a special education framework that will better enable teachers to identify students with special needs.

 

“Each student is unique, they have different learning styles; so you have to have a framework of special education that also empowers your teacher to be able to diagnose our students,” he said.

 

The Minister was speaking in a recent interview on the Jamaica information Service (JIS) television programme Issues and Answers.

 

Mr. Reid explained that under this system, each student would have their own profile “almost treating them like a doctor would treat a patient.”

 

This structure, he said must now be the part of the new norm in education and will ensure that no child is left behind, and is able to achieve his or her full potential.

 

“It is a conversation now that I need to have with our policymakers within the education system and our teacher training institutions because how we have trained our teachers, many of them don’t have this kind of skill set to be able to diagnose effectively, and to deal with students with diverse needs,” he said.

 

The Minister recently attended the Education World Forum in London, where addressing students with special needs was one of the areas of focus.

 

In the meantime, Mr. Reid is encouraging persons to aspire for higher education, lamenting that very few students go beyond Grade 11.

 

“We want all our citizens to aspire to highest possible potential they have and we want tertiary education to be an aspiration for every student,” he said.

 

He pointed out that when the Government designed the Career Advancement Programme (CAP), it was “(a) signal to the entire community that you just don’t out school, you yearn for lifelong learning.”

 

“We want full certification for all our students…We take them through CAP, from Grade 11 to Grade 13 (up to) age 18, but they are not to stop there…they shouldn’t even feel comfortable until they have achieved their full potential in tertiary education,” he noted.

 

The Minister noted however that Jamaica is ahead of most other developing countries in terms of getting more students to pursue higher learning.

 

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

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, will be making a submission to Cabinet to register Jamaica for the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

 

“It will measure and compare our excellence with the rest of the world,” Senator Reid said.

 

The PISA is a triennial international survey which aims to evaluate education systems worldwide by testing the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old students.

 

Senator Reid gave details during the 10th anniversary magis awards, the CXC edition 2016, held on the grounds of Campion College in St. Andrew on January 30.

 

In 2015, over half a million students, representing 28 million 15-year-olds in 72 countries and economies, took the internationally agreed two-hour test. Students were assessed in science, mathematics, reading, collaborative problem solving and financial literacy.

 

The Minister urged students to explore non-traditional areas of study, adding that studies suggest that traditional jobs will become extinct over time.

 

“Because technology is displacing current jobs, we have to retool and reorganise to get new jobs within the new industrial revolution,” he added.

 

In the meantime, he lauded the students for their hard work, which he said will continue in the long tradition of excellence at the institution. “Your focus and determination to succeed are commendable and need to be emulated,” he said.

 

Urging the students to remain focused, the Minister said their achievements would not have been possible without strong and forward looking leaders in the school, a team of dedicated and caring teachers, committed and supportive parents, as well as a helpful and strong past students’ association.

 

Principal, Campion College, Grace Baston, congratulated the students on their achievements.

 

The ceremony sought to recognise outstanding performances in the June 2016 CSEC and CAPE examinations. At the CSEC level, 150 students obtained grade one in seven subjects and more, while at the CAPE level, 39 students achieved grade one in four subjects and more.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (left), congratulates student of Campion College, Hasani Edwards, during the 10th anniversary magis awards – the CXC edition 2016 – held on the grounds of Campion College in St. Andrew on January 30. The ceremony sought to recognise outstanding performances in the June 2016 CSEC and CAPE examinations.

JIS: Three of the island’s training institutions will be merged to better cater to the needs of Jamaicans.

 

They are the HEART Trust/NTA, Jamaican Foundation for Lifelong Learning (JFLL), and the National Youth Service (NYS).

 

Making the disclosure during yesterday (Feb. 1) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House, Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator Hon. Ruel Reid, said the merger falls in line with the Government’s Public Sector Rationalisation Programme and will result in greater synergy and efficiency.

 

“There is a lot of overlap, duplication with what the JFLL is doing and what is happening in some of the programmes in NYS and the mainstream HEART programmes. What we are doing is putting all of them under one umbrella and expand the scope,” he said.

 

He said with the merger will also allow for more resources will be allocated to other critical agencies within the Ministry.

 

“If you combine the budgets of the (NYS and JFFL) it is about $800 million. So what is happening is that HEART is absorbing that budget and the operations and this will allow for the resources to be otherwise utilised for other activities within the broader Ministry of Education operations,” he said.

 

Senator Reid said shared services will be incorporated and will result in less duplication in areas of human resource, finance and communication.

 

CAPTION: HEART Trust/NTA Leap Centre in downtown Kingston.

JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information is moving to strengthen the operations of Nutrition Products Limited (NPL) in Kingston.

 

This is being done to expand its output and increase the number of early childhood, primary and high school students islandwide who are provided with meals, Portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, has said.

 

Nutrition Products Limited currently provides approximately 300,000 students in over 800 schools with breakfast and/or lunch each week.

 

They include youngsters on the Programme of Advancement through Health and Education (PATH), and others deemed vulnerable.

 

Speaking with journalists following a tour of NPL’s production facilities at its head office on Marcus Garvey Drive, yesterday (January 31), the Minister expressed satisfaction with NPL’s operations.

 

“The company is very efficient…and the products are wonderful. I am seeing a tremendous effort to focus on the use of local products. I think they are really focused on that clear policy directive,” he added.

 

Among the meals produced are: sandwiches, muffins, bread, rock cakes, cornmeal porridge, cream of wheat, flavoured milk and juices.

 

“My tour is to get a first-hand look at their capacity so that the NPL’s team and the Ministry can have a clear strategy about how we are going to deliver on our commitment. We want to see how we can strengthen the operations so that we can serve our children much better,” the Minister said.

 

Senator Reid said as part of the strategy to increase meal provisions, the Government increased the Ministry’s allocation for this engagement this year by $2.4 billion to $5.2 billion, noting that this “has been the largest movement within our budget.”

 

“So, the Government is really committed to reaching out to the poor and vulnerable (students in our schools),” the Minister assured.

 

An agency of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Nutrition Products Limited was established in 1973.

 

It produces and distributes nutritious snacks to schools from its plants in Kingston, St. Mary and Westmoreland.

 

CAPTION: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (right), and Special Advisor, Robert Miller (centre), examine bulla cakes manufactured by Nutrition Products Limited, during a tour of the entity on Marcus Garvey Drive in Kingston on January 31. At left is Chief Executive Officer of Nutrition Products, Orville Lewinson.-

JIS: A delegation from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) headquarters in Paris was in Jamaica recently to provide technical assistance to the Jamaica Tertiary Education Commission (J-TEC) in framing a strategic plan for the sector.

 

The delegation comprised Head of the Higher Education Section, Peter Wells; Programme Specialist in charge of Higher Education, Hassmik Tortian; and Programme Specialist in charge of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Higher Education Articulation, Katerina Ananiadou. Speaking with JIS News, Institutional Monitoring Officer at J-TEC, Novlet Plunkett, said that the visit, which was an initial scoping mission, was for the purpose of collecting data to inform the strategy.

 

“It is important that the tertiary sector responds to the changing nature of tertiary education. Changes, which include demographics, modalities for programme delivery and the various demands being made on the sector necessitate the development of a strategy,” she said.

 

During the six-day working visit, the team met with several key stakeholders including senior representatives from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information; the Ministry of Labour and Social Security; tertiary institutions such as the University of the West Indies (UWI); University of Technology (UTech); The Mico University College; and Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI); the Council of Community Colleges; Teachers Colleges of Jamaica; Joint Board of Teacher Education; the Jamaica Association of Private Tertiary Institutions; Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA); West Indies Group of University Teachers (WIGUT); and Jamaica Union of Tertiary Students.

 

The team also met with representatives of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica, and JAMPRO.

 

Mrs. Plunkett noted that tertiary education is a major contributor to national growth, so it was very important that the team interfaced with representatives of these organisations.

 

“Some of the outcomes we expect from this initiative are policy directives, which will be used to guide the development of the sector, an enhanced understanding of the role of all of the key players, clarity on the nature of tertiary institutions required to meet national demands and also clarity on the role of private versus public institutions,” she said

 

Mrs. Plunkett indicated that a report will be compiled and the details of this report will be made available to all stakeholders.

 

“We will be engaging the institutions and organisations that participated in the meetings to examine the report and to provide feedback,” she said.

 

J-TEC was established through the Education System Transformation Programme (ESTP) of the Ministry as the regulatory body for tertiary education in Jamaica.

 

Its primary mandate is to regulate, standardise, safeguard and transform Jamaica’s tertiary education sector.

 

J-TEC has a responsibility to maintain quality and ensure that the sector meets world-class standards, particularly through regulation, registration and development.

 

CAPTION: Commissioner of the Jamaica Tertiary Education Commission (J-TEC), Maxine Henry-Wilson (3rdleft); Institutional Monitoring Officer at J-TEC, Novlet Plunkett (right); and Programme Specialist for Education, UNESCO Jamaica, Claude Akpabie (3rd right), share a photo opportunity with members of the team from the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. From left are: Head of the Higher Education Section, Peter Wells; Programme Specialist in charge of TVET and Higher Education Articulation, Katerina Ananiadou; and Programme Specialist in charge of Higher Education, Hassmik Tortian.

JIS: A Male Empowerment Day was staged for boys attending St. Catherine High School, in Spanish Town yesterday (January 31), at which they were exposed to methods that can be used to solve various social issues.

 

The event, held under the theme: ‘Dare to be Positively Different’, featured a keynote presentation from State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, who emphasised the importance of respecting others, and shunning the culture of coarseness.

 

Mr. Green told the students that they must select carefully the types of association they wish to join, as “they can make or break you.”

 

“The friends that you keep can either help you to do well or to do poorly,” the State Minister added.

 

Meanwhile, Principal of the school, Marlon Campbell, appealed to the males to foster good relations with the female students, and not to forget the reason why they are in school.

 

“If we lack education, we will never move forward,” the Principal said, adding that the boys were sent to the school to “learn and be educated.”

 

There were also presentations by representatives from the Broadcasting Commission, Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA), and the Citizen Security and Justice Programme (CSJP).

 

The boys also participated in discussions on topics such as: ‘Managing Emotions and Sexual Urges’; ‘Discipline and Deportment’; ‘Implications of Early Sexual Activities’; ‘Managing Conflicts’; ‘Shortcuts to Success’; and ‘Taking the Right Stairs’.

 

CAPTION: State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, addresses boys at a Male Empowerment Day, staged at St. Catherine High School, in Spanish Town yesterday (January 31).

 

JIS: The Ministry of Education is to provide additional financial and human resource support to the privately run Liberty Academy at Priory.

 

This was disclosed by portfolio Minister Ruel Reid following a tour of the facility’s Hope Road location in St Andrew yesterday.

 

There is currently an arrangement between the institution and the government, where some students with special needs are placed at the school each year, and whose fees are paid by the ministry. The salaries of two special education teachers are also paid by the ministry.

 

Reid said he is “very impressed” with the work of the Academy, which is one of the country’s “premier inclusive educational institutions…that ably caters for the diverse needs of our students.”

 

He said this new partnership, which will entail the provision of key personnel and an annual subvention, is aimed at giving the school further support to improve the quality of performance and output.

 

In the meantime, Executive Director and Founder of the Academy, Suzanne Williams, said she appreciates the visit and the Ministry’s commitment to further assist the school.

 

She noted that the institution has been working with the Ministry on an ongoing basis since 2007.

 

Williams further informed that the school has a mix of regularly performing and above average students, and also facilitates students with exceptional needs.

 

The institution offers an inclusive programme of education, catering to 260 students between three and 18 years of age. The school operates kindergarten, junior, high school, and exceptional needs departments.

 

A church-affiliated institution, Liberty Academy at Priory commenced operations in 1994. It functions as an outreach ministry of the Swallowfield Chapel.  

 

Accredited by the Ministry of Education in 2001, the institution is also a registered non-profit organisation which operates under the guidelines of the Jamaica Independent Schools’ Association.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Ruel Reid (right), in discussion with Special Education Coordinator, Liberty Academy at Priory ,Toni-Ann Millen (left), as he is taken on a tour of the institution’s  Special Education Department. In the background (at centre) is Executive Director and Founder of the Academy, Suzanne Williams. The Minister visited the school’s Hope Road location in St Andrew on January 31. (Photo: JIS) 

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, has welcomed a joint venture partnership to establish a new law school in the Caribbean.

 

The move, which involves collaboration among the Government of Guyana, the University College of the Caribbean (UCC), and the Law College of the Americas (LCA), will facilitate access to enhanced legal education for a wider cross section of qualified persons.

 

Minister Reid said with more trained lawyers, Jamaica could become a major player in the provision of legal services for overseas clients, thereby attracting more international investors.

 

He noted that financial and legal services are big a part of the economies of Hong Kong and London, among other areas around the world.

 

“This is what we want to see in Jamaica, where legal practitioners and other professionals are producing services for people not only in Jamaica, but across the world,” he said.

 

Senator Reid was speaking at a ceremony to launch the partnership held on January 26 at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston.

 

The new institution, to be called the JOF Haynes Law College of the Americas (JHLSA) in the Caribbean, is expected to be one of the largest law schools in the region. The headquarters and main campus will be in Guyana.

 

Graduates of the Bachelor of Law programmes at the UCC/LCA Law Faculty, as well as graduates from other law faculties across the Caribbean, will be given priority admission to the planned two-year programme, effective September 2017.

 

Attorney General, Hon. Marlene Malahoo Forte, said the school will “significantly” improve access to legal education in the Caribbean.

 

“It is a timely response to the increased demand for legal education in the Caribbean, and is well placed to cater to the needs of the region while adding to growth and development,” she noted.

 

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs in Guyana, Basil Williams, for his part, said the new institution will address the high demand for space in law schools.

 

He pointed out that with more persons in the region studying in his country, they will be able to benefit from resources that Guyana is “on the threshold of unleashing.”

 

President of the LCA, Dr. Velma Brown Hamilton, said that the partnership offers “new beginnings and limitless possibilities” for persons desirous of becoming lawyers.

 

She said it solidifies the vision of the LCA to provide increased access to legal education for Caribbean people.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (2ndleft), has the attention of (from left): Group Executive Chairman of the University College of the Caribbean (UCC), Dr. Winston Adams; President of the JOF Haynes Law College of the Americas (JHLSA), Dr. Velma Brown Hamilton; and Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs in Guyana, Basil Williams. Occasion was a ceremony to launch the partnership to establish the law school, held on January 26 at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston.

“Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.”

 

– Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers

 

In some sports such as football, parents will often take their children out to the backyard to practise from a young age. Even without much expertise, a lot of money, or time, great effort is invested attempting to develop their skills. Whether in school, pushing your child to join a team, or at home seeking for a child to join a club, investing in opportunities to practise, practise, and yet more practise, can be seen.

 

Of course, this is not just relegated to sports enthusiasts, but also off the field as we seek to develop our careers. Career development takes years to cultivate and should start early. To this end, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, HEART Trust/NTA, and Junior Achievement Jamaica have undertaken a programme to align career education from early childhood to the future business needs in Jamaica while developing the ecosystem (businesses, parents, NGOs, and global partners).

 

Stakeholders in the education sector have convened and are collaborating in the journey of a child into adulthood and his readiness to become an entrepreneur by owning his business or effectively contributing to the success of his workplace.

 

 

 

GUIDANCE NEEDED

 

 

The need for a realignment of career development comes from the lack of preparedness by Jamaican youth for their future as they graduate from secondary and tertiary education. Guidance is needed for students who either do not know what they would like to do or the best ways to accomplish it.

 

Another challenge is the need to provide motivation for those youth who do not consider education or a career path as a means to a sustainable livelihood.

 

The reality is that few students are able to make informed decisions when choosing subjects at the end of grade nine. They should, instead, be guided on a continuous basis from the earliest years in school.

 

– AWARENESS:

 

Discover interest, ability, and values.

 

– EXPLORE:

 

Investigate work of parents and their interest.

 

– PREPARE:

 

Acquire knowledge to perform job.

 

– INVESTIGATE:

 

Experience the reward and responsibility of work.

 

 

 

CAREER EDUCATION

 

 

Against this background, the Career Integration Committee will host National Careers Week (NCW) 2017 under the theme Expanding Horizons, Vision 2030. During the NCW, primary and high school students will be engaged islandwide through a series of displays, forums, and practical working experience. The activities are structured to highlight our students’ career education throughout the school year at all levels, introduce global competitiveness, reward innovation in product design, and engage regional and national partners.

 

Career development will be practised in an interactive thought-provoking way. Students will showcase their ideas for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) based on product development; display artwork; and give business pitches. Students are also learning about the world of work and creating displays of a Vision 2030 workplace.

 

Labour-market presentations will help to inform persons about Jamaica’s anticipated career needs. Students will participate in Take Your Child to Work Day job shadowing to further examine or think about a Jamaica with them working in it.

 

The preparation of our youth to excel in any career starts with intentional practice from a young age and it involves everyone. Join us during NCW 2017, from February 11-17, to highlight careers.

 

– Alphie Mullings-Aiken is president of Junior Achievement Jamaica. Article submitted by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information.

 

CAPTION: Students from Charlemont High School present their school-run business to judges from the JPS and Scotiabank at the José Marti High School 2017 Regional Forum.