JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says Jamaica experienced a smooth start to the new school year, due mainly to an early disbursement of funds to schools.

 

Senator Reid said the Ministry was allocated some $5.3 billion in this year’s budget, and for the first time, the first tranche of funds was distributed early in July.

 

The Minister pointed out that the second tranche will be paid this week, and it is anticipated that the third tranche will be paid long before the end of the year.

 

Senator Reid was addressing the official launch of the 2016-2017 school year, held today (September 13), at the Tivoli Gardens High School, in Kingston.

 

“Reports have shown that the early disbursement has given a smooth start to this school year,” the Minister said.

 

Senator Reid noted that for primary schools, some $40 million has been allocated for maintenance, while improvement work has been done at a cost of $70 million for infant and primary schools.

 

The Minister urged administrators to ensure that proper systems are put in place to account for funds they receive, and that the money is used for development activities to benefit the nation’s children.

 

Emphasising that children are “our bright future”, he encouraged students to give of their best at school, as time squandered might not be regained.

 

“I ask of you to talk with your friends and determine how you are going to make the best use of your time,” the Minister said.

 

Meanwhile, Senator Reid said the Career Advancement Programme (CAP) will be expanded from 50 to 110 public secondary schools, community colleges and selected private institutions.

 

He also noted that the National Values and Attitudes Programme will be re-launched at an early date, and will be co-chaired by Opposition Spokesman on Education, Reverend Ronald Thwaites.

 

JIS: In a move to reduce the suicide rate, the Government is putting in place an awareness programme for persons facing social challenges to have information on where they can receive help.

 

Making the disclosure, Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, said there is a commitment to the cause of suicide prevention, by connecting individuals to institutions of care.

 

He was speaking at the World Suicide Prevention Day seminar, held on Friday (September 9), at the Jamaica Conference Centre, in Downtown Kingston.

 

Senator Reid said several agencies will be engaged for the educational campaign.

 

According to Minister Reid, the Child Development Agency (CDA) and the National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC) will be tasked to “integrate suicide prevention tips in all presentations to members of the public immediately”.

 

Additionally, the Education Minister said part of the NPSC’s role will be to establish a special suicide prevention help line with the relevant staffing, in time for the start of the next school term.

 

Senator Reid informed that schools will be directed to increase their focus on the prevention education, before the end of September.

 

In addition, the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) will be asked to place suicide prevention tips on as many buses to heighten the awareness.

 

Minister Reid told the gathering that within a few weeks, a sticker with suicide prevention information will be released by the Ministry, and discussions will be had to have suicide prevention information placed on all Government websites.

 

The forum was organized by Choose Life International, to provide training, for the help and empowerment of educators, students’ leaders, parents, community leaders, police, pastors, and caregivers, to identify persons who may be suicidal.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (left), accepts a suicide information book, from co-founder, and Vice President of Choose Life International, Faith Thomas, while founder and President of the organization, Dr. Donovan Thomas (right), shares in the moment. Occasion was the staging of a World Suicide Prevention Day seminar, held on Friday (September 9), at the Jamaica Conference Centre, in Downtown Kingston.

 

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid says by the next school year, clear policy guidelines will be established to govern hair style and grooming for all schools.

 

He said under the current regulations, there is no specific policy by the Ministry, to deal with the issues.

 

Senator Reid informed that Permanent Secretary in the Ministry; Dr. Maurice Smith has been tasked to undertake an island wide consultation with stakeholders on the matter, and is to provide him with a feedback by March 2017.

 

Speaking in an interview with JIS News on Friday (September 9), the Education Minister said given the debate taking place on the issue, the Ministry will be establishing clear and acceptable standards for schools.

 

“Our response as a Ministry is to formulate a policy that will govern both private and public schools,” he said.

 

Mr. Reid said while he prepares the policy, stakeholders need to dialogue with schools, to ensure that the rules that now exist, are clear, and “once stakeholders sign off, you are obliged to follow those rules and regulations.”

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says the new academic year is off to a smooth start.

 

He said there have been no adverse reports from schools, adding that the Ministry is prepared to respond to any concerns throughout the day.

 

Senator Reid was addressing a school-opening ceremony at Seaward Primary and Junior High in St Andrew this morning (Sept. 5).

 

The function, organised by the Ministry in collaboration with the Community Safety and Security Branch of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), was to mark the institution’s 60th anniversary as well as promote a focus on safety in schools.

 

Senator Reid hailed the JCF for its role in ensuring an orderly start to the new school year and that there were no major disruptions.

 

He noted that the safety and security of the nation’s youth remains a priority for the Government and the Ministry.

 

Meanwhile, the Education Minister said the Government is focused on the transformation of the Jamaican society by instilling positive values and attitudes among the youth.

 

“The education system will support the achievement of the mindset change through its socialisation function, where Jamaicans will be exposed to and provided with the tools to adopt the transformational values,” he said.

 

Senator Reid said the National Values and Attitude Committee, which is chaired by himself and Opposition Spokesperson on Education, Rev. Ronald Thwaites, will be instrumental in supporting all sectors in the push to transform individual and collective attitudes and behaviours.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (right), interacts with students and a parent at the Seaward Primary and Junior High School on Olympic Way, St. Andrew this morning (September 5). The Minister was attending a ceremony to mark the institution’s 60th anniversary as well as promote a focus on safety in schools. It was put on by the Ministry in collaboration with the Community Safety and Security Branch of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says a raft of strategies, including the establishment of a Math Consortium, will be rolled out this academic year in a bid to address the declining performance in the subject area at secondary schools.

 

Speaking at a back-to-school press conference at the Ministry’s Heroes Circle offices in Kingston on August 31, Senator Reid said the first meeting of the group will be held on Friday, September 2.

 

The Consortium will be made up of Mathematics experts and specialists who will provide support to schools in the teaching of the subject.

 

“We will work with all critical stakeholders to see if we can collectively deal with this problem,” he said.

 

The Consortium will closely analyse the data and make recommendations for implementation. “We have also taken note of the exit of some of our teachers and are examining this phenomenon as well,” he said.

 

Jamaica recorded a decline in the 2016 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Mathematics results.

 

Mr. Reid said the Ministry will monitor the performance of students moving to grades 10 and 11 in a bid to develop more targeted interventions across each school.

 

Mr. Reid said the Ministry will monitor the performance of students moving to grades 10 and 11 in a bid to develop more targeted interventions across each school.

 

“We will be working with the schools so that we don’t wait until results come out again and then we wonder why they have dipped. We are going to make sure we are very proactive in that regard,” he said.

Mr. Reid said the strategies will also focus on the intensive preparation of students for examinations.

 

Mr. Reid said the strategies will also focus on the intensive preparation of students for examinations.

The 2016/17 academic year begins on Monday, September 5.

 

The 2016/17 academic year begins on Monday, September 5.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (left) and State Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, addressing a recent press conference.

JIS: The Government has spent $800 million to procure textbooks for the 2016/17 academic year.

 

Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, made the disclosure during a back-to-school press conference at the Ministry’s Heroes Circle offices in Kingston on Wednesday (Aug. 31),

 

He informed that the delivery of books to schools has started and will be completed by September 30, 2016.

 

Senator Reid said the Ministry provides core texts and materials for both primary and secondary institutions under the National Textbook Loan Scheme and the Primary Textbook Programme.

 

He noted that titles that appear on the 2016 to 2017 Approved Textbooks list offer adequate curriculum coverage.

 

“Therefore, schools must not include on their booklists, revision textbooks that address only a few areas of the curriculum/syllabus,” he said.

 

In the meantime, he informed that the Ministry has partnered with the Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC) this year in conducting textbook surveys.

 

The research indicates that consumers will pay an average increase of four per cent in the price of texts this academic year.

 

The CAC is encouraging parents to utilise the Ministry’s approved lists when making their purchases and where possible, the National Textbook Rental Scheme or buy pre-owned books.

 

“Parents, who haven’t yet purchased textbooks, are also urged to take advantage of lower prices where they are available, but ensure that a proper receipt is collected and retained should a complaint arise,” the Education Minister advised.

 

The 2016/17 academic year begins on Monday, September 5.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, addresses a back-to-school press conference at the Ministry’s Heroes Circle offices in Kingston on August 31

JIS: All critical repairs and construction being undertaken at schools will be completed before the start of the new academic year.

 

At a back-to-school press conference at the Ministry’s Heroes Circle offices in Kingston on August 31, Portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid said $750 million is being used to effect repairs at 190 schools.

 

He said $70 million has been set aside for renovation or modification works leading to the creation of 30 infant departments and partitions at 15 primary schools.

 

Senator Reid added that the remaining 69 schools that use pit latrines will be provided with upgraded facilities during the financial year.

 

The project will be completed through a partnership with the Jamaica Social Investment Fund, Food For The Poor and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

 

In the meantime, Mr. Reid said the distribution of school furniture will commence this week, and the process will be completed by the last week of September. More than 35,000 pieces of furniture will be procured.

 

Mr. Reid further noted that emphasis has been placed on procuring child-appropriate furniture for the early-childhood level.

 

On the matter of nutrition, Mr. Reid informed that more than 130,000 of the early-childhood cohort will be provided with breakfast and lunch, while other schools will receive money to prepare lunches at school.

 

The initiative falls under the Ministry’s School Feeding Programme, which is being undertaken in collaboration with Nutrition Products Limited.

 

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

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says the Government has provided budgetary support for all operational costs in schools.

 

He added that to ensure that all schools are equipped to deliver quality education in the absence of mandatory auxiliary fees, the Ministry has increased funding in several areas.

 

The overall allocation for the sector has been increased to $5.3 billion for this financial year, up from $2.6 billion, making the funding a minimum of $19,000 per student to cover operational costs. This includes utility payments and lab resources, among others.

 

A total of $300 million has also been allocated to hire part-time sixth-form teachers.

 

Speaking at a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) television back-to-school special forum, Senator Reid assured parents that “the design of the education system is such that there should be no fear in terms of impairment of quality”.

 

“We are making it very clear that every school has been targeted to ensure that they can deliver quality education,” he added.

 

The Minister pointed out that a Committee is being developed to examine school budgets and the areas to be approved for expenditure, with a view to standardise some areas, to prevent burdening parents with expenses not approved by the Ministry.

 

Senator Reid said research showed that 88 per cent of schools have been receiving contributions of approximately $5,000 per student from parents. With the provisions by the Ministry, he noted that these schools would now be in a much stronger financial position.

 

“We must have policy geared towards ensuring that no parent is going to be worse off, and that the children’s interests are protected. And that is what the Government is seeking to do; we are not underfunding schools but we are managing it in a way to deliver quality education (while) ensuring that there are no children that are denied access,” he said.

 

Senator Reid also said early disbursement of tuition support funds in June and additional payments to be made in September, December and April 2017, will serve to insulate schools from cash-flow problems.

 

Meanwhile, Chief Education Officer, Dr. Grace McLean, said in addition to the provision of resources and equipment for labs and technical and vocational areas, schools which encounter problems throughout the school year can also request additional support from the Ministry.

 

“There are really no hindrances at this time. We have gone above and beyond to make sure that we reorganise the resources internally for schools to have enough funds to be able to take care of the operational costs, so that quality education is provided for students,” Dr. McLean said.

 

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