JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information and the United Nations Population Fund are pleased to celebrate International Youth Day under the theme “The Road to 2030: Eradicating Poverty and Achieving Sustainable Production and Consumption.”

 

International Youth Day is observed globally on the August 12 each year to raise awareness on issues affecting youth and recognize and reaffirm the central role of young people in promoting the well-being of their families, communities and nations.

 

More than 500 million youth worldwide live in poverty, and often cannot afford their basic needs. They lack access to vital resources, and are disproportionately represented amongst the world’s poor.

 

Data show that 46% of the population in Jamaica is less than 24 years and are faced with a number of challenges that could inhibit their potential, including poverty, unemployment and crime and violence. Youth have the most to gain if we succeed in eradicating poverty, and will have the most to lose if we fail.

 

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Vision 2030 Jamaica require us to balance the needs of present and future generations, create economic growth without destroying natural resources and reduce consumption while enforcing well-being and dignity.

 

Sustainable consumption entails the use of products and services that meet the basic needs of communities while safeguarding the needs of future generations. The development and promotion of individual choices and actions that increase the eco-efficiency of consumption of all and minimize waste and pollution is critical to achieving equitable socioeconomic development.

 

Sustainable development cannot be achieved without assuring that all women and men, and girls and boys, enjoy the dignity and human rights to expand their capabilities, secure their reproductive health and rights, find decent work and contribute to economic growth.

 

Defining the necessary policies and investments to secure that future, demands that governments worldwide know the size, sex, location and age structure of their present and future populations, so they can tailor investments for inclusive growth.

 

For this cause, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information is committed to completing Jamaica’s National Youth Policy, towards guiding and streamlining youth development in the country. The Ministry is also targeting unattached youth and facilitating their reintegration into formal employment, education and training through various initiatives and partnerships.

 

Globally, large youth populations represent a historic opportunity to introduce progress and adopt innovative solutions to ignite this change. Essential to this is the realization of young people’s rights to participate in the political, economic and social life of their communities and countries, and to freely make informed choices regarding their sexual and reproductive health without discrimination, violence or coercion. To empower young people means giving them the tools to become even more influential, productive actors in their societies.

 

Central to these efforts must be the promotion of access to education and health services. These combined interventions are critical in order to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty, strengthen the resilience of populations in the face of all challenges and seize the opportunities of the new economy.

 

Achieving poverty reduction will require that young people have access to the tools, skills and mentorship that will enable them to participate meaningfully in the economic activities in countries.  This includes access to training opportunities and capital for economic pursuits.

 

No youth should be left behind – and for this reason the Ministry’s task to reintegrate involves the restructuring of Youth Information Centres toward bringing alienated and marginalized youth back into the economic mainstream and giving them a sense of meaning and belonging. The programmes in the Youth Information Centres will assist youth in developing new skills and experiences, while promoting innovation, entrepreneurship and resilience.

 

It is important that youth understand the responsibility that they have as leaders, in the drive toward poverty eradication.  We are convinced that if Jamaica’s youth are properly engaged, they can be the engine that drives economic growth. This engagement, however, cannot be merely symbolic in nature, but must allow our young people to truly contribute to the direction of their country.

 

Thus, to strengthen this view and make it a reality, the Ministry is establishing the National Youth Advisory Committee. This committee is intended to facilitate continuous engagement of young people in youth development policy and programming actions of the Government. Additionally, the Ministry continues to strengthen youth leadership networks through the Jamaica Youth Ambassadors Programme, National Youth Council, National Secondary Students’ Council and Jamaica Union of Tertiary Students.

 

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information and the United Nations Population Fund hereby call on all stakeholders, government, civil society, private sector, and community-based organizations to ensure that there are no obstacles to the education, health and well-being of youth, including teenage girls. Investments in youth will ensure that we collectively build a world in which they face no limit to their aspirations and future.

JIS: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says there will be no compromise on the educational standards set by the Early Childhood Commission (ECC).

 

He noted that the 17 early-childhood institutions which have already been certified through the quality assurance mechanism of the ECC stand as an indication of the level of quality required, adding that more work is to be done to improve the infrastructure and management of education at these institutions.

 

“Our children deserve the best education possible, which we must not compromise,” the Prime Minister emphasised.

 

Mr. Holness, who was addressing the launch of a Little Leaders programme by the National Baking Company Foundation, at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in Kingston on August 9, said the mission going forward is to maintain excellence and bring up all children to the highest standards.

 

He acknowledged that already there has been significant work to build the capacity of teachers and school administrators, as well as to enhance lesson delivery at the early-childhood level.

 

Meanwhile, Mr. Holness congratulated the National Baking Company for the launch of the Little Leaders programme, which will be distributing learning kits to more than 2,500 institutions islandwide, beginning in September.

 

“I applaud and endorse this initiative. Education has always been to me, a partnership exercise. It is the most valuable and rewarding investment that any country or any company can make. Truth is, this is the foundation and once you have set the foundation correctly, you can build anything on it,” he said.

 

The initiative targets children between the ages of three and six years, and has the objective of minimising the disparity in learning of children in this age group. It will support literacy, while also having a special focus on mathematics and science.

 

The programme will also feature a mobile classroom named ‘Training Wheels’, which will host workshops across the island, led by a full-time education consultant. Through a partnership with the Jamaica Observer, a weekly activity page will also be published to engage parents and children on specific lessons.

 

Chairperson of the ECC, Mrs. Trisha Williams-Singh, hailed National Baking Company and the Foundation for the continued demonstration of commitment to early-childhood education, noting that by providing tools, the Foundation is a significant help to schools in the attainment of ECC standards.

 

CAPTION: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (left), converses with Patron of the National Baking Company Foundation, Mr. Butch Hendrickson, after a tour of the mobile classroom dubbed ‘Training Wheels’, which forms part of a Little Leaders programme launched by the Foundation, on August 9, at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in Kingston. The mobile classroom will host workshops across the island.

JIS: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, is urging Jamaicans to be more loving, caring and understanding towards children.

 

He made the appeal, while addressing the Independence Day grand gala at the National Stadium in Kingston on August 6, where he called for an end to violence against children.

 

“Please don’t hurt our children, protect them from the storm. Help them, encourage them and if you haven’t done it yet, hug them and tell them that you love them,” the Prime Minister said, to loud cheers from the crowd.

 

In an interview with JIS News, Mr. Holness said violence as a means of correction, control and social interaction cannot be allowed to continue in Jamaica.

 

“While we are here celebrating our country, we want to deliver a message; a message of peace and love, a message of care and protection for our children, and a message to end violence in our country,” he noted.

 

The grand gala was staged by the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, through the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC). The event, held under the theme ‘Youth Arising’, had a strong focus on the youth and included performances by some 1,000 children and young adults.

 

There was a flag display by uniformed groups accompanied by the massed bands of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force (JCCF). Several local gospel, dancehall and reggae artistes also thrilled the patrons at the event.

 

The celebrations also featured the combined choirs of Nexus, Carifolk Singers, Las Voicers, and Melodiosas; and a ‘Rasta Corner’ with appearances by Capleton, the Rastafarian drummers, the Mystic Revelations of Rastafari, among others.

 

The event was in celebration of the country’s 54th year of Independence under the theme: ‘Let’s get together and feel alright’.

 

CAPTION: This boy and his mother were among the thousands of patrons enjoying the performances at the Independence Day grand gala at the National Stadium on Saturday, August 6.

It appears groups representing principals and teachers have reached an amicable agreement with the education ministry regarding the controversial decision to abolish the payment of auxiliary fees at the high school level.

 

With the abolition of auxiliary fees the ministry has allocated some $5.3 billion to be granted to schools at the secondary level.

 

Since then, some school administrators have complained that the funding will not be enough to cover operational costs for the academic year.

 

However, the education ministry has announced that the Jamaica Association of Principals of Secondary Schools, the Association of Principals and Vice-Principals and the Jamaica Teacher’s Association have all given their commitment to cooperate with the new funding policy.

 

The ministry says the groups gave the commitment last week at a meeting with Education Minister, Ruel Reid.

 

Meanwhile, the education ministry is reminding school administrators that the term auxiliary fees is to be abandoned and parents are to be asked for non-mandatory contributions to support co-curricular, sports and special school development initiatives.

 

Parents are advised that they can the contributions based on their ability.

  

The education ministry is also encouraging churches, Trusts, Alumni, the diaspora and corporate Jamaica to support education and schools across the island.

 

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

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says teachers need to use their regular contact with students as research material to address issues in the system.

 

Addressing a research symposium for students pursuing the master’s degree, at The Mico University College, in St. Andrew, on July 27,   Senator Reid said the classroom experience requires teachers to observe a lot and experiment, so as part of their appraisal of students’ accomplishments they must determine what works and be in a position to make adjustments for better results.

 

“When you are doing evaluation of the lesson, you are evaluating the students’ achievement and whether or not you have achieved your objective,” the Minister noted.

 

He added that even when teachers are doing formative assessments of students, they have to reach a point where they decide, on evidence, whether teaching occurred and whether the students had mastered the content.

 

If a perfect success score was achieved, according to Minister Reid, the teachers can go to the next assignment, and where most of the students fail to do well in the particular lesson, pertinent questions must be asked, and the findings are part of the way forward to help the learners.

 

“What was the reason why the student didn’t learn? That data/research is going to inform how you are going to utilise (it) to ensure that every child learns and achieves,” he told his audience.

 

The Minister said he would like to see the education system reach a standard where all teachers attain at least a master’s degree and also have the capacity to diagnose the readiness of children, their learning styles, and structure lessons to reach them, so that every student can realise his or her  potential.

 

CAPTION:  

Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, delivering the keynote address at a research symposium held at The Mico University College, in St. Andrew, on July 27.

JIS: The Government is looking at implementing legislation to make it illegal for children to be barred or denied access to education, particularly at the secondary level.

 

This was disclosed by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, during the July 26 sitting of the House of Representatives.

 

He informed that access to education is not defined as a right in the Charter of Rights, but noted that the Education Regulations and Child Care Protection Act place an obligation on the State to provide access to educational opportunities.

 

“As a matter of policy and law, therefore, Jamaican children are entitled to freely access public education up to age 18 and should be attached to an institution up to that age. If this then is the law, policy and social consensus, then no Jamaican child seeking to access publicly provided education should in any way be discriminated against, barred from or denied access to education,” he argued.

 

The Prime Minister said he has directed the Minister of Education, Youth and Information to examine the existing legislation with a view to make it illegal for any child to be denied a right to secondary education.

 

He said the Government has kept its commitment to the removal of auxiliary fees, and has increased funding to high schools from $2.6 billion to $5.3 billion.

 

“In keeping with these commitments, the first disbursement of monies has been deposited to all secondary schools’ accounts since the second week of June for the process of preparing for the upcoming academic year, a first in the history of Jamaica’s education system,” he said.

 

He noted that the disbursement of funds represents an increase from the previous $11,500 to a maximum of $19,000 per student and, as such, will provide additional support to the institutions.

 

 Mr. Holness said the Government acknowledges that parents play a critical role in supporting schools and has implemented guidelines for non-mandatory contribution.

 

“Therefore, parents are supporting co-curricular, sports and special school development initiatives. Parents can make full or partial contributions as they can afford. Whether traditional or non-traditional schools; contributions are optional and students cannot be denied access to attend school, services or classes,” he pointed out.

 

He urged stakeholders to partner with schools in order to ensure that the quality of education continues to improve even as the Government deepens its support for institutions.

 

“The removal of auxiliary fees is… not a forced promise but a reiteration of this Administration’s commitment to ensuring that every child can learn; every child must learn, through the provision of equitable access to core educational resources,” the Prime Minister said.

 

CAPTION:

Prime Minister the Most Hon. Andrew Holness addressing the July 26 sitting of the House of Representatives

JIS: In May 2016, the Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid announced the removal of the payment of auxiliary fees to all secondary institutions. Since then, much debate has ensued about the implications of this removal.  This Government believes that education must be compulsory between the ages of your third and eighteenth birthday.

 

Already through the weight of legislation we have provided for free access to early childhood and primary education.  Access to secondary education is not defined as a right in our Charter of Rights but the Education Regulations and Child Care and Protection Act do place an obligation on the state to provide access to educational opportunities.

 

As a matter of policy and law therefore, Jamaican children are entitled to freely access public education up to age 18 and should be attached to an institution up to that age.   If this then is the law, policy and social consensus, then no Jamaican child seeking to access publicly provided education should in any way be discriminated against, barred from or denied access to education.

 

We are now therefore looking at making the right to secondary education explicit in law and I have directed the Minister of Education, Youth and Information to examine the existing legislation with a view to make it illegal for any child to be denied a “right” to secondary education.

 

I wish to reiterate that to help to safeguard the entitlement to education; this administration will keep its commitment to:

 

The removal of auxiliary fees; and

increased funding to the high schools from 2.6 billion to 5.3 billion dollars.

This government is serious about not compromising education; it is one of our guiding principles; when we took office in 2007, we doubled the amount of funding and again, we are doubling what obtained when we came in earlier this year. Government and indeed life is about making choices and this government will always choose to prioritize education.

 

When a child sits the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) and is placed at the secondary level, this placement is based on performance; parents should not then be burdened with mandatory fees to send the child to the secondary place rightfully earned based on results.

 

Secondary education is an entitlement and students must be attached to an institution up to age 18 and all institutions that use public resources fall under government policies.

 

The basis of this policy of removing auxiliary fees is not to ask schools to function with fewer funds but for the Ministry to provide more support to schools by subvention, maintenance and capital works. Understandably, like when we did it in 2007; the removal of auxiliary fees has been met with opposition in some quarters. While the Government appreciates that the auxiliary fees assisted with the funding of schools; research revealed that there was only a 49% compliance rate across secondary institutions for the 2014/15 school year.

 

The philosophy is that public education should be properly funded by government while encouraging stakeholders to make voluntary contributions; effectively schools will now have more money with greater certainty. Schools should not be forced to charge fees for services that the Ministry should be providing.

 

Education is just too important to have any barriers to access. Parents are already funding aspects of students’ education in preparing them for school by providing lunch, books, bus fare and other items.

 

I must emphasize that schools will be held accountable for the provision of core services; and I am instructing the Minister of Education to ensure that there is increased monitoring and surveillance of the system to ensure value for money.  I am also highlighting the fact that all schools that are given public funds are subject to audit by the Auditor General and I will be asking for audits to be done at a sample of schools to guarantee that the appropriate and best use is being made of our limited public funds.

 

With our increased investment in education, the bar has again been raised and we expect to see not only universal enrolment but increased performance as well.  In keeping with these commitments, the first disbursement of monies has been deposited to all secondary schools’ accounts since the second week of June for the process of preparing for the upcoming academic year, a first in the history of Jamaica’s Education System.

 

The Government concurs that we will never be able to provide funding for every activity in schools. The Government also acknowledges that not all schools offer the same level of service; the Government’s role is not to prevent schools to be limited by a threshold of funding and offerings but to ensure that certain minimum core standards are available to all as we seek to improve the entire educational system.

 

The Government’s remit is to provide funding for the core comprehensive educational services being provided for the students to include; physical education, guidance and counseling, health and family life education, security and safety, plant maintenance, curriculum support materials, students’ nutrition services, support for uniformed groups and behaviour management.

 

We encourage all to be cognizant that Government cannot reasonably be expected to fund ‘special programmes’, such as sporting activities, which can easily cost a school millions of dollars, but that neither can the Government allow any denial of access or discrimination when the Government has committed to covering the core of education.

 

The disbursement of funds by the Ministry to all secondary institutions as of the upcoming school year represents an increase from the previous JMD$11,500 to a maximum of  JMD$19,000 per student and therefore will provide additional support  in some schools.

 

A total of $5,337,419,400.44 will be provided to the schools for the upcoming school year. Outside of the payment of teachers on establishment, support is being provided for the following categories: See full PDF File for Categories

 

The Government acknowledges that parents play a critical role in supporting schools and has implemented guidelines for non-mandatory parents’ school support contributions. Therefore parents are supporting co-curricular, sports and special school development initiatives.  Parents can make full or partial contributions as they can afford.

 

Whether traditional or non-traditional schools; contributions are optional and students cannot be denied access to attend school, services or classes.

 

As the Government deepens its support for schools, an appeal is being made for all stakeholders to continue to partner with schools in ensuring that the quality of education continues to improve. In Jamaica, education always has and always should operate as a partnership; our Churches, Trusts, Alumni, the diaspora, corporate Jamaica and indeed all our citizens continue to support education.

 

We cannot and absolutely will not under this government get to a stage in this country where universal access to education becomes threatened.  The system has to be one where we welcome and value all possible contributions but the Government has to be committed to take on the lion’s share of the responsibility.

 

The removal of auxiliary fees is therefore not a forced promise but a reiteration of this administration’s commitment to ensuring that every child can learn; every child must learn, through the provision of equitable access to core educational resources.

CAPTION: 

Prime Minister, the Most Honourable Andrew Michael Holness, O.N., M.P

JIS: A toll-free number has been established for persons needing information on the Jamaica House Fellowship Programme. The number 1-888-429-5JHF (543), will be in operation on Mondays to Thursdays 8:30 am to 5:00 pm and Fridays 8:30 am to 4:00pm.

 

Acting Chief Technical Director in the Office of the Prime Minister Mrs. Jacqueline Lynch-Stewart is encouraging individuals to call if they need information on the programme or to confirm receipt of their applications.

 

The Jamaica House Fellowship Programme was announced by Prime Minister the Most Hon. Andrew Holness during his Budget Presentation earlier this year,  and is designed to provide the government with the services of some of Jamaica’s most promising young minds and high capacity managers.

 

The Fellowship is a paid full-time assignment with the Office of the Prime Minister for a period of two years. Under the programme, successful candidates will be guided by the Chief Technical Director in the OPM and involved in a wide range of high impact projects while interacting with Cabinet and other officials at the OPM in wider government service.

 

Mrs. Lynch-Stewart explained that since the OPM began accepting applications for the fellowship programme on July 20, the response has been excellent.

 

“We are pleased with the level of interest. There has been a positive response from professionals in a wide range of fields and disciplines; it is obvious that many persons view this Fellowship as a great opportunity to develop professionally and to serve their country,” she observed.

 

“However, despite the great response thus far, I would like to take this opportunity to encourage more of our citizens here at home and in the Jamaican diaspora to  submit applications to be part of this prestigious programme,” Mrs. Lynch-Stewart declared.

 

Applications close on August 2, 2016, and application forms are only available online. For further information persons may also email [email protected] or visit www.opm.gov.jm/jamaicahousefellowship or call (867) 946-4475 or (876) 927-9941-3 ext. 3333.

 

CAPTION: 

Prime Minister, the Most Honourable Andrew Michael Holness, O.N., M.P.

JIS: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has reiterated the Government’s objective to make education compulsory for children three to 18.

 

“It is a little bit more advanced than saying that everyone must be in school. It is saying that everyone should be known to the State, registered in an officially recognised educational institution and meet a certain standard of educational attainment,” he said.

 

He said that students must also have exposure to a well-rounded curriculum.

 

Mr. Holness was speaking at the start of a two-day School Leadership Summit staged by the Jamaica National (JN) Foundation on July 25 at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.

 

He lauded the JN Foundation for staging the summit and for its contribution to the development of education in Jamaica.

 

The Leadership Summit, under the theme ‘Innovate. Impact. Lead: Join the Education Revolution’, brings together principals, senior teachers and grade supervisors, among others, to benefit from an exchange of expertise in school leadership from local and international professionals.

 

JN Foundation Chairman, Earl Jarrett, informed that coming out of a 2008 report, which showed unfavourable results among some non-traditional and rural high-school students, the entity partnered with the Victoria Mutual Building Society (VMBS) to tackle the problem through the Centre of Excellence Project.

 

Mr. Jarrett hailed the project as a success, noting that it was able to improve the performance of students in mathematics, English and the sciences.

 

American education expert and consultant Salome Thomas-El, who was the main presenter, noted that school principals and leaders must be engaged with students.

 

He described teaching as a ministry and encouraged principals and teachers to work together. Mr. Thomas-El said the job of an educator is to teach children to think.

 

He also encouraged school leaders to embrace the wider community and “believe in our children”.

 

CAPTION: 

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, ‘enlists’ in the Jamaica National (JN) Foundation’s education revolution at the entity’s Leadership Summit held at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on July 25. 

About 1,000 school officials are to benefit from training sessions focused on school safety being offered by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information.

 

These sessions are being done in keeping with the ministry’s emphasis on engendering a safe and secure culture in Jamaican schools.

 

The workshops will focus on areas such as human trafficking and its impact on schools and the Office of the Children’s Registry’s examination of matters of missing children and the duty to report under the Child Care and Protection Act.

 

The sessions will also see members of the National Intelligence Bureau of the Jamaica Constabulary Force addressing the matter of gangs and how to identify them.

 

The Ministry says this is the first tier of training.

 

It says in a few weeks some 400 youths will be trained under the apprenticeship programme.

 

The Ministry says these individuals will be assigned to selected schools while undergoing training over a one-year period to support the work of the Deans of Discipline and the School Safety Officers.

 

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