November 12, 2015

The Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) has partnered with the National Parenting Support Commission to launch an initiative aimed at increasing parenting skills to ensure that children are healthy and ready mentally and socially to engage the education system at grade one.

Nine hundred parents from six parishes will participate in the Parenting Empowerment Programme, which will be piloted for twelve months starting this month.  The participants will attend workshops at the community level focusing on the areas of nutrition, discipline, safety, learning, and health needs. The information shared at the workshops will be reinforced through home visits.  

This disclosure was made by Mrs Scarlett Duncan,Social Marketing Manager for PATH at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. She was speaking recently at the launch of Parents’ Month, which is being observed under the theme Parents Take Time, Be Involved. Parents’ Month activities are being coordinated by the National Parenting Support Commission, an agency of the Ministry of Education.

Mrs Duncan disclosed that the PATH parenting pilot project is being implemented as part of the Integrated Social Protection and Labour Programme in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security that is funded by the Inter-American Development Bank.  One of the main aims of this broader programme is to support PATH conditional cash grants, and strengthen the system through the introduction of parenting education for households with children two to six years old. 

Noting that currently children in families on PATH are required to attend the health centre twice per year to maintain their benefits Mrs Duncans said that the parenting education pilot will explore the possibility of adjusting this requirement. This would result in children visiting the health centre once per year and their parents required to attend parenting workshops.

The PATH Social Marketing Manager noted that the launch of the Parenting Empowerment Programme represented a deepening of the partnership between the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and the Ministry of Education. The PATH Unit and the National Parenting Support Commission jointly developed the curriculum for the parenting workshops. The parenting education pilot will be implemented in Kingston, St. Thomas, Portland, Clarendon, St. Ann and St. James. 

October 20, 2015:

JUST RELEASED data has shown that Jamaican students performed creditably in the latest City & Guilds mathematics and English examinations.

Last year the Ministry of Education decided to underwrite the cost for 10,000 students to write City & Guilds Maths and English in a move to expand the options for external examinations available to students.

Some 11,000 students enrolled in Grade 11 and the Career Advancement Programme (CAP) wrote these exams. Eighty-four percent of CAP students attained a pass in Maths and 78 per cent in English, while the Grade 11 cohort achieved a 71-per cent pass rate in Maths and 60 in English.

In 2011 the Ministry of Education signed a contract with City & Guilds for the delivery of examinations in Mathematics and English in all CAP centres island-wide. The partnership was strengthened in January 2012 when the Ministry named 150 public high schools as City and Guilds centres for registration of Grade 11 students in Maths and English.  This is in keeping with the Ministry’s commitment to ensure that all Grade 11 students in Jamaica have the opportunity to write external examinations in Maths and English.

In September 2014 City & Guilds International launched two new qualifications in Maths and English.   The qualifications facilitated a staged approach across three levels.   Each stage is a free-standing single subject with its own certification, and is specifically designed to be a more “manageable” and self-gratifying approach for students.

Significantly, the English Skills qualification encompasses a unique assessment strategy.   In addition to the usual written exam that is externally assessed, there is a new oral exam (Speaking and Listening) that is internally assessed.  The Ministry of Education believes this approach will help to improve our students’ oral English competence.

Students must be proficient in both the written and oral assessments of the English Skills qualification to achieve the over-arching certification.  Certificates of Unit Credit are given for each assessment, that is, Reading & Writing as well as Speaking & Listening.  This certification strategy provides motivation for students to push forward and succeed.

Marva Duncanson, City & Guilds Representative for Jamaica believes the Ministry’s sponsorship of candidates “has levelled the playing field by giving students a viable certification option as Maths and English form the cornerstone on which all other learning is built so it is critical that students are certified in these areas.” 

According to Duncanson, the main purpose of these globally recognized qualifications is to help learners develop skills at a level necessary to function and progress in life and work.  It also provides a platform for further studies anywhere in the world.  She further noted that City & Guilds is an examination body dedicated to vocational studies with leading market share in the United and delivering qualifications in over 100 countries.  “City & Guilds exclusively offers competency-based qualifications.  We recognize that there are different types of learners and that one size does not fit all.”

NEWS RELEASE

Education Ministry Grants Scholarships to
Trainee Teachers of Maths and Science

October 11 2015:
THE MINISTRY of Education has awarded mathematics and science education scholarships valued at $14 million to 51 persons pursuing degree programmes at teacher-training institutions across the island commencing this academic year.
Of the total scholarship awardees 42 received full tuition, four received tuition and boarding, while the remaining five received partial tuition funding.

Speaking recently at the official presentation of the scholarships Education Minister Ronald Thwaites pointed out that the country urgently required qualified, competent and zealous mathematics teachers with the requisite knowledge and academic skills to take the quantum leap necessary to teach the subject.
Minister Thwaites disclosed that at the latest count the country has lost 70 to 80 of its mathematics and science teachers to overseas employment, which underscored the need to train and incentivize persons who are still here and wish to teach these subjects.
The Education Minister maintained that insufficient mathematics specialists in schools, poor teaching and teacher qualification remain some of the major factors contributing to the country’s underperformance in the subject, mastery of which, he noted, is critical to the country’s current development pursuit.
According to National Mathematics Coordinator Dr. Tamika Benjamin each awardee must maintain at least a B average throughout the programme of study, and will be bonded to the government upon graduation. The Ministry will place these graduates in schools that will need their support and the expertise that they will have gained over the period of their training,” Dr. Benjamin added.

An elated Orlando Roberts, third year student at the Shortwood Teachers’ College, said he was relieved following his acceptance to the scholarship programme.  “A huge load has been removed from my back. I can get a good night’s rest now and I can concentrate better on my studies,” Roberts said.

For nineteen year-old Chavelle Bennett, a student of the Mico University College, mathematics helps to develop many skills used in every aspect of life.  “Mathematics is everywhere. It makes you gain and understand so many skills including reasoning and analytical skills; and broadens your scope of thinking,” Bennett said.

She received a full scholarship for which she is also grateful. “I am extremely happy. It is a huge load that has been released. All the stress about paying my school fee is gone,” Bennett said.

An overwhelmed Collin Dixon, a student of the Church Teachers’ College in Mandeville, said mathematics for him is not just a subject; he loves it.  “Mathematics helps to develop the mind, reasoning ability and skills. I am happy that I received a full scholarship. I will be able to work even harder and one day I will be able to pass on the knowledge I will gain to my students,” Dixon said.

The Jamaica National Building Society is a partner in the Ministry’s scholarship programme.

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The Ministry of Education advises that all is in place to facilitate the sitting of the Grade Four Literacy Test on Tuesday June 30 by 58,125 students.

On Wednesday July 1, some 43,127 students will sit the Grade Four Numeracy Test. The candidates for both examinations include 14,998 repeaters.

SOME 21,223 FEMALES AND 21,904 MALES WILL SIT THE NUMERACY TEST IN 1470 CENTRES ACROSS THE ISLAND, WHILE 25,641 FEMALES AND 32,484 MALES WILL SIT THE LITERACY EXAMINATION IN 1650 CENTRES.

The Literacy Test will constitute three sections. Part A is Word Recognition and is marked out of a total of 40 marks. Part B is Reading Comprehension and is marked out of a total of 30 marks and section three is the Writing Task, which has tasks one and two. This section of the examination is marked out of a total of eight marks.

The Grade Four Numeracy Test has two papers. Paper one consists of 46 multiple choice items while paper two consists of three open-ended questions.

            The Ministry of Education is making special arrangements to facilitate approximately 253 students with special need to sit the examinations.

Chief Education Officer Dr Grace McLean has noted that teachers are aware that the tests are Curriculum-based and, accordingly, have been preparing students using the National Curriculum. She underscored the importance of students passing the Grade Four Literacy and Numeracy Tests in order to become eligible to sit the Grade Six Achievement Test.

Reminders to Students

1.     Students should be reminded to listen to the instruction of the Presiding Examiners and act accordingly.

2.     They should also be encouraged to be careful in representing their answers on the bubble sheets provided for Part A and B on the Literacy Test and Paper One for the Numeracy Test; as such mistakes can cause students to lose a mark for a question.

3.     Students are encouraged to answer ALL questions on the examination, as well as manage their time effectively.

4.     On the mornings of both the Literacy and Numeracy examinations, parents must ensure that their children are provided with a warm and fulsome breakfast. All students should get sufficient rest the nights before both examinations.

Security of Examination Papers

The Ministry of Education has taken precautionary measures to protect the integrity of the examination. The measures include:

-Unannounced visits to the printing facilities

-Examination papers are stored in a vault

-Packaging of examination materials is done in a sterile area under strict supervision

March 2, 2018 

RE: JAMVAT RELOCATION NOTICE 

Please be advised that the Jamaica Values and Attitudes Programme for Tertiary Students (JAMVAT) has been relocated to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information (MOEYI).

Please send all JAMVAT related communication to the following: 

Address: 

Ministry of Education, Youth and Information 

Tertiary Unit, Building Three 

4 National Heroes Circle, 

Kingston 4 

Email: [email protected]

Tel: (876) 612-6050-1 or (876) 612-6046-7

Statement by Hon. Rev. Ronald Thwaites, Minister of Education

To the House of Representatives, June 16, 2015

Mr Speaker, I wish to update this Honourable House on matters related to the Education Sector.

I begin by presenting a preliminary report on the performance of students on the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) for 2015. The results will be available to the primary level institutions on the evening of Wednesday June 17, 2015.

The Grade Six Achievement Test was administered on March 26 and 27, 2015. The examination was conducted in over 1,000 schools; 38,662 students (18,399 males and 20,263 females) were eligible to sit the examination.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

Student Performance improved in four of the five subject areas on which they were tested. Social Studies leads the way with six percentage-points increase above last year’s average. Members will recall that last year we adjusted the curriculum for Social Studies to make it more focused and reduced the number of test questions to make them comparable with the Science test.

Communication Tasks recorded the next largest increase –three percentage points. This is followed by marginal increases in Language Arts and Science. There was an actual decrease of 3.7 percentage points in student performance in Mathematics.

ANALYSIS -MATHEMATICS

Although the decline in student performance in Mathematics is of concern to us at the Ministry of Education, our analysis points to an area of teaching and learning that requires targeted intervention. In this year’s Mathematics test we increased the number of items that required students to reason and apply concepts.

The challenge students faced handling these items may be attributed to one of the issues with which the ministry continues to contend as it relates to the teaching and learning of mathematics – emphasis on rote learning rather than the teaching of concepts. Placing an emphasis on students remembering steps without an understanding of the underlying concepts will affect the ability of students to handle items they may consider as unusual or non- routine.

Taking this into consideration, plans are currently being put in place to provide additional levels of support to the system under the National Mathematics Programme in the following ways: –

– Increased efforts to support schools (sending and receiving) in analysing GSAT profiles and using the data to make decisions about teaching and learning including the development of remediation programmes to support incoming grade 7 students to ensure that identified gaps are treated as well as the development of programmes designed to improve the capacity of student to reason and apply mathematical concepts

– Continued emphasis on the teaching of concepts during professional development sessions facilitated for teachers at the regional and school level at both the primary and secondary levels of the education system. This will be supported by increasing the access to sample lesson plans built around these strategies

– Working closely with principals and teachers of the current Grade 5 to ensure they are equipped to make the necessary adjustments to their programmes by ensuring there is greater emphasis on concept building and to strengthen their capacity to develop and administer assessment tools which require increased levels of reasoning and application

– Continued implementation of strategies targeted at changing the culture surrounding the teaching and learning of mathematics so that all stakeholders recognise that mathematics and numeracy speak to the use of ideas not only in the classroom but in everyday life. As a result, the experiences we offer our children must include those which allow them to develop an appreciation of the applicability of the concepts they are learning not just in the classroom but in everyday life.

STUDENT PLACEMENT

Of the thirty seven thousand, five hundred and seventy five (37, 575) students who sat the examination, thirty three thousand, five hundred and forty six (33, 546)were placed in High Schools;

Three thousand, one hundred and seventy – seven (3,177)were placed in Technical Schools; eight hundred and thirty six (836) were placed in Primary and Junior High; fifteen (15)in Special Schools and none in All-Age and private institutions. Of note, is the significant decline in placements in All-Age and Primary & Junior High Schools.

Additionally, twenty seven thousand, one hundred and eighty nine (27,189) or seventy three per cent (73%) of students were placed in their preferred schools. Nine thousand, four hundred and eighty six (9, 486) or twenty five per cent (25%) of students were placed in terms of the proximity to the schools they are currently attending and eight hundred and ninety nine (899) or two per cent (2%)were placed manually, in proximity to the address they submitted.

The Ministry of Education is employing strategies to increase quality secondary school places by taking schools off shift, reducing overcrowding, and improving the quality of facilities, teaching and learning.

REMEDIAL ACTION

In addition to the remedial measures already mentioned regarding Mathematics, the Ministry of Education considers students scoring fifty per cent (50%) or less in any subject in need of intervention in order to adequately manage Grade 7 studies.

Therefore, all high schools are being directed to:

1. Make full use of the GSAT subject profiles for each student in order to determine weaknesses.

2. Undertake upgrading and remediation at the outset of Grade 7.

The Ministry is ready to provide specialist intervention to schools, particularly in areas of Language Arts and Mathematics.

The Ministry of Education is cognisant of the many challenges facing parents whose children have to attend schools that are far from where they live. Among the concerns are the availability and cost of transportation as well as the cost of lunch.

These factors sometimes limit children’s attendance to three days per week. Schools also have been concerned about how students’ learning is affected by absenteeism.

In order to alleviate these factors the Ministry of Education is committed to the manual placement in schools near their homes of GSAT students who are not assigned to any of the institutions of their choice. In addition, parents and guardians are reminded that where students have been assigned to schools far from their homes, the Ministry will facilitate requests for transfers.

The Ministry further advises that the majority of students who sat the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) this year will be placed in high schools of their choice based on their grade performance.

The Ministry continues to enhance the quality of those high schools that traditionally have not been institutions of choice, by way of improved infrastructure, expanded curriculum offerings, better trained principals and teachers as well as welfare to students.

The GSAT results are scheduled to be released the third week in June.