GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION have agreed to join hands in re-launching a national campaign to promote positive values in the society.

This was disclosed on Wednesday (April 20) during a meeting convened by Senator Ruel Reid, Minister of Education, Youth and Information, with a cross section of stakeholders at his National Heroes Circle offices.  Rev. Ronald Thwaites, Shadow Minister of Education, accepted Senator Reid’s invitation to jointly lead a renewed national values and attitude campaign.

Minister Reid said the campaign would be centred on the core values contained in the Vision 20/30 Jamaica national development plan. In this regard he invited the representative of the Planning Institute of Jamaica to update the committee at its next meeting on the implementation of Vision 2030.

According to Minister Reid the values campaign should promote good role models for children in school and the community, reward positive behaviour in schools, advocate the removal of lewd music from public transportation and commuter centres, appoint values and attitude champions in schools and other organisations, involve parents, and engage the public using traditional and new media.

The committee suggested the holding of a national summit before the official launch of the values and attitude campaign. Several organisations were represented at the inaugural committee meeting. These include the National Parents Teachers Association of Jamaica, Peace Management Initiative, Respect Jamaica/Digicel Foundation, Child Development Agency, National Secondary Students’ Council, National Youth Service, Jamaica Council of Churches, and Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica.

Minister Reid said the membership of the committee will be broadened to reflect other critical stakeholders.

 

Senator Ruel Reid (left), Minister of Education, Youth and Information is in discussion with representatives of Flow Jamaica who made a courtesy call on him on Monday (April 18). Flow indicated its willingness to support Government’s policies to promote the development of the Information Communication and Technology sector in general and, in particular, as it relates to advancing education.

The Flow Jamaica team included, from second left, Rochelle Cameron -Vice President for Legal and Regulatory Affairs; President, Gary Sinclair;  and Errol Miller, Executive Chairman, Flow Foundation. 

 

Hon. Floyd Green, State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information has expressed appreciation to the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority for donating $500,000 towards the celebration of Child Month 2016.  The celebrations will take place in May under the theme: ‘Healthy Children Build a Stronger Nation’. The theme is aimed at raising awareness of children’s health – physical, mental and social well-being.

Mr Nari Williams-Singh, Director General of the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority made the symbolic cheque presentation to Dr. Pauline Mullings, Chair of the National Child Month Committee and State Minister Green at his National Heroes Circle office on Tuesday (April 19). The funds will be used specifically to support island-wide activities on National Children’s Day (May 13).

 

 

Minister of Education, Youth and Information Ruel Reid has welcomed the removal of offensive posters from the entrance of the Alpha Primary School in Kingston.

Following media exposure of the signs which promoted X-rated adult entertainment, Minister Reid visited the school Monday morning (April 18) and expressed relief that they had been removed.

Minister Reid met with the Principal Millicent Graham, several members of staff and parents along with some students. He expressed appreciation to the staff for their contribution to education and encouraged parents to continue supporting the school.

 Since assuming office Minister Reid has emphasised the promotion of positive values and attitudes throughout the education system.

Child Month 2016 will be celebrated in May under the theme, ‘Healthy Children Build a Stronger Nation’. This theme is aimed at raising awareness of children’s health – physical, mental and social well-being.

 It is also a national initiative to create a healthy lifestyle and environment for our children to pursue their dreams, and secure our country’s future growth and development. This can be achieved if we:

* Promote health and wellness at an early age

* Provide healthy meals for children

* Increase children’s physical activity and create a safe environment for them

* Empower parents, teachers, caregivers and other citizens

* Encourage the planting and consumption of local foods

Let us all support the scheduled activities for the celebration of Child Month 2016.

 

 

The National College for Educational Leadership (NCEL) and the Management Institute for National Development (MIND) have established a Memorandum of Understanding to design, develop and deliver leadership training to public sector leaders  in the education system with a special focus on middle-level management.  

 

Speaking on Friday (April 13) during the signing ceremony, Minister of Education, Youth and Information Ruel Reid endorsed the establishment of the partnership and commended both entities on their “willingness to resist territorial instincts and joining hands to achieve synergy in the area of professional development”. 

 

Minister Reid said the establishment of a partnership between NCEL and MIND is a positive move for the nation at large and a win-win situation for each agency. NCEL, a young and over achieving institution, can benefit from the organizational strength and reputation of MIND, Reid noted.

 

In delivering remarks, Dr Taneisha Ingleton, Director of Programmes at NCEL, said the move to restructure and re-culture the public sector into a modernized system has redefined what it takes for its leaders to succeed.  In this regard, she said, NCEL and MIND have committed to working together to implement leadership development and interventions.

 

“We have recognized that leadership is not only an individual but an institutional challenge and so a partnership approach could accrue greater benefits,” Dr Ingleton told the gathering at the Ministry’s National Heroes Circle offices. “When we leverage partnerships we create training solutions which are broader in scope, more rigorous in content and more flexible in features,” she added.  

 

Commenting on the partnership, Dr Ruby Brown, Chief Executive Officer at MIND, said it was urgent to address the critical issue of leadership roles in the public sector through professional development intervention as this is of paramount importance in keeping with changes in the global market.

 

“Leadership is a practice. Whatever is the job title we ought to live, work and practice leadership,” Brown stated.

 

Meanwhile, Dr. Maurice Smith, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, said it was important to build capacity within the Ministry as well as the entities affiliated to the organization.  “We decided to reach out to an entity similar to ours to improve the leadership at the Ministry,” he said.

 

NCEL was established in 2011 to set and maintain standards for leadership and to ensure that system and school leaders are well equipped for their different roles. NCEL, through its programmes also identifies and develops future leaders to operate effectively in a modernized system.

 

MIND is an executive agency of the Government of Jamaica, an accredited tertiary level training institution and the main public sector management training organization. However, its range of courses is also available to private sector managers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Senator Ruel Reid, Minster of Education, Youth and Information met with representatives of the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) during a courtesy call at his National Heroes Circle office in Kingston today (April 13). The PAJ delegation, led by President Dionne Jackson Miller, raised several issues including the facilitation of greater access by media to Cabinet Ministers; review of the Access to Information Regulations; and tabling in Parliament of the latest report by the Integrity Commission.

In response Minister Reid stated that “Cabinet had bought into the policy that we are servants of the people”. In this regard, Cabinet had adopted a communication policy that requires Ministers to be responsive to the information needs of the public. Minister Reid noted that he was the official spokesperson for the Cabinet, and that other ministers were responsible to speak on their portfolio areas. The Information Minister committed to bring to the attention of Cabinet the legislative issues raised by the PAJ.

The information subjects for which Minister Reid has responsibilities include the Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica, the Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica, and the National Archives and Records. In addition, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information has functional relationship with the Jamaica Information Service, and the Access to Information Office.

In the photograph, Senator Ruel Reid (right), Minister of Education, Youth and Information in discussion with Press Association of Jamaica director –Michelle Wilson Reynolds (left) and president, Dionne Jackson-Miller.

 

Senator Ruel Reid, Minister of Education, Youth and Environment disclosed on Wednesday (April 13) that Cabinet approved the award of a contract to Carlong Publishers (Caribbean) Limited to procure and distribute textbooks under the Primary Textbook Programme for 2016/2017 for the sum of US $ 1,462,360.52.

Speaking at the weekly post-Cabinet Press Briefing, Minister Reid also announced the upcoming regional launch in Jamaica of the 14th Anniversary of Vaccination Week in the Americas (VWA) under the slogan “Go for the gold! Get vaccinated”, April 24-30, 2016.  The total cost of staging the event is $ 6, 811, 827.40 of which PAHO will contribute US$ 12, 000.00. Cabinet took note that the initiative’s overarching objective is to target populations with limited access to regular health services, thereby working to close the gaps in immunization and strengthen the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) in the Americas.

Senator Kamina Johnson-Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade also attended the briefing and updated the media on communication with her counterpart in Trinidad and Tobago to address the reported harassment by immigration authorities in that country of several Jamaican nationals recently.

See full statement by Senator Reid.