Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams has extended gratitude to principals and vice principals of schools affected by the passage of Hurricane Beryl in July for their work in aiding the recovery of the institutions.

“I want to thank all the principals and vice-principals from the hurricane-impacted schools for the extraordinary work that you did during the eight weeks leading up to the reopening of schools. You could have said, ‘It’s my holiday; I’m out of here’, [and] you did not,” she said.

Mrs. Williams was bringing greetings during the Association of Principals and Vice Principals’ 32nd Annual Conference and General Meeting, which was held at the Ocean Coral Spring Resort in Trelawny, on October 18.

She lauded the school leaders for their care and concern during such a challenging time for their institutions.

“You showed care, concern and leadership. You modelled the behaviour and values we expect from others. You demonstrated empathy, integrity, and compassion, and I implore you to continue this in your daily lives, going way into the future,” the Minister said.

Mrs. Williams argued that the leadership of principals is about empowering the island’s teachers who are “the backbone” of the education system and should be trusted and supported to make decisions, innovate and grow professionally.

She encouraged principals to foster a positive culture in their schools, despite challenges.

“Every school has a culture; whether we believe it or not, it matters. So, let’s cultivate collaboration, respect, and open communication among students, teachers and parents,” Mrs. Williams said.

“I know it’s not easy. Some days you wake up, and it might be a great day because the parents you want to speak with come, and you sit down, and you have a good conversation. There are other days when there’s a fight in the press, and your school is on the news. Despite all of that, I know that you will wake up, and you will try to do the very best that you can do,” she added.

The conference was held under the theme ‘Enhancing the TREND (Transforming Education for National Development) through effective leadership’.

The Jamaica National (JN) Foundation has awarded scholarships to 47 students who excelled in the recent sitting of the Primary Exit Profile (PEP).

Of the 47 scholarships, 37 will be five-year awards while the remaining 10 awards will be one-time grants.

The students were celebrated during a scholarship reception held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston on Sunday (October 6), under the theme ‘Nourish Your Spark’.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Youth, Dr. Kasan Troupe, who delivered the keynote address, charged the recipients to believe in their capacity to shine and become their best selves, irrespective of their circumstances.

“I am standing here as an example of that. With my circumstances, I ought not to be here. I grew up in an inner-city community, Greenwich Town, where gunshots barked like dogs. I missed death several times. People beside me drop dead, gun shot in the head back and I ran the other way and survived,” she shared.

Dr. Troupe grew up in a single parent household, did not pass her Common Entrance examination and struggled with self-doubt.

Her enrolment in a rehabilitation programme changed the trajectory of her life.

“I met people who talked about potential and spark and promise and then they got me to believe that was in me. It doesn’t matter where you have started, it matters where you are going,” she said.

Dr. Troupe further encouraged the recipients not to focus on what they lack.

“We have a lack culture in Jamaica – if I don’t have this I can’t be. You are going to blossom where you are planted. You are going to bloom with what you have. Excellence is a habit. What you feed grows. Feed your self-belief, feed your discipline and feed a culture of appreciation,” she said.

For his part, JN Foundation Chairman, Parris Lyew-Ayee, said the event was a tribute to the hard work, dedication and brilliance of each student present.

“Your accomplishments are a testament to your commitment to education and to making a positive impact in your communities,” Mr. Lyew-Ayee said.

He noted that JN believes that investing in education is an investment in the future.

Mr. Lyew-Ayee further noted that JN has enhanced the scholarship programme to include mentorship through parent and child empowerment sessions.

“We understand the challenges that come with pursuing higher education and we hope that this support will help to ease some of those burdens, while motivating you to maintain excellence as you focus on your studies and personal growth throughout your journey,” he stated.

Students at the 100-year-old Morant Bay Primary School in St. Thomas, can now better navigate the digital age, following the handover of a fully equipped Smart Lab by the Digicel Foundation.

On Monday (October 7), the school marked its centennial with a Homecoming Day, when the lab was officially opened.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Digicel Foundation and proud past student of the institution, Charmaine Daniels, noted that the initiative is part of the organisation’s 20th anniversary main project, where it intends to hand over smart labs to 21 schools by December.

Ms. Daniels said it is hoped that the facility will engage students in hands-on learning and immerse them in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) curriculum.

“Teachers… embrace the technology; utilise it to make learning exciting for the kids. Parents, we crave your support in making sure that your children take care of the room,” the CEO said.

For her part, Principal, Fay Lindsay, welcomed the “cutting edge facility”, which she said will propel the school into the future by equipping students with the skills to succeed in an ever-changing world.

“To ensure the longevity and effectiveness of this lab, our dedicated teachers will provide comprehensive training for students on lab usage and safety protocols, establish clear rules and guidelines for lab use, supervise students during lab sessions, encourage responsible behaviour and accountability among students, and regularly inspect and maintain lab equipment,” the Principal said.

“We trust that our students will take pride in this incredible resource and treat it with care and respect,” she added.

Joining in the ribbon-cutting exercise to mark the handover of the room were Custos of St. Thomas, Hon. Marcia Bennett; Member of Parliament for St. Thomas Eastern, Dr. Michelle Charles; and the school’s Chairman, Winston Downie.

This was followed by a sensitisation session where the features of the room were outlined. Students were also observed using an array of tablets, laptops and headsets inside the room.

Several staff members at the St. Catherine-based Innswood High School have been recognised for dedicated service over the last academic year.

During a function held on Tuesday (October 15) at the institution’s campus, under the theme ‘Raising the Standard Through Improved Morale’, awards were presented to outstanding teachers across various departments and support staff.

Acting Vice Principal of the school, Camella Mullings-Wilson, told JIS News that the awards ceremony, which was being held for the third year, is a means of motivating every category of staff “from the security to the person that cleans the grounds”.

It is organised by the school’s Stakeholder Morale Improvement Committee (SMIC).

“We have seen where people have come together, people are more enthused to work and students are now involved in the programme, and their morale has also improved,” she noted.

This year’s awards ceremony included a sip and paint segment, which Mrs. Mullings-Wilson said was “a nice twist. We really enjoyed ourselves”.

Language Teacher of the Year, Sarafina Bailey, was pleased to receive the award for the second year in a row.

“I put in the work. The children and I have a very beautiful relationship, and I’m happy that my hard work has paid off. It is a great feeling and Innswood is the place to be,” she told JIS News.

Mathematics Teacher of the Year, Jhavel Senior, said, “To be acknowledged in this way is a good feeling. I worked in many other professions, but the acknowledgement raises the morale. The job is fun and it (award) goes a far way.”

Senior Secretary, Janiel Gordon, who was named Ancillary Staff of the Year, told JIS News that this was the first year that she was eligible for an award as she previously served on the organising committee.

She expressed gratitude.

“Knowing that your hard work and dedication are appreciated and have not gone unnoticed will push me to do more,” she said.

Meanwhile, Coordinator of the event and conceptualiser of the award scheme, Angela Easy-Brown said it is a “God-mandated task”.

She noted that the award programme has grown from rewarding exceptional effort with tokens like phone credit to the staging of the annual awards ceremony as sponsors came on board.

“If we improve morale, we will get the standard to be high. Innswood has talent, the staff are just great, and if we get the resources we will go far,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Acting Vice Principal told JIS News that students did well in the 2024 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC).

“Our head boy got all his nine subjects and our head girl copped all eight subjects. Both are at The Mico University College studying to become teachers. We have other students who got seven subjects and we are making our mark and we intend to make this academic year, even better,” she said.

Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams, has informed that almost 400 schools now have ramps installed, as efforts are made to accommodate students with physical challenges who use wheelchairs to access classes.

“Additionally, we are beginning, for those schools with multiple levels, to put in lifts so that our students have access. We’re not there yet in terms of seeing that 100 per cent of our schools have ramps, but we have a pathway to getting there and every year there’s budget for installation of ramps in schools,” Mrs. Williams said.

She was speaking in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (October 1), at Gordon House.

Regarding the provision of shadows, Mrs. Williams informed that currently almost 350 shadows are in the system, who receive a stipend, to assist those children in classes who need the help.

“We consider this a significant benefit that we are able to provide to our students.

In the school system, we do have some institutions that are dedicated to children with special needs, and so of course those classrooms and bathrooms will be so fitted out for those students,” she said.

“Where we have students with special needs that are fully integrated or mainstreamed into other classes, of course we make provisions as well for those students if they have to use wheelchair or they have other special requirements. We have an entire unit at the Ministry of Education dedicated to dealing with and ensuring that the needs of our special needs students are attended to,” Mrs. Williams added.

The Minister also informed that the Ministry uses private persons and private institutions with specialty in this area as well.

“The Ministry will pay the full fee for those students to access private schools. So, we are ensuring that special needs students have the focus that they deserve in the education system. I will admit there is always more that can be done, but so far, I think you know there is good work that we’ve been doing in that area,” Mrs. Williams said.

Students of the Seaward Primary and Infant School display their project, ‘Farm and Solar’, during the Scientific Research Council’s Annual Science Fair at Hope Zoo in Kingston on Thursday, September 26, 2024.

Education Officer for Agriculture in the Ministry of Education and Youth, Okemo Duckie, (left), with (from second left) Phenomenal Woman Representative, Michelle Sadler; Teacher, Knockalva Polytechnic College, Kareen Stewart, students from Knockalva Polytechnic College, Sandra Cummings, Kemonie Williams and Sanjea Ward; and Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS), Derron Grant, during the recent launch of the JAS’s Phenomenal Clubs in four educational institutions and provision of bursaries and grants to needy students during a ceremony at JAS’s offices in downtown Kingston .

Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams, is projecting that the performance of Jamaican students in Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Mathematics will return to pre-pandemic levels next year.

Only 39 per cent of students received a passing grade in the May/June 2024 sitting.

“That’s a very low number. It was low in the Caribbean as well, and as we look across the globe, we are seeing other countries bemoan their maths results as well. Not an excuse, but we are still recovering from COVID,” she said.

Minister Williams was delivering the keynote address during Thursday’s (September 26) Rotary Club of Kingston luncheon meeting, held at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston, under the theme ‘Basic Education and Literacy’.

She pointed out that the students who recently sat CSEC were the cohort that missed face-to-face teaching in grades seven and eight.

“We have hope, though, because when we look at the results pre-pandemic, in 2019, 54 per cent of the students then passed mathematics. We are targeting to get back to that level by next year and then work on taking it even higher,” she said.

Minister Williams said education is a sector on which all Jamaicans are depending to carry the nation forward, and the Ministry is committed to making improvements by implementing the 365 recommendations of the Jamaica Education Transformation Commission.

“If we significantly improve the educational outcomes from the system, our future will be significantly brighter because of the quality of jobs that we will be able to attract in Jamaica,” she stated.

The Buff Bay Primary School in Portland is using farming technologies to generate the interest of students in agriculture and to boost food production for their canteen and for the market.

Vice Principal at the institution, Keisha Braimbridge, told JIS News that last year they won a school garden prize at a 4-H Clubs event in the parish, and from that they upgraded their semi-greenhouse with the installation of tanks and irrigation drippers, to automate the operation.

“We are promoting sustainable agriculture, using hydroponic and aeroponic methods, and those are the technologies that we are teaching,” she said.

Ms. Braimbridge pointed out that the aim is for the students to take the technology into their homes and communities and promote sustainable framing.

The Vice Principal noted that the school is very competitive in 4-H Clubs competitions, and over the years they have won a number of medals.

She said they teach the students, from early in their schooling, the love of agriculture, with many of them making careers in farming.

“It is important for them to know that agriculture is not the old man riding a donkey and the various sustainable ways that they can do agriculture within their own environs,” Ms. Braimbridge said.

“The things that we grow, we use them in the canteen, and when we have a surplus, parents support the 4-H Clubs by buying the produce,” she said.

Meanwhile, Principal of the school, Jacqueline Edwards, said an objective of the enterprise is to use it to train students from other schools.

“They would come in, look at what we are doing, and model whatever we are doing at their schools,” she said.

Students at the Swallowfield Primary and Infant School now have access to a therapeutic space at their institution, where they can also learn ways to promote peace, well-being, and conflict resolution.

A peace garden was formally handed over at a ceremony at the school, located at 11 Whitehall Avenue in Kingston, on September 13.

Nineteen entities collaborated with the National Education Trust (NET) to create the peace garden, which is designed as the space where students can manage emotions, de-escalate conflicts and develop critical conflict-resolution skills.

The project, valued at more than $1.7 million, not only provides a safe space for students but also enhances the school infrastructure. The reinforced perimeter fence has been decorated with an inspiring mural.

The new concrete drain will divert rainwater runoff from flooding neighbouring classrooms, and the calming resources, including water fountain, a wellness bench and landscaping will enhance the practical use and aesthetics of the peace garden, which the school will also use for training peace ambassadors.

In a message read by Director, Donor and Partnership Management, National Education Trust (NET), Keisha Johnson, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Executive Director, NET, Latoya Harris Ghartey, said the peace garden is not just a physical space but also a sanctuary, a place where students can manage their emotions, practise mindfulness and work through conflicts in a safe and supportive environment.

She said it is designed to help them find the tools within themselves to resolve their differences, calm their minds and build stronger emotional resilience.

Mrs. Harris Ghartey added that the garden offers them a space to express their feelings, work through their frustrations and develop their conflict resolution skills that will serve them not only at school but in life.

“Use it to find peace, to calm your mind, to work through your problems. Know that you are surrounded by the invested village of us here and so many others who care about your well-being and your success. Let us all continue to work together to create more space like this – spaces where every child can thrive emotionally, mentally and academically,” she said.

For her part, Guidance Counsellor at the institution, Kathandra Reid, said the concept for the space was launched during the school’s Peace Day initiative, which was held in March.

She noted, too, that the institution had projected one year for the completion of the project and lauded the partners for collaborating with the school for the undertaking.

“This has been a dream for a very long time… our schoolwide behaviour modification programme has been struggling to get our behaviour modification on the road and we had so many challenges with conflict resolution,” she said.

Other speakers included Brigade Executive Officer, Jamaica Defence Force, Lt. Col. Alicia Cooper Nelson; Programme Administrator, NCB Foundation, Jamilia Crooks-Brown; Director of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dr. Judith Leiba; President, Rotary Club of New Kingston, Dorett Campbell; and District Governor, Rotary International, District 7020, Dominique Bazin.

The handover marked the culmination of a Labour Day project, aimed at reducing conflict among students.

Leading up to Labour Day in May 2024, NET partnered with the Jamaica Defence Force to lay the groundwork and bring the design to life.

The JDF constructed the drainage system and created a paved walkway and ramp and reinforced the perimeter fence to ensure the long-term durability of the garden.

All building materials for the project were donated as well as the landscaping elements. NCB Foundation sponsored the water fountain, and the Rotary Club of New Kingston contributed the shades, mural, punching bags and garden gate to the space.