The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information has received 1,000 tablet computers and supporting inputs, valued at approximately US$100,000, for the early-childhood sector.

The devices, donated by philanthropic organisation, the Project for the Advancement of Childhood Education (PACE) Canada, are in support of the Ministry’s ‘One Laptop or Tablet Per Child’ initiative and will be distributed to more than 200 institutions islandwide sponsored by the entity.

PACE Board Member, Mark Fullerton, presented the tablets to portfolio Minister, Hon. Fayval Williams, during a brief handover ceremony at the Ministry’s offices in Kingston on Thursday (November 11).

PACE Canada was able to secure the tablets through generous donations from members, supporters and through stakeholder partnerships.

Minister Williams welcomed PACE Canada’s gesture, noting that the donations “have come at a very good time for our children”.

She said that youngsters in early-childhood institutions are “probably the hardest hit” by the pandemic, as “they had to be at home … without the care and supervision of trained [early-childhood] practitioners”.

Mrs. Williams said that although face-to-face instructional delivery is gradually resuming, students will still have to use technology to access online learning.

“We know we won’t be able to get every child back into the face-to-face environment [at the same time]; they will have to be rotated. So, while there are some children [who will be] in the classroom, others will still have to be using the online system,” she pointed out.

Mrs. Williams said the Ministry continues to work with various private-sector entities and individuals, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), to secure digital devices “to ensure our students are not left without any form of continuing education in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic”

In his remarks, Mr. Fullerton, said that Jamaica is among the first 10 countries to adopt the onetab devices specially developed by British entity Onebillion.org, for the early-childhood sector.

They incorporate software that uses adaptive learning techniques in numeracy and literacy, including several foreign languages, delivered in 40-minute daily lessons.

Each lesson is based on the child’s level, using a pool of thousands of learning units.

Once a child has finished their lesson, onetab can be seamlessly passed on to the next youngster for their use.

Mr. Fullerton said studies show that 40 minutes of lessons derived daily by children using the devices over eight weeks, will result in significant increases in their learning ability.

“We had a chance to visit two schools… and saw, first-hand, some of the challenges that you are facing during this pandemic. So, we know the challenges are great [and] look forward to continue helping our children in Jamaica,” he noted.

Also speaking at the ceremony were Executive Director of the Early Childhood Commission (ECC), Karlene DeGrasse Deslandes, and Director, Donor and Partnership Management, National Education Trust (NET), Latoya Harris.

The provision of the 1,000 tablets forms part of PACE Canada’s ‘Tablets for Kids’ programme to obtain devices for the early-childhood institutions it sponsors. This undertaking is being executed with the support of the ECC and NET.

Several PACE Adopt-A-School sponsors donated funds towards the devices.

PACE Canada, which was founded in 1987, has worked with the Education Ministry and ECC to support more than 300 early-childhood institutions islandwide through the provision of funding and educational opportunities, and delivery of technology.

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information officially launched National Youth Month 2021 under the theme ‘Evolve’ on Monday. This comes after a virtual National Youth Month Church Service held on Sunday.

Every year, National Youth Month is observed in November. It seeks to celebrate youths through a variety of month-long activities aimed at recognising, engaging, and empowering Jamaican youth.

This is done with the assistance of key stakeholders from the corporate and public sectors and is coordinated by the Youth and Adolescents Policy Division.

The goal is to increase youth participation in sociopolitical, economic, cultural, and spiritual activities. It also aims to recognise outstanding young people and their contributions to society, as well as to showcase the best of Jamaican youth’s capabilities and creativity.

Youths are being challenged this year, under the theme ‘Evolve’, to make headway in meeting their developmental needs while dealing with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The theme represents a call to action for young people to rebrand and revamp their strategies while leveraging their platforms and opportunities to ‘evolve’ in business, academic pursuits, and health and mental wellness as they strive to be the best versions of themselves.

In his remarks, Robert Morgan, minister of state in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, stated that youths are a segment of the population that he is most passionate about, and that he is delighted to be honouring youngsters’ successes by putting them in the spotlight for others to join in commending them.

“Despite tremendous adversity, our young persons have stayed the course and have excelled in academics, sports, among others, proving their agency as despite their circumstances they have mobilised themselves and resources to assist their communities,” said Morgan.

CRITICAL SERVICES

While recognising the achievements of youngsters both locally and internationally, Morgan said he believes that much more needs to be done to ensure that all youths have meaningful and equitable access to education and training, as well as other critical services and opportunities.

“It is our duty as a country, as a community and as individuals to ensure that we provide the positive and nurturing environment that will allow our youth to evolve into individuals of greater self-awareness, self-confidence, pride of self and community and become beacons of positive change no matter where in the world they find themselves,” said Morgan.

POSITIVE CHANGE

In what he described as a beginning of “the slow process towards positive change”, Morgan said he wishes for “all hands on deck” to aid in this change and offer youths the best opportunities for success as they “weather any storms that may arise”.

Along with the activities being held is the National Youth Policy Creative Challenge Competition. This has been introduced as one of the primary activities of Youth Month.

The competition gives Jamaicans aged 15 to 29 years the opportunity to explain why at least one of the six National Youth Policy (NYP) goals is important to the youth population, as well as what role they can play in assisting the Government in achieving the policy’s intended goal.

Entries will be accepted from November 1, 2021 to January 28, 2022 in the form of written, artistic or video entry submissions.

The winning creative pieces will be featured on the Youth Innovation Centres website, social media, print material and other mediums. In total, six first-place winners will be selected per NYP goal.

The outlined NYP goals and priorities are to improve access to quality education at all levels and to provide opportunities for vocational training. To increase the proportion of youths who have access to sexual, reproductive, and mental health services, as well as the percentage of youths who have access to job and entrepreneurship opportunities. It also outlines the goal of increasing youth participation in national and political decision-making processes, decreasing the number of at-risk and vulnerable youths, with an overall aim of professionalising and strengthening the youth sector.

State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Robert Morgan, says that the Government is strengthening legislation to provide increased protection for children.

Among the measures being undertaken is a repeal of Section 24 of the Childcare and Protection Act, which allows judges to lock up children in penal institutions without charge.
Removing this discretion will protect children from unnecessary interface with the penal system.

“We’re also trying to make recommendations for the creation of an offence of predatory sexual assault and its incorporation into relevant and existing legislation for increased protection of Jamaica’s most vulnerable,” Mr. Morgan noted.

He said that the provision would penalise any adult who engages in sexual intercourse or “anything amounting to grievous sexual assault” with a vulnerable victim, such as a child under 12 years old or someone with a mental disorder, for which the suggested penalty is a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

The State Minister was addressing the European Union (EU) and United Nations (UN) Spotlight Initiative’s Red Alert Round Table on sexual violence against children, on Thursday (October 28).
The event outlined proposals for strengthening and enforcing relevant laws, focusing on key provisions under the Child Care and Protection and Offences against the Person Acts.

Meanwhile, Minister Morgan noted that the resumption of face-to-face classes at 376 out of 759 primary schools is part of measures to protect children.

“This would bring approximately 45,000 students that these schools account for some well-needed reprieve,” he said.

Between 2015 and 2020, there were 74,455 reports of child abuse in Jamaica. From January to June 2021, there were 1,203 reports of sexual abuse, 1,465 reports of physical abuse and 2,528 reports of neglect.
Citizens are encouraged to use the 211 helpline to report child abuse. The helpline is operational 24 hours, seven days per week.

The nation’s youth can look forward to an exciting and engaging variety of activities in celebration of National Youth Month, being observed from November 1 to 30.

They will have the opportunity to engage in ‘Around the Table Discussions’ with notable, successful professionals; participate in the ‘All about the VAX’ forum; log on to the Virtual Youth Summit, themed ‘The Future of Work: How Digitisation affects Employment’, in partnership with Digital Jamaica; and take part in the ‘Youth in Entrepreneurship through Agriculture’ exposition.

State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Robert Morgan, who gave a synopsis of the activities, which are being coordinated by the Ministry’s Youth and Adolescents Policy Division, said he is very heartened by the support from the various stakeholders “who have heard the call and saw the need and importance of engaging our young persons this month”.

“This has allowed us to host a wide array of activities that will enable our youth to have a platform to discuss the many issues that affect them and posit their solutions as the main stakeholders in their destiny,” Mr. Morgan said, during the virtual launch of National Youth Month, on Monday (November 1).

In the meantime, the State Minister stressed the importance of this year’s theme for Youth Month 2021, ‘Evolve’, which implores the nation’s youth to adapt to change, as the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information makes strides in meeting their developmental needs while contending with the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“The theme represents a solid call to action for our youth to rebrand and revise their strategies and use platforms and opportunities presented to them to evolve in business, evolve in their academic pursuits, evolve in health, mental wellness and aspire to be the best versions of themselves,” he said.

Mr. Morgan added that while the “slow process” towards positive change has begun, “we need all hands on deck”.

“It takes a village to raise a child, so it will take a nation, all working in unison, towards ensuring that we give them the best chance of succeeding and weathering the storms that may arise,” he said.

Other activities to be held throughout the month include ‘Investing and Youth – the PROVEN Edition’ forum; youth with disabilities, ‘Differently Abled but Well Abled’ forum; mental health symposium themed: ‘The Impact of Trauma on the Psychosocial Development of Youth’; virtual inauguration ceremony for National Student Leader;  launch of the Social Youth Entrepreneurship  Programme; the Heart for Youth Series; and the 12^th  Sitting of the National Youth Parliament of Jamaica.

“These are just some of the events we have lined up for our young persons this month, with more being planned at the local community level through various stakeholders. We ask our young persons to sign up and log on to ensure that they join in these discussions and to begin their evolution through gaining the knowledge that is being shared by a diverse group of professionals,” Mr. Morgan said.

Talented young persons, aged 15 to 29, will have up to December 10 to submit their creative written, artistic or video entries for the National Youth Policy Creative Competition Challenge.

The competition, which is being staged by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, is part of a slate of activities for National Youth Month being observed in November.

The contest offers Jamaica’s youth the opportunity to express why at least one of the six National Youth Policy goals is important to the youth and their responsibility in supporting the Government in fulfilling the policy’s intended goals.

Speaking at the virtual launch of the competition on Monday (November 1), Policy Analyst at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Davey Haughton, said it is part of a broader thrust to increase public education on the revised National Youth Policy’s intended outcome.

“The submissions in written form can be a short essay, no more than 500 words, or a poem. The submissions in video form… do a short film, do a vine video… or even an animation. If you are making entries in the artistic form… you may do anything ranging from a photograph, a painting, a canvas, a sculpture,” he said.

There will be six grand prizes across the six policy goals and priority areas. There will be six runners-up as well as third-place prizes.

Mr. Haughton informed that at the end of the submission period, entries will be shortlisted and posted on @youthjamaica social media pages for the public to like and reshare their favourite creative entries until January 28, 2022. The entrants will also be tagged in the posts.

Posts across all platforms with the most likes, shares/retweets on or before midnight on Friday (January 28) 2022, will win.

The winning creative pieces will be featured on the Youth Innovation Centre’s website, social media, print material, and other mediums. Winners will also receive tablets.

Persons may visit the www.youthjamaica.com website to apply or to get more information on the competition, as well as the Ministry of Education’s social media pages for further details.

The National Youth Policy outlines the following goals and priorities:

1.  Education and Training: Improve access to quality secondary, tertiary education, and vocational training opportunities.
2. Health and Well-Being: Increase access to sexual, reproductive, and mental healthcare services among youth cohort.
3. Employment and Entrepreneurship: Increase the percentage of youth who have access to decent employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
4. Youth Participation: Maximise youth participation in national and political decision-making processes.
5. Social Inclusion and Re-integration: Minimise the number of at-risk and vulnerable youth.
6. Institutional and Youth Sector Arrangements: Professionalised and strengthened youth sector.

Minister of Education, Youth, and Information, Hon. Fayval Williams,` says the Ministry will be engaging specialist teachers under the National School Learning and Intervention Plan (NSLIP) to improve academic readiness.

“[This is] to address the performance gaps, especially in the areas of numeracy and literacy, augmented by our specialist teacher model to address the foundational principles and improve [the] readiness of our students to pursue the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) syllabi,” she said.

A total of 158 primary schools and 72 secondary schools are expected to benefit from the intervention.

“Currently, we have assigned a team of 83 persons –. 50 primary math coaches, 19 secondary math coaches and 14 math specialists, who will continue to provide support remotely and physically,” she said.

Minister Williams was speaking at a virtual press briefing held today (October 19), where she shared the preliminary results of the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC).

She said that despite the challenges of the pandemic, students performed satisfactorily for all subject areas except mathematics.

“In mathematics, the subject with the greatest weakness, 38.2 per cent of students had passes of Grades One, Two and Three in 2021 compared with 61.2 per cent in 2020 [and] 54.6 per cent in 2019,” she disclosed.

She said that interventions, such as the NSLIP, will help in the “recovery that is needed in the knowledge base of our children”.

“We have high hurdles to clear this academic year, but we are working to ensure that our students are not stymied in the pursuit of their education and career goals,” she said.

The NSLIP is aimed at helping students to recover from learning loss due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

It includes interventions over the summer period and during the academic year.

The Grateful Hill Primary School in St. Catherine has 40 tablet computers and $200,000 worth of bursaries for needy students, compliments of past student Unique Gray.

Gray who is the principal behind Drive Unique, a car-rental entity, said she saw on social media that the school was on a drive to get tablets for students in need and decided to help. Thereafter, she discovered that there was also a need for monetary support for students.

“It is a great feeling because of how the kids looked when they got them,” Miss Gray said while speaking in an interview with JIS News, adding that “we will be in touch with the school, and whatever need exists we will help them as best as possible,” she added.

Principal of the school, George Moodie, said the tablet drive has picked up pace, as two other past students have contributed eight of the devices. “They are coming on board to ensure that the Grateful Hill Primary School is with tablets, so that the students can access quality education,” Mr. Moodie said.

He also reported that 97 per cent of his students have been placed in traditional high schools from the recent Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations. He said the teachers at the institutions, especially those for grade six, “fought the odds” to reach students during the pandemic, and their efforts along with parents and other stakeholders have helped the school to move from 95 per cent to 97 per cent passes during the last sitting of the exams.

“Our continuous climbing on the educational ladder, and with the involvement of our past students, we are now on a rebranding phase of the institution to take the students to another level of education,” he said.

While arguing that the school is a family-based institution, Mr. Moodie said they use a motto to motivate students, instilling in them that “I am good as any, better that many, and second to none.” The school has 340 students, 14 teachers, and three caregivers.

 

The Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) has donated 60 tablets valued at $1.2 million to two primary schools in St. James and St. Andrew.

The institutions are Farm Primary and Infant in Green Pond and Edward Seaga Primary in Denham Town, which were presented with 30 tablets each on September 8 and September 9, respectively.

Director of Internal Affairs at the JCA and Chairperson of the Agency’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Committee, Tameka Goulbourne, told JIS News that the funds used to purchase the devices came from personal donations by employees.

The devices were purchased according to specifications given by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information.

Ms. Goulbourne said that the CSR Committee focuses its efforts in and around communities where the JCA’s offices are located.

“We have community locations in Montego Bay and our head office and other Customs locations are not very far from Edward Seaga Primary, so we engage the schools that are within our reach, within our own communities, to see how best we can assist them,” she said.

Noting the genesis of the CSR programme, Ms. Goulbourne said “we wanted to have a greater impact on our stakeholders beyond our current mandate, especially with everything that has been going on. We are experiencing unprecedented times, so we made the decision to establish a programme with this in mind”.

Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Fayval Williams, says she is pleased that the Ministry has been able to significantly reduce the digital divide in the sector through the implementation of several initiatives aimed at providing more students with electronic devices.

“There are many more students with devices now at the start of this school year than there were the last school year because [of] the significant efforts that we made with the ‘One Laptop per Child’ initiative, the ‘Own Your Own Device’ and the government procurement of devices,” she said in a recent interview with JIS News.

Designed to promote inclusivity in the education sector, the One Laptop per Child initiative and the Own Your Own Device incentive programme, which were launched last year, seek to facilitate students’ continued education remotely, due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The One Laptop per Child  initiative provides devices for needy students, including those with special needs, students in State care/homes as well as those who are not beneficiaries of the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), while the Own Your Own Device provides the guardians or parents of needy students with a $20,000 gift voucher to be used towards the purchase of an electronic device.

In the meantime, Minister Williams said she is pleased with the smooth start to the new school year, which she said, was facilitated by the increased number of children who now have access to electronic devices.

“From the early checks of the system and throughout the day, we did not detect any issues. In fact, people were saying the start of this school year virtually is much better that it was last year,” she noted.

The first week of the new school year is being conducted remotely given the rise in COVID-19 cases. The Minister is hoping that students will be back to the face-to-face mode as quickly as possible.

“In the education sector, we have our dreams, we have our expectations. We have said we would love for our high-school students to be able to go back [to face-to-face] in October, but again, we are guided by the Ministry of Health and Wellness. So, we have to take our lead from them in terms of the timing of this, but we are geared up and ready to go back as soon as possible,” she said.

Lessons are being delivered online, via printed learning packages or kits and through the audio/visual (television and radio) platforms.