The Ministry of Education and Youth is targeting 193 primary and 55 high schools, which have been identified as underperforming by the National Education Inspectorate (NEI), for special intervention.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Kasan Troupe, in making the disclosure, said that the institutions will receive focused support through the National Summer Academy, which aims to improve literacy and numeracy.

She was speaking at a Transforming Education for National Development (TREND) teacher engagement session held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in Rose Hall, St. James, on Thursday (June 6).

The summer programme forms part of the Ministry’s effort to provide extended learning opportunities for students requiring additional support to recover from the impact of disruptions to their learning caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is delivered by a team of technical officers, including numeracy and literacy coaches/specialists.

Targets have been set to increase the grade-four literacy rate from 64.7 per cent last year to 68 per cent this year and 72 per cent in 2025.

For numeracy, the aim is to go from 63.4 per cent last year to 64 per cent this year and 64.5 per cent in 2025.

“I want you on board with us,” Dr. Troupe told the educators at the TREND session.

“We cannot do this without you; it’s not about what you do; it’s about how you make our students feel. We are all in this as a team and we need the team approach to make this work,” she pointed out.

Dr. Troupe, in her address to the teachers, noted the Government’s commitment to addressing their concerns and providing them with the necessary resources to enhance learning outcomes for students.

She cited the Ministry’s response to challenges with lesson planning by developing more than 700 localised lesson plans, which are available on the Ministry’s website.

Moreover, Dr. Troupe indicated that more than $2 billion was invested to provide laptops for teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and significant funding has been provided for educational materials, with some $2 billion spent last year on teaching and learning supplies for schools and another $1 billion allocated this year.

Additionally, she said the Ministry has provided Microsoft Office 365 software licences for teachers at a cost of $89 million per year and 40,000 annually for licences for the Learning Hub platform for grade-four students, thus providing more essential digital education resources in schools.

“This Jamaica education system has never been so resourced,” Dr. Troupe declared.

“We believe in knowledge and the power of knowledge. There is no secret in education; what we know, we want you to know. So, colleagues you are going to TREND with me this year,” she told the educators.

For her part, Minister of State in the Ministry of Education and Youth, Hon. Marsha Smith, called on educators to see themselves as an integral part of the transformation process.

“I want us to personalise TREND for ourselves. We have been saying ‘transforming education for national development’; however, I want us all to take this session today as transforming educators for national development,” Ms. Smith said.

The sensitisation session involved educators from Region three (St. Ann and Trelawny) and Region four (St. James, Hanover and Westmoreland), and included the launch of the social media #HowWeTREND initiative.

President of the Jamaica Independent Schools Association, Tamar McKenzie (second left) and Registrar, Independent Schools Unit in the Ministry of Education and Youth, Sharon Hunt (second right), are joined by various stakeholders at the launch of the Jamaica Independent Schools  Association Preparatory School Champs on Friday, May 31, at the Ministry in Kingston. From left are General Manager of GraceKennedy Insurance, Chaluk Richards; Sts Peter and Paul Preparatory School representatives – students Anya Johnson, Coach Jerome Kirby and student Donovan James; and General Manager of GraceKennedy Mutual Funds, Daniel Thompson.

Students are being urged to resist tobacco amid the pervasive use of vapes or e-cigarettes among youth.

State Minister in the Ministry of Education and Youth, Hon. Marsha Smith, said tobacco usage has the potential to take as many lives as the COVID-19 pandemic did.

She likened the COVID-19 pandemic to tobacco on steroids, as she implored students to find other ways to enjoy recreational time without using tobacco products.

“Every time you see a tobacco product, whether it is the traditional tobacco product or e-cigarettes, I want you to remember what COVID did to the world and say to yourself ‘if COVID did so much to the world and destroyed so many lives and took away so many important people from our lives, it’s the same thing that tobacco is doing right now,” Ms. Smith said.

She was addressing the opening ceremony of World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) Youth Forum and Exhibition at Pembroke Hall Primary School in Kingston on Friday (May 31).

It was held under the theme ‘Protecting Children from Tobacco Industry Interference: Tobacco Free Future’.

In her remarks, Acting Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/ World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in Jamaica, Dr. Audrey Morris, said it is critical for youths to be empowered, so that they can demand that the tobacco industry seizes from targeting them with harmful products.

Dr. Morris shared that vaping is surging among young people globally, noting that the 2017 World Youth Tobacco Survey revealed that 11.7 per cent of Jamaican students between the ages of 13 and 15 years were using e-cigarettes.

“That was 2017, so by now we think it is more. Use of these devices can seem like fun or seem harmless, but it is risky for your health. It can affect your memory, concentration, learning, self-control, and your mood, so it makes it harder to focus on school and other activities,” she said.

Dr. Morris encouraged students to protect their bodies and their futures by saying no to tobacco.

For her part, Chief Technical Director in the Crime Prevention, Rehabilitation and Inspectorate Policy Division of the Ministry of National Security, Shauna Trowers, said the government is committed to the safety and security of youths, a critical component of which is shielding them from the harmful influences of tobacco.

She shared that students have been increasingly targeted through exploitative marketing tactics, aiming to hook a new generation on harmful products.

“The government has already taken steps to combat this issue and we have created a ban on tobacco advertising on domestic television and radio and there are restrictions on outdoor advertising and brand marketing,” she said.

Ms. Trowers urged students to steer clear of tobacco and choose a healthy and vibrant future.

Students from 17 primary and secondary schools across Jamaica participated in the youth forum and exhibition.

The Jamaica Coalition for Tobacco Control, Heart Foundation of Jamaica, National Council on Drug Abuse and Jamaica Cancer Society were among the exhibitors.

Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams, is calling on stakeholders to continue enhancing the collaborative efforts and frameworks to ensure the safety and well-being of all?children and the safe return of those who have gone missing. 

“Our work is far from over. We have had successes in terms of the systems, the processes, the procedures that we put in place, but we want to get to that point where we are reporting that no child is missing, but if they are missing, we find them the same day; that’s where we would love to get to, but I know there is a lot of education needed,” the Minister said. 

Mrs. Williams was speaking at the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) ‘Ananda Alert Conference: Strengthening Responses to Missing Children’,?at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in St. Andrew, on May 24. 

“We all need to feel a sense of ownership of everybody’s children and to really believe that as adults we have a part to play in protecting all of our children,” she added. 

The Minister emphasised that “we must continue to strengthen our systems, forge new alliances, and adopt innovative approaches to addressing the complex and evolving challenges associated with missing children.?We know that by sharing knowledge and learning from each other, we can?build a?stronger, more resilient framework for protecting our children”.  

She urged Jamaicans to stand up, speak out, and protect the rights of children, and ensure that?every child grows up in a safe and nurturing environment. 

“As we gather here during?Child?Month, under the theme ‘Stand Up, Speak Out, Protect the Rights of Our Children’,?let us be reminded of our collective responsibility to advocate for and protect the rights of our children. The theme resonates deeply with our mission to focus on enhancing our strategies and sharing?best practices to ensure the safety and well-being of all?children and the safe return of those who have gone missing,” the Minister said. 

She expressed gratitude to the CPFSA?for their tireless work?in?safeguarding the country’s most vulnerable children. 

“Whenever a child goes missing, the CPFSA,?through?the National?Children’s?Registry (NCR),?reports and?mobilises?a national response in alliance with the Constabulary Communication Network (CCN), media houses, and various government agencies.? These partnerships are vital in ensuring a swift and coordinated?response?to increase the number of children who?are returned?home safely,?and?I?commend every one of you for your dedication and collaboration,” she said. 

Chief Executive Officer, CPFSA, Laurette Adams Thomas, challenged the participants to share the information that they learnt at the function with their colleagues, family members and friends.  

“Gain the necessary child-protection knowledge for yourself and then share it with whom you come in contact,” she said. 

Mrs. Adams Thomas noted that every year there is an average report of approximately 1,000 missing children.  

“Fortunately, and due largely to the Ananda Alert system, the majority of these cases are resolved quickly with children returning safely to their families, but there are still several other instances in which there is no safe or speedy recovery of the missing child,” she said. 

She argued that everyone has a role to play in the prevention and return and recovery of missing children. 

The Ananda Alert Conference facilitates a pivotal regional knowledge exchange on best practices?to strengthen?the responses to missing children. 

The event is held?in observance of?International Missing?Children’s?Day 2024, which is focused on raising awareness about missing children,?emphasising?efforts to locate and reunite them safely, and?providing support to?the families. 

Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams, has underscored the Ministry’s unwavering commitment to the care and protection of children.

She pointed out that the Ministry is collaborating with the Children’s Affairs Policy Division and the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) to increase public awareness of every child’s rights, empower children with information related to their rights and responsibilities, celebrate and affirm children and promote positive engagement, heighten public awareness of the issues negatively affecting children and the impact these have on their development, and steps to be taken to address these issues.

The Minister said this is being done in conjunction with the National Child Month Committee (NCMC).

She was speaking at the Saxthorpe Methodist Church on Constant Spring Road in Kingston, on May 5 at the National Church Service to mark the beginning of the activities for Child Month 2024.

The theme for the Month is ‘Stand up! Speak out! Protect the Rights of our Children’.

The Minister emphasised the important role of parents, guardians, relatives, and society in nurturing, guiding, and protecting children, the future of the nation.

A series of activities designed to achieve these outcomes were announced, including the National Child Online Protection Forum on the importance of protecting the children in online spaces, the Child Conversation – Special Edition for children with special needs, a Wellness Bench Lyme – Child Conversation in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the Child Month Poster Competition for the children in State care, a Child Management Day – engaging wards of the State in shadowing professionals at the CPFSA, and the Annual Prayer Brunch.

One notable initiative is the ‘31 Days of Children’s Rights’ campaign, launched on the Ministry’s social media platforms, aimed at disseminating vital information on children’s rights.

As the Month unfolds, Jamaicans are encouraged to participate in these events and remain steadfast advocates for children’s well-being.

A total of 10,000 computers have been distributed to high schools as part of a programme to upgrade technology laboratories at the institutions.

Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams, made the disclosure during her contribution to the 2024 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Wednesday (May 8).

She noted that the computers were facilitated through e-Learning Jamaica (e-LJAM).

“We have done this in record time in one school year. It is the good policies of this Government and the consistent good performance of revenues that has created the budget space to allow us to take on these massive technology upgrades and broadband connectivity across the length and breadth of the education sector,” Mrs. Williams said.

Through e-LJAM, some 25,700 teachers have received e-vouchers to procure a laptop, with 24,000 teachers redeeming their vouchers.

“I implore the teachers who have not yet redeemed their vouchers to do so quickly. The Ministry of Education and Youth is committed to a fit-for-purpose school learning infrastructure,” the Education Minister said.

“Let us not divorce what we have been able to provide to our schools from the consistent excellent budget figures of this Government,” she added.