JIS: The National College for Education Leadership (NCEL) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for development of digital content to support online leadership training aimed at creating more child-friendly schools.

 

The content, which will be implemented in at least 10 schools initially by year end, will be crafted in collaboration with the Curriculum and Support Services Unit and the Media Services Unit in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture.

 

Under the $6-million agreement, which was signed at the Ministry’s Heroes Circle headquarters in Kingston on June 4, the course material content will be made available to school leaders free of cost.

 

It is in support of a drive by the NCEL to strengthen school leadership and management for the creation of more child-friendly spaces.

 

These are institutions that promote inclusive access and equal rights of every child; provide healthy, clean, secure and enabling environments; and produce literate, confident and critical thinkers who are more aware of healthy lifestyle choices and more resilient in the face of emergencies.

 

Director/Principal of the NCEL, Dr. Taneisha Ingleton, said the signing solidifies the entity’s commitment to ensuring that schools provide stimulating learning environments and are safe places where children are nurtured and feel a sense of belonging.

 

She said that the digital content will promote inclusion, facilitate high standards of learning and enhance the quality of instructional delivery.

 

Country Representative, UNICF, Mariko Kagoshima, in her remarks at the signing, noted that the partnership with the NCEL will better equip school leaders to prepare every child with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive.

 

She said that the training is timely, in light of the Chief Inspector’s 2015 Baseline Study, which found that in close to 50 per cent of schools inspected, the teaching methodology used was unsatisfactory or in need of immediate intervention.

 

She said that the study further revealed that while 12 per cent of schools enjoy high and good leadership, 38 per cent did not attain the minimum acceptable standards of leadership.

 

A further three per cent were recorded as “seriously lagging behind” in this area and rated as schools in need of immediate support.

 

Kagoshima said that the readings and video material provided will strengthen the quality of instructional methodology, facilitate wide geographical reach, promote inclusion, and encourage high standards of learning.

 

Chief Education Officer, Winnie Berry, for her part, said the partnership is a significant step towards creating and fostering a creative and inclusive approach to education.

 

“This agreement is a milestone in our ongoing improvement in educational offerings,” she added.

 

CAPTION: Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dr. Grace McLean (seated right), and Country Representative, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Mariko Kagoshima (seated left), affix their signatures to a memorandum of understanding formalising the partnership between the National College for Educational Leadership (NCEL) and UNICEF for development of digital content to support online leadership training. The signing took place at the Ministry’s Heroes Circle headquarters in Kingston on June 4. Observing (standing from left) are Deputy Representative, UNICEF, Vicente Teran; Education Specialist, UNICEF, Dr. Rebecca Tortello; Chief Education Officer, Winnie Berry; and Director/Principal, NCEL, Dr. Taneisha Ingleton.

JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information will be engaging 230 primary schools in September as it prepares for full roll-out of the Primary Specialist Programme in 2022.

 

Speaking at a JIS Think Tank on Wednesday (June 5), Chair of the Primary Specialist Teacher Model Oversight Committee, Dr. Tamika Benjamin, said that the programme will be implemented in three phases beginning with the preliminary phase this year.

 

The initial 230 schools will be prepared for transition to the use of the model through sensitisation sessions, administration of the redeployment toolkits and the training of principals and teachers.

 

Following the year of preparation, the model will be implemented in terms of curriculum delivery in 2020.

 

An additional 230 schools will begin their transition at that time, and in 2021, the final 230 schools will start their preliminary year for full roll-out across the system the following year.

 

The Primary Specialist Programme is aimed at improving curriculum delivery at the primary level of the education system.

 

Dr. Benjamin told JIS News that the new initiative will move away from the current model of having “generalist” teachers in the classroom to having more specialist educators.

 

She explained that in the generalist approach, a teacher is responsible for imparting all the subjects that are included in the curriculum. However, the specialist teacher will deliver fewer subjects and will, therefore, have to be trained in designated subject areas.

 

Dr. Benjamin, who is the National Mathematics Coordinator, said that the process of exploring the specialist model began in 2014, after a delegation from the Ministry visited Singapore and observed the approach being used.

 

She noted that initially, the Ministry considered the model as part of its strategy to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics and language/literacy, however, after consultations with principals and teachers, the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) and teacher-training institutions, the specialist approach was broadened to include the teaching and learning of science and social studies. In 2016, the model was approved and in September 2017, it was piloted at a cost of $50 million in 39 public and private primary schools across the island. There was full roll-out in these schools in 2018.

 

Dr. Benjamin told JIS News that support for the pilot was provided by the Specialist Teacher Model Oversight Committee, which is made up of internal and external stakeholders.

 

Monitoring and assessment of the pilot was guided by a plan developed by the Programme Monitoring and Evaluation Unit.

 

Dr. Benjamin said implementation of the specialist model is being informed by data gathered from the pilot.

 

CAPTION: National Mathematics Coordinator, Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, and Chair for the Primary Specialist Teacher Model Oversight Committee, Dr. Tamika Benjamin, addresses a JIS Think Tank on June 5.

GLEANER: The National College for Education Leadership (NCEL) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) valued at close to $6 million for the development of digital content to support an online programme in line with the agency’s thrust to create more child-friendly schools.

 

The programme, which is scheduled to roll out in October, will be delivered through NCEL’s learning management system and the Ministry of Education’s other online channels.

 

NCEL Director and Principal Dr Taneisha Ingleton said that although there is documentation on creating child-friendly schools, there were no visuals to show how these concepts could be put into practice.

 

“What we do not have is actual digital content. So let us say that a principal wants to see what that looks like. What do I do as a principal to ensure that my school is operating in this paradigm? When you have digital content and you have a course that is online where you have readily available media, you can just go on, download and look at what it is you need to do and model that approach. That is what we don’t have,” Ingleton said.

 

Speaking to The Gleaner after the signing of the agreement at the offices of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information in Kingston, the NCEL director and principal said that at least 10 schools will be funded under the project with plans for others to follow suit.

 

“We are working with UNICEF for this 10, and then we will see what the success looks like, because since it is digital content, everyone will be able to see this and then we will look [at] which other schools we would want to include on a formal basis … . So we are funding this 10 as a model for individuals to see,” Ingleton said.

 

Country representative for UNICEF, Mariko Kagoshima, said that after a 2015 study found that the teaching methodology used in 50 per cent of schools inspected to be unsatisfactory or in need of immediate intervention, the programme became necessary.

 

She said the programme will be developed “using best practices and solid research to develop an online leadership training course on crafting inclusive, gender-balanced, interactive, child-friendly learning environments to produce, intellectual, critical thinkers, who [make] healthy lifestyle choices and are more resilient in the face of emergencies”.

 

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JIS: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Alando Terrelonge, is calling on parents to make sure their children eat healthy foods.

 

Mr. Terrelonge pointed out that there are certain foods that must be avoided at all cost, because they are “killing our children slowly”,

 

Addressing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing ceremony between the Ministry and Nestlé Jamaica Limited for extension of the company’s health and wellness programme in schools, at the Gregory Park Primary School in St. Catherine on May 30, he noted that sodas and some baked products “are bad for you, and have no nutrients at all”.

 

The State Minister emphasised that children must get the best education, and unhealthy foods affect their growth.

 

“If we want our children to get the best education, to live best lives, we have to focus on their health,” he said, adding that many young children are suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure, due partly to unhealthy consumption.

 

The agreement with Nestlé seeks to promote nutrition, health and wellness among school-aged children, and to encourage employability skills among young adults.

 

The MOU will be executed through two main programmes – Nestlé for Healthier Kids, and the Nestlé Youth Employment Initiative.

 

Under the programme, which now incorporates 15 schools and is expected to have 15,000 students participating by the end of the year, children will benefit from Wellness and Wheels class visits and International Chef Days; there will be Nutrition Education Training for Teachers, and the establishment of school gardens.

 

Meanwhile, Principal of the Gregory Park Primary School, Richard Williams, said he is pleased that the students will be exposed to “appropriate” information and techniques to guide them in making the right choices.

 

“We believe that our duty is to create an enabling environment for the overall development of our children, ensuring that they practise wholesome living and healthy lifestyles,” the Principal said.

 

For his part, Managing Director of Nestlé Jamaica, Daniel Caron, said the programme is about enhancing the quality of life for families and individuals, and to showcase the importance of healthy diets and healthy choices.

 

“A healthy mind comes from a healthy body, and we are making a difference. This is part of our giving back, being responsible in our communities,” Mr. Caron said.

 

CAPTION: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Alando Terrelonge (left), interacts with students at the Gregory Park Primary School in St. Catherine, during yesterday’s (May 30) signing of an expanded memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Ministry and Nestlé Jamaica Limited, to extend the company’s health and wellness programme in schools. Also sharing the moment at right is Principal of the school, Richard Williams.

JIS: The draft Special Education Policy, which seeks to provide access and equity in education for all students with special needs, has been submitted for Cabinet approval.

 

Education Officer, Special Education Unit in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Christina Addington, said the policy acknowledges education as a fundamental right of every child.

 

“According to the [2011] Charter of Rights, which we relied on to develop this policy, every child is entitled to publicly funded tuition in a public education institution at the primary level. The policy stipulates that children identified as having a special learning need shall be provided with appropriate special education in the least restrictive environment,” she noted.

 

Mrs. Addington said the policy is focused on the promotion of inclusive education, but acknowledges that some children may be best served in specialised facilities.

 

She noted, for example, that the School for the Deaf provides the best environment for deaf and hard-of-hearing children.

 

“That is because that is where the personnel is, that is where the accommodations are to be granted, modification of curriculum, and that is where the student will have all he or she may need to develop at their optimal potential,” she pointed out.

 

Mrs. Addington was speaking at the ‘Reach to Teach’ forum on Deaf Education at the Mona School of Business and Management (North), University of the West Indies (UWI), on Thursday (May 30).

 

The session, hosted by the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf (CCCD) in collaboration with the Jamaica Association for the Deaf (JAD), brought together key stakeholders from the education and health sectors, business and civil society, to develop strategies for the inclusion of deaf children.

 

Discussions focused on access to primary and tertiary education, as well as vocational training opportunities. Also addressed were gaps in the education and health sectors as well as the social system.

 

Speaking with JIS News, Executive Director, CCCD, Tashi Widmer, highlighted the need for more early detection and intervention services for persons with hearing impairment.

 

“We need audiology services in Jamaica to help to identify children who are deaf or hard of hearing and place them in the correct schools. Right now, Jamaica only has one audiologist for the entire island. This impacts their enrolment in school. We are trying to address that, and we want to see more deaf and hard-of-hearing children having access to quality education,” she said.

 

CAPTION: From left: Jamaican Sign Language Interpreter, Jamaica Association for the Deaf (JAD), Hughen Spencer; Professor, Speech, Pathology and Audiology, Calvin College, United States of America, Dr. Brian Kreisman; Education Officer, Special Education Unit in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Christina Addington (centre); and Ministry of Health and Wellness official, Dr. Richard Musaazi, pay keen attention to Executive Director, Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf (CCCD), Tashi Widmer, who is communicating using sign language. The occasion was the ‘Reach to Teach’ forum on Deaf Education on Thursday (May 30), at the Mona School of Business and Management (North), University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Andrew.

JIS: The draft Special Education Policy, which seeks to provide access and equity in education for all students with special needs, has been submitted for Cabinet approval.

 

Education Officer, Special Education Unit in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Christina Addington, said the policy acknowledges education as a fundamental right of every child.

 

“According to the [2011] Charter of Rights, which we relied on to develop this policy, every child is entitled to publicly funded tuition in a public education institution at the primary level. The policy stipulates that children identified as having a special learning need shall be provided with appropriate special education in the least restrictive environment,” she noted.

 

Mrs. Addington said the policy is focused on the promotion of inclusive education, but acknowledges that some children may be best served in specialised facilities.

 

She noted, for example, that the School for the Deaf provides the best environment for deaf and hard-of-hearing children.

 

“That is because that is where the personnel is, that is where the accommodations are to be granted, modification of curriculum, and that is where the student will have all he or she may need to develop at their optimal potential,” she pointed out.

 

Mrs. Addington was speaking at the ‘Reach to Teach’ forum on Deaf Education at the Mona School of Business and Management (North), University of the West Indies (UWI), on Thursday (May 30).

 

The session, hosted by the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf (CCCD) in collaboration with the Jamaica Association for the Deaf (JAD), brought together key stakeholders from the education and health sectors, business and civil society, to develop strategies for the inclusion of deaf children.

 

Discussions focused on access to primary and tertiary education, as well as vocational training opportunities. Also addressed were gaps in the education and health sectors as well as the social system.

 

Speaking with JIS News, Executive Director, CCCD, Tashi Widmer, highlighted the need for more early detection and intervention services for persons with hearing impairment.

 

“We need audiology services in Jamaica to help to identify children who are deaf or hard of hearing and place them in the correct schools. Right now, Jamaica only has one audiologist for the entire island. This impacts their enrolment in school. We are trying to address that, and we want to see more deaf and hard-of-hearing children having access to quality education,” she said.

 

CAPTION: From left: Jamaican Sign Language Interpreter, Jamaica Association for the Deaf (JAD), Hughen Spencer; Professor, Speech, Pathology and Audiology, Calvin College, United States of America, Dr. Brian Kreisman; Education Officer, Special Education Unit in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Christina Addington (centre); and Ministry of Health and Wellness official, Dr. Richard Musaazi, pay keen attention to Executive Director, Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf (CCCD), Tashi Widmer, who is communicating using sign language. The occasion was the ‘Reach to Teach’ forum on Deaf Education on Thursday (May 30), at the Mona School of Business and Management (North), University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Andrew.

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information has expressed sadness at the passing of former prime minister of Jamaica the Most Honourable Edward Phillip George Seaga.

 

Mr. Seaga’s passing symbolizes the end of an era for the nation as he was crucial in establishing the country’s cultural identity in post-independence Jamaica.  Mr. Seaga was the consummate nation builder, who sought to create social, financial and infrastructure policies that would impact and improve the lives of the people of this country.  He had a vested interested in education and was instrumental in developing alternative pathways to education and skills training. 

 

There is no doubt that despite Mr. Seaga’s many accolades in music, governance, culture, finance and politics, one of his most significant and enduring national creations is the HEART Trust/NTA, which he conceptualized in 1982. This body has cultivated an underdeveloped and underserved sector of the country that is now recognized as a marker for success in the achievement of certain skills, talents and vocational learning.  

 

HEART was the answer to Mr. Seaga’s passionate mission to find a way to reduce unemployment, particularly among the youth, and to provide a lasting solution to a lack of training and development, especially for those who had fallen outside of the formal system.He lived a life that was dedicated to service and love for his country, through a pathway of modernizing Jamaica’s young democracy.

 

Mr. Seaga was last week honoured by the Early Childhood Commission for his contribution to early-childhood development. His legacy is one that has and will continue to shape the greatness of the nation and history will now reflect the scope and depth of his servitude. The Ministry extends its condolences to his immediate and extended family.

 

May his soul rest in peace 

 

JIS: Grade-four students across the island will sit the first official Primary Exit Profile (PEP) Grade Four Performance Task test on May 30 and 31.

 

A release from Acting Chief Education Officer, Winnie Berry, dated May 21, advises that sample questions are available on the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information’s official PEP website: https://pep.moey.gov.jm for both educators and parents to access.

 

“As the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information continues to support our grade-four students and teachers as they prepare for the sitting of the upcoming Grade Four Performance Task, we utilise this medium [PEP website] to share sample practice questions developed to assess our students’ Literacy and Numeracy competence,” Mrs. Berry said.

 

She also thanked all PEP stakeholders for their continuous commitment to the task of preparing students.

 

“As we continue to work together, as a team, to roll out the full implementation of the assessment component of the National Standards Curriculum, we once again crave your understanding as we work in partnership for the improvement of the system and the benefit of our students,” she said.

 

PEP is the series of tests that have replaced the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) as the national secondary school entrance examination. It is intended to provide a better and more complete profile of students’ academic and critical-thinking capabilities at the end of primary-level education.

 

Students will sit the PEP exams over three years in grades four, five and six. Grad-six students previously sat their Ability Test on February 26 and their Performance Task exams on March 27 and 28.

 

Grade-five students will sit the first PEP Grade Five Performance Task test on June 20.

 

CAPTION: Acting Chief Education Officer, Winnie Berry, delivers a speech on behalf of Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dr. Grace McLean, at the press launch for the Fourth International Conference on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in the Caribbean, held at the Regional Headquarters of the University of the West Indies, Mona, on Tuesday (April 30).

JIS: State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Alando Terrelonge, has reiterated the Government’s commitment to strengthening its policy and regulatory framework on technical and vocational education and training (TVET).

 

He was speaking at the Fourth International Conference on TVET in the Caribbean at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa in Montego Bay on May 22.

 

The Education State Minister said that Jamaica is among the many countries globally that have moved TVET into the mainstream of the education system.

 

“This paradigm shift is driven by the recognition that, over several decades, there has been a disconnect between the skills imparted by national education systems and those demanded by the workplace,” he noted.

 

He said that this disconnect “has been thrown into sharper focus in recent years, with the integration of recent technologies in almost every sphere of professional activities”.

In this regard, he said that the Government has “moved expeditiously to close the gap” on education and training and the world of work, given the potential economic and social benefits to be derived from having a skilled and flexible workforce.

 

“Employers are now demanding that workers for the 21st century must possess knowledge, technical skills, and soft skills to function effectively and be competitive in the workplace.

 

“To attain this level of competitiveness, workers must, therefore, be lifelong learners, who will continue to increase their knowledge and update their skills for upward mobility in the workplace,” Minister Terrelonge said.

 

CAPTION ONE: State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon Alando Terrelonge (left), greets Pro Vice Chancellor and Principal of the the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Professor Dale Webber. Occasion was the Fourth International Conference on TVET in the Caribbean at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa, Montego Bay, on May 22.

CAPTION TWO: State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon Alando Terrelonge, speaking at the Fourth International Conference on TVET in the Caribbean at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa, Montego Bay, on May 22.

 

 

JIS: The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) will be increasing expenditure under the X Marks the Spot School Crosswalk Campaign being implemented by the Jamaica National (JN) Foundation.

 

Country Representative, UNICEF Jamaica, Mariko Kagoshima, said that the entity has contributed some $30 million to the road-safety campaign, which was launched at Hazard Primary School in Clarendon last November, and “we are expecting to top up to $100 million”.

 

“So, it is going to be an important investment to address the issue of road safety,” she said, while addressing a recent Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank.

 

Hazard Primary was the first beneficiary under the campaign, which involves the erection of road-safety infrastructure at 18 schools across the island over the next three years.

 

These include signage, bus lay-bys, pedestrian gates, widening and paving of sidewalks, improving drainage, and painting of crosswalks.

 

The objective is to create low-speed zones at or near schools or locations with high incidence or risks for road traffic fatalities.

 

Ms. Kagoshima said that the project has benefited about 1,000 students, to date, and is expected to reach another 5,000 by next year.

 

She said that through participation in the national Labour Day exercise, “we expect to reach thousands and thousands of children with the same aim to keep the roads safe”.

 

UNICEF and JN Foundation are partnering with the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport on activities for Labour Day 2019, under the theme ‘Child Safety… It’s you, It’s me, It’s all ah We!’

 

The Ministry has announced four national projects – Fair Prospect Primary School, Portland; Holland Primary School, St. Elizabeth and Barrett Town All-Age/John Rollins Primary in St James.

 

Work at the schools will include the painting of pedestrian crosswalks, installation of signs, construction of chain-link fences, improving entrances, repairing bathrooms, fixing leaking roofs, painting and the de-bushing of the school grounds and entrances.

 

Ms. Kagoshima said that UNICEF is happy to provide support for the national Labour Day projects.

 

“We are happy that this year’s Labour Day can be combined with what we have been promoting. We have been working on the X Marks the Spot to ensure children’s safety to and from school,” she noted.

 

CAPTION: United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Country Representative, Mariko Kagoshima, speaking at a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank held recently at the agency’s head office in Kingston.