JIS: Minister with responsibility for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Karl Samuda, says the Government will move to establish systems that guarantee equity within the education sector.

 

The Minister was speaking at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information Region Four consultation, held at the West Jamaica Conference Centre in Mount Salem, St. James, on Friday (June 14).

 

According to Mr. Samuda, societal inequities have been influencing students’ educational outcomes, and as such, reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to providing equal opportunities, so that every child can maximise his or her true potential.

 

“The only way to achieve that and the level of success that we want to achieve is to establish mechanisms that will give every child, regardless of their station in life and the community from which they spring, an opportunity to start on an even basis,” the Minister said.

 

He said the perceived disparity between the qualities of outcomes, especially at the secondary level, must be remedied, as far too many parents measure the success of their children at the primary level by their placement in a traditional high school.

 

In that regard, Mr. Samuda said greater focus will be placed on every institution in order to build the capacity of every school to respond to the needs of students, based on their intellectual need.

 

“The reason a preference exists… is because there is not an equal level of opportunities that exist across the board, so that every school can rise to the level and on the basis that a child can be guaranteed the best in the country,” he added.

 

The series of regional consultations are being held to allow school administrators the opportunity to raise issues or concerns that they may have with the Minister and other personnel from the Ministry.

 

CAPTION: Minister with responsibility for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Karl Samuda (right), displays an art piece created by sixth-form student at Frome Technical High in Westmoreland, Davian Watson, at a regional stakeholders consultation with Board chairpersons, principals and parent representatives of educational institutions at the West Jamaica Conference Centre in Mount Salem, Montego Bay, St. James, on Friday (June 14). The art piece was presented to the Minister by Vice Principal of the Frome Technical High School, Hopeton Perry (left).

JIS: The Gregory Park Primary School in St. Catherine is seeing an improvement in student achievement consequent on measures undertaken over the last five years.

 

Principal of the school, Richard Williams, told JIS News that when he took over the leadership of the institution in 2014 he worked with the teachers on a programme to boost numeracy and literacy, including holding early morning classes.

 

“Now, the majority of our students are stronger and better readers,” he said. “Literacy has moved from 43 per cent to 79 per cent and our numeracy has moved from just under 25 per cent to over 54 per cent. We are making significant strides, and our teachers are working assiduously to ensure that the success continues,” the Principal said.

 

He expressed gratitude for the support from various stakeholders, including parents, businesses and the wider community.

 

He also noted the contribution from State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Alando Terrelonge, who is Member of Parliament for East Central St. Catherine where the institution in located.

 

Mr. Williams said his mission is to ensure that an “enabling environment” is maintained at the school, for children to succeed.

 

Meanwhile, Mr. Terrelonge lauded the leadership at Gregory Park Primary on the actions leading to the turnround the institution, which was once viewed as underperforming.

 

He said he has worked with the school administration to implement sports and cultural programmes; facilitate teacher training and development; and institute the Terrelonge Awards for Excellence, where 15 students are recognised each year for outstanding achievement.

 

Mr. Terrelonge also sponsors 100 students, who are part of the Edufocal (online) programme at the school, at a cost of over $300,000.

 

“I have seen Gregory Park grow over the last five years, from strength to strength. We have been working with the students, [and] we have developed programmes to benefit the students,” he noted.

 

He told JIS News that “Gregory Park is an example of what good leadership can bring” and encouraged citizens to get involved in the schools that their children attend.

 

CAPTION: State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Alando Terrelonge (left), greets Principal of the St. Catherine-based Gregory Primary School, Richard Williams, during a recent visit to the school.

JIS: Minister with responsibility for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Karl Samuda, is advising school boards that political interference, will not be tolerated in the education system.

 

“The job at hand to educate our children is so important, that we don’t have time nor we should not have the inclination to inject into that process, any political bias when it comes to educating these children,” he stated.

 

Minister Samuda was speaking at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information’s Region four consultation meeting, held at the West Jamaica Conference Centre in Mount Salem, Montego Bay, St. James on Friday (June 14).

 

He stated that those appointed to the helm of school boards, should strive to transform the education sector.

 

“It [your appointment] is strictly dealt with on the contribution you can make, so as these youngsters leave and go into various systems of tertiary education, hopefully most of them, they will carry with them a sense of confidence and pride of the organization that stewarded their development,” Minister Samuda stated.

 

In the meantime, Mr. Samuda also warned political representatives to stay clear of matters that will put the operations of schools into disrepute.

 

“There will be genuine concerns that will be reported to the Members of Parliament that must be acted upon, but it has to do with being positive in outlook and being contributory to the expansion and development of the institution,” Mr. Samuda said.

 

The series of regional consultations are being held to allow school administrators the opportunity to raise issues or concerns that they may have with the Minister and other personnel from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information.

 

CAPTION: Minister with responsibility for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Karl Samuda (right), view textbooks on display at a booth manned by the Textbook Procurement and Distribution Officer in the Media Services Unit of the Ministry, Tellyann Peynado-White (left) at a regional consultation meeting held at the West Jamaica Conference Centre in Mount Salem, Montego Bay, St. James on Friday (June 14).

JIS:  Head of the Jamaica Diaspora Crime Intervention and Prevention Task Force, Dr. Rupert Francis, says that education and community engagement can play a major role in fighting crime in Jamaica.

 

“Education has a real effect on crime. We have to make sure that we start with the very young and have the community involved. It takes a village to raise the child,” Dr. Francis said.

 

He was speaking at a public forum on ‘Community Policing: The Role of the Citizen’ at the University of Technology’s (UTech) in St. Andrew on June 13. The event was part of Diaspora Day of Service activities, a signature feature of the Eighth Biennial Diaspora Conference.

 

Dr.  Francis, in highlighting the importance of police engagement with the citizenry, noted that crime in Los Angeles was reduced by 50 per cent over a five-year period through community policing.

 

“If this could happen in Los Angeles, why not here? We need community policing, we need the community back,” he said.

 

“Jamaica is our community and we have to take care of it,” he added.

 

Executive Director, Youth Crime Watch of Jamaica, Kethania Griffiths, for her part, emphasised the importance of partnerships among various stakeholders in addressing crime.

 

“Collaboration is where we know what each other is doing and get to work together in building a safer Jamaica,” she said.

 

The Eighth Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference, hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, will take place from June 16 to 20 at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston.

 

The event is being held under the theme ‘Jamaica and the Diaspora: Building Pathways for Sustainable Development’.

 

The objectives are to finalise and endorse the draft National Diaspora Policy for presentation to Cabinet; report on the outcomes from the Jamaica 55 Diaspora Conference; examine global trends and events in diaspora host countries and the inherent issues, challenges, and opportunities that will significantly impact the diaspora.

 

The conference will also establish specific actionable outcomes, including matters that the diaspora will wish to endorse for implementation.

 

The event will feature a Youth Forum, which will engage young Jamaicans in a bid to deepen connections and nurture their involvement in the nation’s affairs.

 

CAPTION: Head of the Jamaica Diaspora Crime Intervention and Prevention Task Force, Dr. Rupert Francis (centre), addresses a public forum on ‘Community Policing: The Role of the Citizen’, at the University of Technology (UTech) on June 13. At right is Executive Director, Youth Crime Watch of Jamaica, Kethania Griffiths.

JIS: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Alando Terrelonge, is commending educators for their role in preparing students to sit the first Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations.

 

He was speaking to JIS News at the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA)/Helen Stills Development Day event held at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa in St. James, recently.

 

A total of 41,617 grade-six students sat the examination earlier this year, the results of which will be announced by the end of the third week in June.

 

The students were tested in three stages with a Performance Task Test held on March 27 and 28; an Ability Test on February 26; and a Curriculum-based Test on April 16 and 17.

 

“The exams went very well and I want to thank the officials from the Ministry, and all our education officers for the work that they did, and most importantly, I want to thank our principals and teachers for believing in the programme. I also want to thank our parents for embracing the programme,” Mr. Terrelonge said.

 

He noted that while there were some concerns in the initial stages, the students were enthusiastic about the exams and are looking forward to the results.

 

PEP, which replaces the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) as the national secondary school entrance test, is intended to provide a better and more complete profile of students’ academic and critical-thinking capabilities at the end of primary-level education.

 

The annual Helen Stills Development Day, named for a former Knox College Principal, provides a forum for the sharing of best practices and innovative ideas as well as to enhance teachers’ personal and professional growth and development.

 

This year’s event was held under the theme ‘Empowering Educators: Retooling, Innovating, Networking for Sustainable Development’.

 

CAPTION: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Alando Terrelonge, addresses the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA)/Helen Stills Development Day event held at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa in St. James, recently.

JIS: Minister with responsibility for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Karl Samuda, says every child must be given equal opportunity in the pursuit of education.

 

Delivering the keynote address at the opening of a two-day Higher Education Summit, on June 12 at the Mona Visitors’ Lodge in St. Andrew, he said as children commence early-childhood education, opportunities must be at their disposal for growth and to prevent them from developing an inferiority complex.

 

“Every child in Jamaica must have equal opportunity from the start, and I look forward to the day when the fears that surround placement of the child is removed because of the improvement in all the schools,” he said.

 

Mr. Samuda emphasised that schools should not be stigmatised because they do not have brand names.

 

The Minister argued that once every child is given an equal chance for educational advancement at the beginning, and they are not beset by non-inclusion, their chances at success will be greater.

 

He pointed out that the “appropriate formula” needs to be found to enable students to have better access to tertiary education, adding that he has seen the potential in scores of young people, and they must be given every opportunity to succeed.

 

The Summit brings together key stakeholders of the education sector to discuss issues impacting tertiary students and to broaden awareness on funding, housing and security.

 

CAPTION: Minister with responsibility for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Karl Samuda (third left), in discussion with university students at the opening of a two-day Higher Education Summit today (June 12), at the Mona Visitors’ Lodge in St. Andrew. They are (from left): President of the Jamaica Union of Tertiary Students, Everton Rattray, and second-year law students at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Tara-Marie Smith, and Ruth-Ann Roberts.

JIS: Parents of grade-six students who are awaiting the results of the inaugural Primary Exit Profile (PEP) later this month will be able to access a new Student Summary Report with a standardised scaled description of their children’s performance in all subject areas of the examination.

 

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information made this announcement during a press conference at the Ministry on Tuesday (June 11), along with providing a sample of the document for the media.

 

In keeping with this, the Ministry will no longer provide percentage results for grade-six students, as was the case with the previous national secondary-school-placement examination, the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT).

 

Minister with responsibility for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Karl Samuda, said this change is in keeping with international standards.

 

“Similar to the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), you will not see the percentages [of student grades on the result paper]. Instead, parents will receive a detailed four-page report which clearly outlines your student’s performance,” he said.

 

“You don’t have absolute numbers associated with a child anymore. You will now have that child falling within a band. In that way, we are better able to focus on a large group that falls within these bands. This is a very targeted and scientifically worked out method of giving every child the best opportunity going forward. It’s a great thing for Jamaica,” the Minister added.

 

He said the Government has decided to start grading in this way, because this is on par with international standards and developed nations, and will help Jamaica to be a more developed country.

 

Grade-six PEP results will also be made available on an electronic platform for easy access.

 

The PEP has replaced GSAT as the national secondary school entrance test. 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.

 

During this academic year, grade-six students were tested in three stages with a Performance Task Test on March 27 and 28, an Ability Test on February 26 and a Curriculum Based Test on April 16 and 17.

 

CAPTION: Minister with responsibility for Education, Youth and Information, Hon Karl Samuda (right), holding a copy of the new Student Summary Report that parents of grade-six students will receive for the Primary Exit Profile (PEP), during a Press Conference at the Ministry on June 11. With the Minister is State Minister in the Ministry, Hon. Alando Terrelonge.

JIS: Minister with responsibility for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Karl Samuda, says more emphasis should be placed on mathematics and science subjects in the nation’s schools.

 

Mr. Samuda was addressing stakeholders at the Ministry’s meeting of teachers and principals in Region 3, which was held on June 6 at the Moneague College in St. Ann.

 

“I looked at the numbers for this region and they are fairly good, but in some other regions, scores in Mathematics and the sciences are too low,” he pointed out.

 

“The Ministry has to emphasise the importance of maths and the sciences, because that is what is going to be needed to move us further faster and allow us to be able to join the international community in the innovation of new products,” the Minister outlined.

 

Meanwhile, the Minister argued that in order for children in the nation’s primary schools to be successful, the issue of proper nutrition must be addressed.

 

“In our primary-school system, we cannot continue to have children who, at 10:00 a.m., are falling asleep because of a lack of proper nutrition,” he emphasised.

 

He added that the academic performance of children can be hampered by a lack of proper nutrition.

 

Meanwhile, the Minister lauded educators in attendance. “I want to thank you for the work that you have been doing and plead with you to continue to work with a sense of heightened commitment,” he told the teachers.

 

The meeting was attended by scores of key education stakeholders from the region to discuss pressing issues with the Minister.

 

CAPTION: Minister with responsibility for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Karl Samuda, addresses stakeholders at a meeting of Teachers and Principals in Region 3, which was held at the Moneague College in St. Ann on June 6.

 

JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information has announced that the results for grade-six students who sat the inaugural Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations this academic year will be announced by the end of the third week in June.

 

Addressing a Press Conference at the Ministry on Tuesday (June 11), Minister with responsibility for the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Karl Samuda, said the Ministry is in the final stages of preparing the reports for release to the schools.

 

The Minister pointed out that a total number of 41,617 grade-six students sat the examination.

 

They were tested in three stages with a Performance Task Test on March 27 and 28, an Ability Test on February 26 and a Curriculum Based Test on April 16 and 17.

 

Mr. Samuda also announced that PEP scores will be reported using a scaled score, which allows for more accurate reporting on students’ performance.

 

He said parents will be provided with a Student Summary Report on the performance of their child when the results are released to the schools. This report will include the student’s scaled scores, placement, as well as an interpretation of the scores.

 

“We have moved away from reporting raw scores. It will allow for a more accurate reporting of a student’s performance. Similar to CSEC and CAPE, you will not see the percentages [of student grades]. Instead, parents will receive a detailed four-page report which clearly outlines your student’s performance,” the Minister explained.

 

“The shift in reporting is in keeping with regional and international best practices. The new reporting system will help schools and teachers to craft educational plans designed specifically for students. We are confident that this is a better system, which will benefit our students,” he added.

 

The PEP has replaced the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) as the national secondary school entrance test. 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.

 

CAPTION: Minister with responsibility for the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon Karl Samuda (left), addresses Press Conference on PEP at the Ministry in Kingston, on Tuesday (June 11). With the Minister is Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Grace McLean.