Male educators are being encouraged to take deliberate and strategic steps to strengthen their leadership capabilities and positively influence the education sector and the wider society.

The call was made by Director of Regional Educational Services at the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Region One, Otis Brown, as he delivered the keynote address at the inaugural Leadership EmpowerMENt session of the National College for Educational Leadership (NCEL)

The event was held at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Regional Headquarters in St. Andrew, on Thursday (July 31), under the theme ‘Empowered Men: Improved Leadership’.

Mr. Brown challenged participants to envision their personal and professional growth and take practical steps towards achieving it.

“Get your vision board. Look at where you are now. Think about where you want to go. Look at what it will take to get you there and work towards it. Is it a master’s degree? Is it a PhD? Is it a promotion? What is it that you want? Set goals. Men should set goals too,” he said.

He also urged the use of the ‘Plan, Do, and Review’ (PDR) strategy as a framework for progress and leadership development.

Emphasising the importance of character, Mr. Brown underscored the need for integrity and courage among males in education.

“You have to try to live a particular kind of life with integrity and moral principles. Our children are expecting that we are going to be role models for them. So, integrity is important as a strong man,” he said.

Mr. Brown further encouraged men to lead with courage and responsibility, noting that families and communities rely on them for strength and support.

“Did you know that your wife, your children, your sisters, your mothers – everybody – they look to you for particular kinds of support? They want somebody strong to do the job,” he said.

He urged male educators to “disrupt the narrative” and embrace their potential, stating that “men were made to be great.

In his remarks, NCEL Director/Principal, Keriffe Clark, said the Leadership EmpowerMENt initiative targets three critical areas – mentorship, empowerment and networking.

“This initiative is grounded in the school of thought that males, particularly those working in a female-dominated sector, are important to the holistic development of others and serve as positive role models, not only in schools but in communities,” he said.

Further, he said it is designed to offer a safe and supportive space for male leaders and aspiring leaders to openly share challenges, explore solutions and build capacity and community.

Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, says the specialised laboratories being build out at technical high schools is just a start, noting that all secondary-level institutions will be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.

“We start this year with the 15 technical high schools and then every year [after], we’re going to be doing more of these state-of-the-art labs.

“It’s not normal things we’re doing, because we’re thinking bigger for our children. The world is changing and we believe our children should be there,” the Minister said.

She was addressing a Primary Exit Profile (PEP) awards dinner hosted by Member of Parliament for St. Andrew East Rural, Most Hon. Juliet Holness, at the Hillside City Centre in Lower Halls Delight on Thursday (July 31).

The labs being provided at the technical high schools will equip students in specialised areas such as digital construction, mechatronics, green technology and robotics.

Minister Morris Dixon said that the Government is undertaking the expansion and upgrade of laboratory facilities in the selected institutions to prepare young people for a technologically-driven future.

Providing details about the labs that some of the institutions will receive, she informed that Dunoon Technical High in Kingston will be equipped with a facility focused on digital construction.

“We’re talking about the future of construction. All the latest technology will be in that lab in that school,” she said.

In addition, Herbert Morrison Technical High School in St. James will receive a mechatronics lab.

Mechatronics is a multidisciplinary field that combines mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering to design and develop smart, automated systems such as those used in manufacturing processes.

The Education Minister pointed out that “in the future, many of our manufacturing companies are going to be using robots and automation, and so our children need to understand it.”

In recognition of future trends and technology, Marcus Garvey Technical High School in St. Ann will be equipped with a lab that is focused on renewables and green technology.

“So, they’re going to be looking at solar technology, they’re going to be looking at rainwater harvesting. All those new areas are what you’re going to have at Marcus Garvey Technical,” the Minister outlined.

She noted further that at St. Mary Technical High School, students will have access to a full robotics lab. “That is going to focus on industrial controls, which is about automation,” she pointed out.

Dr. Morris Dixon emphasised that the Government is doing the work required to raise the standard of every school in Jamaica.

The Government has allocated an additional $2.1 billion to repair 266 schools damaged by hurricane Beryl in July 2024.

An assessment of all institutions determined that 364 schools were impacted. Some 111 schools were severely damaged during the hurricane’s passage, for which $2.5 billion was spent to carry out repairs.

Schools which sustained moderate damage and minor damage were classified as priority two and three, respectively.

Addressing Monday’s (August 4) Regional Leaders’ Conference, Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, disclosed that schools in priority groups two and three will be the focus of this round of repairs.

“The Ministry has been lobbying for those schools and I’m very happy that the Ministry of Finance [and the Public Service] has provided an extra sum of money for us to spend. We also have 47 whose scope of works expanded from the Hurricane Beryl initial allocation,” she said.

Dr. Morris Dixon said the allocation will also cover the cost of the expanded scope of works.

The conference was held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston, under the theme, ‘Innovation in Practice: Transforming Teaching and Learning for the 21st Century – The Region One Experience’.

Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary, Dr. Kasan Troupe, shared that as the Ministry awaited a second allocation, repairs were conducted at some priority one and two schools, from the maintenance budget.

“What that means is that the number of schools that needed attention reduced under tier two and three because we attended to them through our maintenance budget. It also means that we also delayed some of those schools that are already on the list,” Dr. Troupe noted.

She advised that the Ministry’s maintenance budget has increased, moving from $450 million to $628 million.

“That will help us to catch up with those schools that we delayed, because we prioritised the tier two and three schools that were damaged by Beryl,” she said.

The Permanent Secretary further advised that maintenance activities will take place at 202 schools during the summer holiday.

“We have $100 million that we have set aside to treat with termites and that is about 103 schools that will be impacted in the first round,” Dr. Troupe said.

Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, is encouraging parents to take advantage of the variety and low price of books aboard the Logos Hope to further develop their children’s interest in reading.

Dr. Morris Dixon was speaking during a visit to the vessel on Wednesday (July 23) with students and their chaperones from the Louise Bennett-Coverley Primary School.

The Minister’s comments followed an update provided earlier at the Education Transformation Oversight Committee (ETOC) press conference that as of September 2025, reading will be reintroduced as a timetabled subject for grades one to three in primary schools across the island.

Logos Hope is docked at the Cement Coal Pier in Kingston until August 19 and will head to Montego Bay where it will remain from August 22 to September 14.

“One of the things we spoke a lot about this morning… was the importance of reading. And we have changed our curriculum in Jamaica to emphasise reading from grade one to grade three. In the Ministry we printed books, so every child will have a stack of reading books,” Dr. Morris Dixon informed.

“So, we say to parents that you can supplement that. Come on Lagos Hope and get books for the children. It is going to be very helpful to them and their futures. Parents who want their children to become leaders, books [and] reading [are] absolutely important,” the Minister emphasised.

Logos Hope is known as the world’s largest floating book fair, loaded with more than 5,000 book titles for sale at discounted prices.

Managing Director of Logos Hope, Edward David, shared similar sentiments with Dr. Morris Dixon on the impact of reading on children’s futures.

He explained that the Logos Hope project remains relevant despite global digitalisation and the ease of access to certain books on the Internet.

“I think it’s very good for us to know that one book can shift a mindset and shape a future. Because the world has changed so much and people – younger generations – [are] so much on the screen…. people often ask how is a ship project like this still valid? But… people still like to have a hard copy in their hand. As they read, they underline, they highlight, and they take notes,” he maintained.

Mr. David further pointed out that while it is unfortunate that the ship is visiting Jamaica during the summer break, he is urging parents to still bring their children to the ship, get them a book and encourage their children to read.

The Education Minister was also joined by Speaker of the House of Representatives and Member of Parliament (MP) for St. Andrew East Rural, the Most Hon. Juliet Holness. They also toured the book ship.

Mrs. Holness highlighted an additional benefit for students in her constituency who are able to visit and experience Logos Hope.

“It’s far more of an experience for some of my children because they live in the mountains. And so, there are many persons from my constituency, coming to look at the books on a book ship, and they’re like, ‘okay, I’m seeing the sea, the ocean for the first time. I’m seeing a ship for the first time’. So, it’s a wonderful experience for some of our children,” Mrs. Holness said.

Two major efforts are currently under way to reform school boards across Jamaica.

Chairman of the Education Transformation Oversight Committee (ETOC), Dr. Adrian Stokes, outlined these during ETOC’s Press Conference at Jamaica House on Wednesday (July 23).

Noting that governance is critical to the proper functioning of any education system, Dr. Stokes emphasised that improving the cadre of individuals seeking to serve on school boards is essential to advancing educational outcomes.

“To achieve this, we are making the application process for serving on a school board very transparent, similar to what obtains in the wider public sector. Soon, individuals who wish to serve on a school board will upload their CVs [curriculum vitae] and other relevant information to a website managed by the Ministry [of Education, Skills, Youth and Information],” he explained.

The ETOC Chairman shared that applicants will be vetted to ensure they are fit and proper, with the ultimate goal of aligning individual competencies with the specific governance needs of each school.

Dr. Stokes said the second critical reform relates to legislative changes, noting that the current composition of government-operated school boards can produce a perverse outcome – where an institution effectively governs itself.

“This means that members from a school who are appointed to the board can effectively control the board’s decisions. This is an obvious conflict and goes against well-established good governance principles. The goal is to ensure that the rules applicable to government-run schools are similar to those that apply to church-run schools,” he stated.

Dr. Stokes pointed out that Jamaica’s education system is relatively decentralised, with significant responsibility delegated to school boards to oversee institutional performance.

He said this underscores the importance of how school boards are selected, noting that several key factors must be considered.

These factors, Dr. Stokes said, include competence and intellectual diversity, rules governing board quorum, and the process for selecting chairpersons, all of which are essential to ensuring the proper composition and effective performance of school boards.

ETOC has been tasked with monitoring the implementation of 365 recommendations outlined in the Professor Orlando Patterson-chaired Jamaica Education Transformation Commission (JETC) report.

The recommendations cover seven pillars of transformation – governance and accountability; early childhood education; teaching, curriculum, and teacher training; tertiary education; technical and vocational education and training (TVET); infrastructure and technology; and finance

The Jamaica Library Service (JLS) summer programme is now under way with hundreds of students across the island being engaged under the theme ‘Keep Reading Alive in 2025’.

This initiative, which is being held during the months of July and August, aims to foster a love for reading, creativity, and critical thinking among children.

It involves collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information.

The Education Ministry, in a bulletin, said that the summer programme, which aligns with its literacy objectives, offers a variety of interactive, educational, and creative activities for children at the JLS’s parish or branch libraries. These include reading circles, authors’ corner, sports day, music sessions, art and craft workshops, think and draw, and much more.

The activities are carefully curated to promote literacy, creativity, and social engagement, making summer both meaningful and enjoyable for young learners, the Ministry said.

Parents, guardians, and school communities are encouraged to support children’s participation in this exciting programme. Interested patrons can contact their nearest parish library or the JLS headquarters at 1-876 926 3310-2 for more information on registration and participation.

The schedule for the JLS summer programme is July 14 to 25 – Kingston and St. Andrew, Clarendon, St. James, Manchester, St. Elizabeth, Trelawny, Portland, St. Thomas, Hanover, and Westmoreland; July 21 to 31 – St. Ann Parish Library; and August 11 to 22, St. Catherine Parish Library.

The JLS summer programme offers an engaging and educational environment for children aged four to 14 years.

Beginning in 2026, grade-six students taking the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) exams will face fewer testing days with Mathematics and Language Arts assessments, as they will be condensed into single-day sittings under new changes.

This was announced by Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, during a Back-to-School Conference for Principals and Vice-principals from Region 2 (Portland, St. Thomas and St. Mary), held at Hideaway at Royalton Blue Water in Falmouth, Trelawny, on July 15.

“For the grade-six PEP, we’re going to collapse the exams together. So, this means you do all of your Mathematics on one day and all of your Language Arts on one day,” Dr. Morris Dixon outlined.

Moreover, the exam timeline is being shifted from February to the months of April and May to give educators more time to deliver the curriculum to students ahead of the exams, said the Minister.

She noted that these changes are not a complete overhaul of the PEP structure but are immediate, manageable “low hanging” adjustments that aim to reduce stress, while improving the learning and teaching experience for students and teachers, respectively.

In addition to the scheduling changes, Dr. Morris Dixon pointed out that the Ministry is to introduce new literacy and numeracy questions within the grade-six PEP papers. This is to help the Ministry gauge and assess the numeracy and literacy levels of students at the end of primary school, she noted.

“It’s just some questions that we’ve added that give us a touchpoint on numeracy and literacy [because] currently we do not test literacy and numeracy at PEP.  PEP is testing the extent to which you’ve mastered the curriculum. It’s a curriculum-based test,” Dr. Morris Dixon said.

In the meantime, the Minister indicated that for grade five, the Ministry is considering discontinuing the PEP exam, but has deferred a final decision pending further consultations with the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) and other stakeholders.

She argued that the idea is for the grade-five examination papers to be provided to schools for use as end-of-year school assessments.

“So, the only decision we’ve made, so far, is to collapse the exams, move them later for grade six, and add the touchpoint questions, so we can know numeracy and literacy numbers at grade six,” she added.

Dr. Morris Dixon said that these actions stem from a wider review of the PEP system that she initiated upon taking office, pointing out that the review focuses on two main questions – how to reduce the administrative and emotional burden of the exams and whether PEP is achieving its intended outcomes.

She indicated that the feedback collected through formal and informal consultations, as well as a recently distributed questionnaire, revealed a shared concern over the extended exam period and the pressure on students over the three-year testing in grades four, five and six.

Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, has commended private sector and community stakeholders for their growing role in supporting Jamaica’s education system.

Addressing a School Leadership Conference for principals, vice principals and senior educators from Clarendon, held at Bahia Principe Resort in St. Ann on Tuesday (July 15), Senator Morris Dixon praised the contributions of private-sector entities for supporting the conference and ongoing initiatives possible, including the donation of laptop computers to high schools.

“That was amazing for them (high schools), and they continue to support. We’re now moving to… get devices and more smart boards to all of our primary schools. One of the things we really want to do in the Ministry is to have more tangible areas of support to you, principals, the senior teachers, as you do your work,” she told the educators.

Senator Morris Dixon also acknowledged the valuable contributions of government agencies and corporate sponsors, noting that the growing collaboration between the public and private sectors reflects a shared national responsibility.

“[This] says to me that corporate [entities] understand that they have a role to play now. We believe that all of Jamaica has to be a part of this effort we are on to improve our education system,” she stated.

Senator Morris Dixon said the Ministry plans to expand its reward framework with support from the business community.

“We want to celebrate you in bigger ways, financially and otherwise. We’ve already started through the PSOJ (Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica), and we’re going to continue… because we believe we need to… truly celebrate you and to reward you for that work,” she told the educators.

Parents are being urged to support their children through prayer, praise and presence.

The appeal was made by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Dr. Kasan Troupe, at Ardenne Preparatory and Extension High School’s Annual School-Leaving Ceremony, held at Ardenne High School in Kingston, on Wednesday (July 2).

Speaking on the theme, ‘Communication: Road Map to Success’, Dr. Troupe said: “When we pray, it’s communication with God. You must pray for them, with them on their behalf. You must talk to God about them.”

She reasoned that life is not a smooth path, noting that they will face persecution, difficulties and trials, which require them to communicate with God.

Dr. Troupe encouraged parents to praise their children and affirm them with encouraging words.

“Don’t tell them that they cannot make it. Don’t tell them about their limitations, because we are all different. There is no one path to success,” she said.

The Permanent Secretary shared that some parents may not be happy with the school their child was placed in following the release of the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) results but assured them that their children can bloom where they are planted, because “there are fruits in all of us”.

Meanwhile, she said parents must communicate through their presence and not just their presents.

“You communicate by being there. You turn up, you come to school, you turn up with them and you talk to them. You turn up at home – too many of our boys and our girls are parenting themselves. They are on the telephone, they are on the device, there is no physical presence, there is no touch, there is no love, there is no hug, there is no forgiveness in each other, there is no crying in each other. You have got to turn up. That’s communication,” Dr. Troupe said.

She pointed out that the presence of parents is a critical ingredient on the road to success, as children need to see their parents and receive emotional, financial and physical support.

“For every good school that we have in the country, it is good because the parents turn up. The parents hold the Ministry accountable. The parents hold the school accountable. For every woman, for every champion, it is the parents’ presence that makes the difference,” Dr. Troupe said.

Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, visited two high-achieving primary schools in St. Ann on Wednesday (July 2), to celebrate their outstanding performance in this year’s Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations.

Senator Morris Dixon met with the students and staff of Philadelphia Primary and Infant School as well as Clydesdale Primary to personally commend their exceptional achievements.

These institutions, located in Region Three of the Education Ministry, were among 10 schools previously flagged for underperformance, but have since elevated their students to proficiency levels.

At Philadelphia Primary, all five grade- six students who sat PEP secured placements in high schools, including Brown’s Town High, Discovery Bay High, Ferncourt High, and Ocho Rios High.

The school reportedly achieved 90 per cent proficiency in language arts and social studies, 60 per cent in mathematics, and 80 per cent in science.

Meanwhile, Clydesdale Primary’s two PEP candidates earned placements at Knox College and Aabuthnott Gallimore High – an achievement credited to targeted intervention programmes that begin with diagnostic testing from Grade One.

“We are very excited to see this development. I am here… because I wanted the teachers, I wanted the principals, I wanted the parents, and I wanted the students to know that your hard work is recognised. You would have all worked really hard,” Dr. Morris Dixon stated.

“When you see these rural schools having the kind of results that they have, it says to all of Jamaica that all our children can do it. It says that we have good teachers and good principals who are trying new things, being innovative, and that’s what we want to celebrate,” she added.

Minister Morris Dixon noted that the schools had fully leveraged Ministry-led workshops and innovative teaching methods to enhance student learning outcomes.

Principal of Philadelphia Primary, Nicholas Wisdom, said the school focused on literacy strategies like read-aloud sessions, strong teacher dedication, and sustained parental involvement.

He emphasised that a solid academic foundation is key to the school’s success, and encouraged other institutions to adopt similar initiatives.

Clydesdale Primary Principal, Teresa Brown, attributed the school’s success to teacher collaboration, extra lessons, and holiday PEP marathons, among other innovative strategies.

“So we want to say congratulations to [our] two students, to the teachers, to their parents. We are so proud of them. The entire community is elated with the results that we have for these two students,” she added.

On the day, additional support came from the Jamaica Independent Schools Association (JISA), which partnered with the Ministry to provide celebratory tokens to the institutions.

Corporate sponsors, including Sunshine Snacks, National, and the Wisynco Group, also contributed gifts, reflecting a shared national pride in the achievements of these rural institutions.