JIS: The Government is maintaining its position that the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) is a viable alternative to the previous high-school-placement examination.

 

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, in touting PEP, said it is part of the creation of “a new type of Jamaica where persons apply critical thinking, and the process of investigation and discovery is used in the solution to problems”.

 

The PEP has replaced the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), and has been used to place students in high schools for the 2019/20 academic year.

 

“Life chances are no longer being determined by grades achieved in two days of examination to determine your fate,” Mr. Holness said while addressing the presentation ceremony for the Prime Minister’s Medal of Appreciation for Service to Education, at Jamaica House on Wednesday (June 26).

 

He said that the goals of PEP are especially important “amid the rapid societal changes” where the Government’s approaches, programmes and areas of emphasis must keep pace to be relevant to contemporary society and to the future.

 

“This involves creating an encouraging and nurturing environment which allows for creativity and for the enquiring and curious mind to explore new ways of doing familiar things. It involves transforming persons from being consumers of technology to being creators of technology. It requires innovation and out-of-the-box solution-oriented thinking,” Mr. Holness said.

 

In this regard, the Prime Minister assured that the Administration is continuing to re-engineer the education system, “so that every single child gets access to the best educational opportunities to fulfil their potential and ensure that Jamaica can grow and be a prosperous country”.

 

“I am happy that more students than ever have access to better equipped and better resourced classrooms. I am confident that with our increased focus on early childhood and helping institutions to raise their standards of operations, we are laying a stronger foundation for future generations to excel,” he said.

 

For his part, Minister without Portfolio with responsibility for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Karl Samuda, said that while the vast majority of teachers are supportive of PEP, he is aware that concerns remain, and assured that the Ministry is doing everything to address these matters.

 

“We are confident that PEP is building a framework that will enable students to think critically, strengthen their ability to reason, build their comprehension and develop their problem-solving skills,” he said.

 

Mr. Samuda added that teachers have played a critical role in the successful roll-out of PEP.

 

The PEP examination 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 first cohort of grade-six students sat the PEP exam this year. 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.

 

CAPTION: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, addresses attendees at the presentation ceremony for the Prime Minister’s Medal of Appreciation for Service to Education, at Jamaica House, on Wednesday (June 26).

JIS: Senior Director in the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Gillian Wilkinson-McDaniel, is pointing to the need for greater inclusion of youth and technology in the development of the creative and cultural industries.

 

“I want to challenge us to involve youth more when we are thinking about culture. Our children are creating apps and entertainment platforms, and this should be included in our normal operations and used to change cities,” she said, while addressing the Eighth Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston, on Wednesday (June 19).

 

Mrs. Wilkinson-McDaniel noted that the creative industries are the outgrowth of the country’s rich and diverse heritage, and technology has increased the ways in which the culture is shared.

 

She noted, for example, that video games have become a popular way for young people in the diaspora to learn about the Jamaican culture.

 

“As technology disrupts everything we do, including our business practices, our interactions and even politics, we see that there will be a greater need for its inclusion in sports, music, the arts and culture,” she pointed out.

 

“As purveyors of culture, we now need to translate [cultural] information in a way that our children, grandchildren and generations to come will begin to understand what the Jamaican culture is about,” she added, noting that this will also help to bridge the gap between Jamaica and the rest of the world.

 

Meanwhile, Youth Leader, Diaspora Advisory Board, Tanesha Westcarr, noted that young people in the diaspora are making an impact in the arts and sports and want to contribute to national development.

 

“If we are to engage them, we have to create pathways so that they stay interested in areas that they are passionate about,” she said.

 

Ms. Westcarr commended the cultural bodies that have included the youth in their discussions and said she is looking forward to the Government endorsing the Jamaica Diaspora Youth Council framework.

 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade is expected to approve a proposal for establishment of the Council, which is aimed at promoting cultural connectivity, business and entrepreneurship among Jamaican youth.

 

It is expected to generate greater inclusion of youth in the development of creative and cultural industries.

 

CAPTION: Senior Director within the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Gillian Wilkinson-McDaniel, speaking during the Eighth Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference on June 19, at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston.

JIS: Cabinet has approved the National Plan of Action for an Integrated Response to Children and Violence (NPACV), says Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dr. Grace McLean.

 

Speaking at a plenary session for the eighth Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston on June 17, Dr. McLean said the plan was also tabled in the Parliament recently.

 

The National Plan of Action is part of Jamaica’s response to its commitment made to the Global Partnership to end violence against children and will be implemented over a five-year period.

 

The goal is to create and maintain a protective environment supportive of and responsive to the issues of violence, child abuse and maltreatment of children in Jamaica.

 

“What this means is that, for the first time, we have a comprehensive response, an inter-sectoral response to treating with violence against children,” she said.

 

The plan involves collaboration among several government ministries, agencies and departments, civil society groups and other stakeholders

 

The core objective of the NPACV is to reduce the impact of violence against children through an integrated approach to prevention, control, intervention responses, monitoring and evaluation.

 

This is to ensure that the rights of children are preserved, and that an environment is created to stimulate their positive growth and development into productive citizens of Jamaica.

 

The Diaspora Conference is being hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade under the theme ‘Jamaica and the Diaspora: Building Pathways for Sustainable Development’.

 

This staging will target expanding and building pathways for the diaspora and Jamaica to work together to prepare effectively for the future within the context of achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which incorporate the core goals of the Vision 2030 National Development Plan.

 

The focal areas for dialogue, as well as the expected outcomes of the conference, take into consideration important global trends and their impact on the future marketplace and the workplace as well as critical Jamaica-Diaspora partnerships.

 

CAPTION: Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dr. Grace McLean (right), in discussion with Hardware Architect, High Performance Compute, Nutanix, Sheldon Provost, during a plenary session for the eighth Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference, at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston, on June 17.

 

JIS: State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Alando Terrelonge, says the Ministry stands ready to support all efforts aimed at advancing the education of youngsters, ages 12 to 18, who are in custody at correctional institutions.

 

He said that such engagement is necessary in preventing the juvenile offenders from falling back into the cycle of crime and deviant behaviour, by ensuring that “when they leave the correctional facilities, they are able to better function as law-abiding citizens in productive areas”.

 

The State Minister was speaking at a Department of Correctional Services (DCS) appreciation luncheon for teachers and instructors attached to adult and juvenile penal institutions, held recently at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in St. Andrew.

 

Mr. Terrelonge said recent studies indicate that globally, young people, ages 14 to 24, are responsible for a significant percentage of crimes.

 

He noted that these juvenile offenders, who are primarily boys, “would have also been exposed to violence and reproduced violent behaviour from an earlier age, usually at home or within their communities”.

 

Mr. Terrelonge noted that several of them display a willingness to change their ways, especially if they are so engaged.

 

As such, he is lauding the Ministries of National Security, and Justice and the DCS for implementing wide-ranging programmes to rehabilitate the young offenders through education and vocational training.

 

Mr. Terrelonge noted that the DCS has some 85 teachers and instructors assigned across the four juvenile and seven adult correctional institutions, whose work is bearing fruit.

 

“Based on the academic and skills training provided by yourselves and institutions such as HEART Trust/NTA, we are able, now, to produce certificates for inmates who have successfully completed their training,” he said.

 

The State Minister said he was pleased with the adult inmates and juveniles, particularly boys, who have pursued and are pursuing Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) studies, noting that a number of them have secured more than four subjects.

 

“Their (boys) academic achievements [have] motivated many others to get along that path to prosperity whilst in the confines of juvenile centres. I say a big ‘thank you’ to those young men, because they are now leading a positive [life] for the other young men to follow,” he noted further.

 

Mr. Terrelonge said the role of the instructors and teachers, in this regard, “cannot be overstated”.

 

“For not only are you instructing them in academics and vocational skills… you are also mentors and guides. You have become their mothers, their fathers (and) their counsellors. You have contributed to shaping a new life for them by equipping them with new skills to function in a positive way in society,” he said.

 

Some of these skills focus on conflict resolution, personal development, human rights and the rights of children, interpersonal relationships, and communication skills.

 

“The broad focus on vocational training is very important in helping these young men and older offenders to reintegrate into society upon their exit of correctional facilities. The rehabilitation of inmates and juveniles is important for all of us as we seek to build a better Jamaica that moves away from criminal activities,” Mr. Terrelonge said.

 

CAPTION: State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Alando Terrelonge, delivering the keynote address at the Department of Correctional Services’ (DCS) appreciation luncheon for teachers and instructors serving in the penal system, at the Terra Nova Hotel in St. Andrew on Wednesday (June 5).

JIS: The Homestead Place of Safety, in Stony Hill, St. Andrew, has been renovated, making life more comfortable for the 44 young girls who reside there.

 

The facility, which was refurbished  at a cost of  $23. 5 million, was re-opened on June 21 by Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Alando Terrelonge.

 

In his address, the State Minister  said the project was aimed at improving the living conditions of the young girls.

 

“Our children, our youth, they are at the heart of what we do.  We care about the empowerment, protection and education of our children and it is important that we provide them with the requisite materials, resources and facilities to encourage their growth and development,” he said.

 

“This is what this facility stands for. The Homestead Place of Safety has been refurbished to ensure our young ladies get the requisite care, love and protection that they need to become wonderful young ladies of Jamaica, who will contribute to our growth, development and ultimate prosperity,” the State Minister added.

 

In addition to the refurbishing work, Mr. Terrelonge noted there has been a restructuring of roles and responsibilities at the facility with the appointment of a manager, an assistant manager, a social worker, two cooks, three attendants, an administrator, four maintenance officers, four social work aid supervisors and 12 health and social aid workers.

 

The State Minister  also said that the ratio of staff to girls has been adjusted,  in keeping with international standards.

 

Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer, Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), Rosalee Gage-Grey, said the refurbished facility is a more comfortable home, providing greater privacy, while fostering the development of the young residents.

 

“A place of safety is a crucial facility when the agency rescues children who are in need of care and protection. Homestead is the only such place of safety that caters to girls in the South East Region, which is Kingston, St. Andrew, St. Catherine and St. Thomas,” she noted.

 

For her part, Member of Parliament, West Rural St. Andrew, Juliet Cuthbert Flynn, said other work will be done at the neighbouring community centre, eight computers will be procured for a homework centre, and lights will be installed at the football field, as was done at the netball court. This, she said, is in an effort to nurture the sporting talents of the girls at the home.

 

“I am pleased to see the refurbishing of this home for our young girls.  It is incumbent on us to make sure we provide a safe and secure environment for our children,” she said.

 

The facility is one of four places of safety owned and operated by the Government of Jamaica. It provides short term living arrangement for children in need of care and protection. The facility houses girls aged 12 to 18.

 

CAPTION ONE: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Alando Terrelonge (second left); Chief Executive Officer, Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), Rosalee Gage- Grey (left) and Senior Director, Children’s Affairs Policy, in the Ministry, Hyacinth Blair (right), tour the renovated Homestead Place of Safety, in Stony Hill, St. Andrew, on June 1, when the facility was re-opened.

 

JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information will be increasing funding for primary, all-age and junior high schools to $7.98 billion for academic year 2019/2020.

 

This is in keeping with its non-mandatory fee policy, which commenced in September 2016.

 

In a recent bulletin, the Ministry informed that all infant departments and primary-level schools will receive $2,500 per student; and all-age and junior high schools will receive up to $19,000 per student.

 

Also to be provided is a maintenance grant of $150,000 per school, along with the janitorial grant of $250,000 and Internet/telephone grant of $60,000. Students who benefit from the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), will receive literature books, while $2,000 will be allocated to cover identification (ID) and uniform-related items. Book vouchers valued at $2,000 each will be provided for the neediest students.

 

The Ministry will continue to pay the insurance for students on PATH and wards of the State at all levels.

 

The non-mandatory fee policy is based on the philosophy that public education should be properly funded by the Government while encouraging stakeholders to make voluntary contributions.

 

As such, the Ministry is committed to supporting the core services and ensuring that the costs for these services, including additional staffing, are fully funded in order to reduce the need to request additional support from parents.

 

Parents, guardians and school administrators are being reminded that the basis of this policy is not to defund schools but to give them more resources to support subvention, teaching and learning, special education, maintenance and capital works.

 

CAPTION: Minister with responsibility for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Karl Samuda, CD, MP

 

JIS: Minister with responsibility for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Karl Samuda, says the results from the first sitting of the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) are showing that students had the best outcome in the subject of Social Studies.

 

“Based on the results, 63 per cent of students who sat the test have demonstrated proficiency or advanced proficiency in knowledge, skills and competencies required by the National Standard Curriculum in Social Studies,” he said.

 

“This is commendable in that there was a greater emphasis on students’ ability to apply research skills in the Social Studies context. Bearing this in mind, the majority of the students would have shown that they have achieved the knowledge, skills and competencies,” he added.

 

Minister Samuda was addressing a press conference at the Ministry’s National Heroes Circle head office in Kingston on Friday (June 21) to announce the grade-six results for PEP.

 

He noted further that 34 per cent of the students are considered to be developing in the area of Social Studies, with 12 per cent on the cusp of moving into the proficient category.

 

“These students are considered to be borderline students and with some targeted support, will develop the skills that will enable them to become proficient,” he said.

 

Analysis of performance in the other subjects shows that 55 per cent of students who sat Language Arts demonstrated proficiency or advanced proficiency in the concepts, procedures and application of skills required by the National Standards Curriculum; 49 per cent for Science; and 40 per cent for Mathematics.

 

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.

 

The 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.

 

School administrators and parents were provided with the grade-six results on June 21.

 

CAPTION: Minister with responsibility for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Karl Samuda (centre), addressing a press conference at the Ministry’s National Heroes Circle head office in Kingston on Friday (June 21) to announce the grade-six results for the Primary Exit Profile (PEP). He is flanked by Permanent Secretary, Dr. Grace McLean (left); and State Minister, Hon. Alando Terrelonge.

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.