JIS: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, is encouraging past students with the resources to contribute to the enhancement of school facilities.

 

He commended citizens like the Ashenheim family, who, “without second thought”, donated an eight-lane 400-metre synthetic track to Jamaica College (JC).

 

The Prime Minister was speaking at the official opening of the Ashenheim Stadium on the grounds of Jamaica College (JC), at its Old Hope Road location in St. Andrew on Wednesday (February 21).

 

Mr. Holness said that through the donation, the family has demonstrated that “the spirit of enterprise and the spirit of philanthropy are still alive and well in Jamaica”.

 

He pointed out that the facility, which was previously a “dust bowl”, has been transformed into a world-class state-of-the-art track facility that he anticipates will produce future top-class athletes.

 

“I am expecting that JC will be producing many great athletes who will probably be performing on the Olympic stage and gaining Jamaica more medals. (Importantly), it will reach the average student, who will now have the facilities to develop their skills,” he said.

 

Jamaica College is now the first high school in Jamaica to have its own stadium, which also features state-of-the-art lighting, an international standard football field and an initial seating capacity of about 2,000, with plans to upgrade to about 5,000.

The stadium will also have shot put and discus rings; javelin area; and long- and triple-jump pits.

 

The Government contributed a total of $30 million to the project through the Ministries of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport; and Education, Youth and Information.

 

CAPTION ONE: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (left), and Michael Ashenheim (second left), cut the ribbon to officially open the Ashenheim Stadium on the grounds of Jamaica College at its Old Hope Road location in St. Andrew on Wednesday (February 20). The Ashenheim family donated the state of-the-art facility. Also pictured in the background (from left) are Chairman, Project Committee, Dr. the Hon. R. Danny Williams; Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid; Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Hon. Fayval Williams; Chairman of JC Board of Management, Michael Bernard; and the school’s Principal, Wayne Robinson.

 

CAPTION TWO: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (right), and Michael Ashenheim (second left), unveils the sign for the new Ashenheim Stadium located on the grounds of Jamaica College. The facility was officially opened during a ceremony at the institution’s Old Hope Road campus in St. Andrew, on Wednesday (February 20). Also pictured at left is Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid. The Ashenheim family donated the state of-the-art facility.

 

 

JIS: The parish of Manchester now has a diagnostic and care centre, which will cater to the special learning needs of children with autism and cognitive challenges.

 

The Educational Assessment and Resource Centre, located on the grounds of Church Teachers’ College in Mandeville, was built by the Government at a cost of $35 million.

 

It boosts two play and learning rooms, observation room, a nurses’ station, an administrative section, as well as lunchroom, bathrooms, offices and laboratories.

 

On staff are a special educational psychologist, a clinical psychologist, and special education teachers. The spacious two-storey structure will open to the public on March 11.

 

Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon Ruel Reid, said that the establishment of the centre is in keeping with Government’s focus on ensuring that the education system is inclusive and enables students to maximise their full potential.

 

“We are going to use the diagnostic centre to make sure that no child is left behind in the region,” he said, noting that it will customise learning through the use of technology.

 

He was delivering the keynote address at the official opening of the centre on February 19.

 

Senator Reid said that global figures indicate that one in every 10 students is likely to have severe special needs.

 

He noted further there are persons with mild autism, who go undetected. “Indeed, one in every 42 boys is autistic and one in every 167 girls is autistic. Autism is on a spectrum of mild to severe. Some of the challenges faced in the classroom are because this goes undetected,” he said.

 

The Education Minister said that in addition to establishing assessment and diagnostic centres, increased focus will be placed on an early stimulation/intervention strategy that addresses needs during the first 1,000 days of the child’s life.

 

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said that the period spanning between conception and one’s second birthday is when the foundations of optimum health, growth and neurodevelopment across the lifespan are established.

 

“Learning begins from conception because the first 1,000 days from conception to age two is a key age; two is the highest point of their cognitive neurological development (brain capacity)” Minister Reid added.

 

In his remarks, Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) President, Dr. Garth Anderson, said the body has been advocating for the early assessment of students entering the education system at the early-childhood level for the purpose of developing a learning profile and targeted intervention.

 

Dr. Anderson, who is also Principal of Church Teachers’ College, urged that the diagnostic centre be fully utilised to “fulfil its mission of not only assessing students but to also be effective in changing the way in which we do teaching and learning”.

 

CAPTION ONE: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (fifth right), cuts the ribbon to officially open the Educational Assessment and Resource Centre at the Church Teachers’ College in Mandeville, Manchester, on February 19. Assisting the Minister is Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) President and Principal of the college, Dr. Garth Anderson (third left), while officials from the Ministry and the college look on

 

CAPTION TWO: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, delivers the keynote address at the opening of the Educational Assessment and Resource Centre at the Church Teachers’ College in Mandeville, Manchester, on February 19.

 

 

 

 

JIS: As The Mico University College moves towards achieving full university status, new programmes will be offered that are geared towards training students for new jobs that have been surfacing globally.

 

President, Dr. Asburn Pinnock, made the announcement at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security at the institution on Tuesday (February 19).

 

“As we move towards University status, we are now diversifying our offerings to include Bachelor of Science programmes in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, as well as Bachelor of Arts programmes in Literacy, Language and Literature. We will also offer courses in animation, robotics and a wide range of short and professional developmental courses tailor-made for schools and the industry,” Dr. Pinnock said.

 

“The Mico University College recognises the impact we need to make as the leader in teacher training in Jamaica, and the Vision 2030 goals that we endeavour to make a reality,” he added.

 

In 2017, Pro-Chancellor, The Mico University College, Professor Neville Ying, announced that the institution started its plans to become a full university, and in 2018, he pointed out that the institution was far advanced in the process.

 

The MOU is geared towards enhancing the Labour Market Information System (LMIS), an Internet-based system that is operated by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. It facilitates job placement, provides labour market intelligence and offers career development services.

 

The MOU will allow both organisations to begin working together to: better disseminate labour market intelligence, increase career development and populate a Skills Bank with certified persons.

 

Dr. Pinnock also announced that The Mico University College will be hosting its inaugural Mico International Mathematics Teaching Summit this year, as part of its new offerings.

 

“The inaugural staging of the Mico International Mathematics Teaching Summit will take place from March 25 to 27, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, under the theme ‘Mathematics for Sustainable Economic Growth and Job Creation’,” he said.

 

“This initiative is yet another response from The Mico to the increasing demand for more qualified and equipped mathematics teachers to supply our local market as well as the rising international needs. We believe that this event will increase our knowledge networks, create a log of relevant research and publications that will influence future policy decisions and prepare our teachers for the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which will boost Jamaica’s ranking in the world,” Dr. Pinnock added.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Shahine Robinson (second right), listens to scholarship recipient, Labour Market Information System (LMIS) Adoption School Initiative, Evaughn McKenzie (left), at The Mico University College (MUC) on Tuesday (February 19). Occasion was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry and MUC. Others (from second left) are Guild President, MUC, Larey Graham; President, MUC, Dr. Asburn Pinnock and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Colette Roberts Risden.

JIS: The Education Transformation Programme has received funding of $371.5 million from the Government for the fiscal year 2019/20.

 

Details about the project are provided in the 2019/20 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives.

 

The targets for the 2019/20 fiscal year include the construction of additional classrooms at Papine High, Norman Manley High and Mount St. Joseph High Schools; Exchange All-Age School, Dias Infant School, Spanish Town High School, Westwood High School and Sydney Pagon High School.

 

The National Education Trust Limited (NET) is the implementing agency for the project, which started in April, 2015 and should come to an end in March, 2020.

 

The objective of the project is to provide additional classrooms to alleviate the shift system and overcrowding in schools.

 

Up to December 2018, the programme completed new classroom construction projects and renovation in 200 schools.

 

In total, 565 schools are targeted for upgrades for the duration of the project.

 

CAPTION: Managing Director at the National Education Trust, Marcia Phillips-Dawkins, addressing a JIS Think Tank

JIS: Senior Director, HEART Trust/NTA, Dr. Marcia Rowe Amonde, says that the entity welcomes all citizens who require training regardless of their qualifications.

 

“You can no longer say that training is expensive and that you cannot afford it, because the HEART Trust provides opportunities and we do not turn anyone away. No matter what (qualifications) you have, you come to the HEART Trust and we have a path for you to achieve your potential, to empower yourself and to get ready for jobs,” she said.

 

Dr. Rowe Amonde, who has responsibility for Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Development and Support Systems, was speaking at a recent career and information forum and exposition staged by the HEART Trust at Sam Sharpe Square in Montego Bay.

She noted that the agency is ramping up the certification of Jamaicans, and invited persons to take advantage of the training available in various sectors of the job market.

 

She cited opportunities in computing, auto mechanics, hospitality, animation, agriculture, beauty and wellness, construction, among other areas.

 

“Recent data from the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) and the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) indicate that Jamaica is on a good path to economic development and job creation. This means that we are creating new jobs, but there is an increase in demand for more skilled professionals; for those who are certified, to meet this demand.

 

“We are working with our investors and industry partners to create a trained and certified labour force to ensure that jobs remain in this country, and that our people are empowered and that we are achieving economic development,” Dr. Rowe Amonde pointed out.

 

She said that persons can improve on their qualifications while undergoing skills training. “You can sit Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects while you are with us. We (also) give you career counselling so you know about all the jobs that are out there and those that are coming,” she pointed out.

 

She noted that the programmes offered are aligned to industry needs.

 

“We do our research. We find out what jobs are out there, we refer to this as labour market intelligence. We work with the industry persons to ascertain what competencies are needed for these jobs and we use those standards to develop the programmes. So when you are trained, it ensures that there is a job out there for you,” she said.

 

Dr. Rowe Amonde further assured that the training programmes at the HEART Trust /NTA are in keeping with international standards.

 

“So when you get your certificate, it qualifies you not only to work in Jamaica, but to work in the international job market. You are able to go anywhere and demonstrate competencies that are aligned to international standards,” she said.

 

The exposition, held in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information and the Junior Achievement Programme, was part of activities for Careers’ Week from February 9 to February 15 under the theme: ‘Paving the way through education’.

 

The day’s activities included registering persons for skills training at HEART institutions, and recruiting of potential employees by business process outsourcing company (BPO), Advanced Call Centre Technologies.

 

Organisations that participated in the event were the Social Development Commission (SDC), Citizens Security and Justice Programme (CSJP), Peace Management Initiative (PMI) Western, and Western Regional Health Authority (WHRA).

 

CAPTION ONE: Members of the public (right) complete application forms at the HEART Trust/NTA booth, while representatives of the agency look on. Occasion was a recent career and information forum and exposition staged by the HEART Trust/NTA at Sam Sharpe Square in Montego Bay.

 

CAPTION TWO: Senior Director, Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Development and Support Systems at the HEART Trust/NTA , Dr. Marcia Rowe Amonde, addresses a recent career and information forum and exposition staged by the entity at Sam Sharpe Square in Montego Bay.

JIS: Former Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dr. Grace McLean, is assuring the public that adequate post-assessment procedures are in place for the Primary Exit Profile (PEP).

 

“We are now in examination mode, so we will activate our hotlines across the island,” she said while addressing a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank at the agency’s head office in Kingston on Thursday (February 14).

 

“Our regional offices, student assessment unit, the office of the deputy chief education officers and the chief education officer will provide support and respond to queries as required,” Dr. McLean added.

 

Further, she said that parents will be able to utilise the Access to Information Unit to submit their appeals, which will be vetted and handled accordingly.

 

“We pull scripts if we must, so they (parents) can see the process, and we make sure that they are satisfied at the end of the day… so we open up ourselves for any query there is that we need to sort through,” she added.

 

The former Chief Education Officer said assessment results and placement information should be provided during the third week of June.

 

She told JIS News that the placement procedure remains the same.

 

“The students would be placed based on their choices and grades. A few of our students (approximately two per cent), after we would have reviewed, may have to be placed manually,” she noted.

 

As it relates to the placement of students to schools in close proximity to their homes, Dr. McLean explained that “the Ministry has taken the decision that we would defer any implementation of zoning until they have satisfactorily implemented this new assessment”.

 

The new Primary Exit Profile (PEP) will begin on February 26 with the Ability Test.

 

The Performance Task in Language Arts and Mathematics will be done on March 27 and 28, while the Curriculum Based Test will be done on April 16 and 17. Some 41,423 students have been registered for PEP.

 

CAPTION: Former Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dr. Grace McLean, speaking at a JIS Think Tank on Thursday (February 14).

JIS: Parents are being encouraged to give their children moral support during the sitting of the new Primary Exit Profile (PEP), beginning on February 26.

 

The students will be among the first cohort at the grade-six level who will be sitting the Ability Test component at 1,104 centres across the island.

 

Speaking at a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank on Thursday (February 14) at the agency’s head office in Kingston, Manager, Student Assessment Unit, Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Terry-Ann Thomas Gayle, offered tips to parents and students for examination preparation.

 

She said that parents should ensure that their children are relaxed and given a proper meal on the morning of the exam.

 

“The day before the examination, ensure that the children are relaxed. They do not need to be going through any book, any notes to get themselves extra nervous for the exam,” she said.

 

Mrs. Thomas Gayle said that parents should remind their children to obey the rules of the examination centres and to listen to the instructions that are given to them by the presiding examiners.

 

“They are to sit and use their own material. There should be no communication,” she added.

 

Rough-work paper will be included in the packages given to students on the day of the exam, so there should be no writing in the test booklets presented to them. Students are required to hand over all additional paper to the examiners after completing the exam.

 

Mrs. Thomas Gayle is also reminding parents to encourage their children to read the questions carefully.

 

“They have one hour and 15 minutes to complete 40 multiple-choice questions. They are to take their time and go through to ensure that they are adequately covering and understanding what the questions are asking of them,” she said.

 

Mrs. Thomas Gayle noted that only one answer is needed for each question, and students would have been exposed to the information from grades one to four.

 

“So, there is absolutely nothing in the booklet that we know that they are unable to do,” she added.

 

CAPTION: Manager, Student Assessment Unit, Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Terry-Ann Thomas Gayle, presenting Primary Exit Profile (PEP) preparation tips, at a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank on Thursday (February 14), at the JIS Head Office in Kingston.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, has hailed 2018 Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) Roll of Honour Awardee, Sadie Comrie, for her exemplary leadership and service to the sector.

 

He noted that she has set an excellent example for others to follow, from New Works All-Age School in Westmoreland, where she established a Reading Club, to Lacovia High School in St. Elizabeth, where she served as a Teacher/Librarian for 13 years.

 

“Sadie became President of the JTA in 2002, and then serving the JTA and the Ministry of Education as a liaison officer [from] 2008 to 2010; and in all these capacities you have shown exemplary leadership within our schools and the wider Jamaican society,” Senator Reid said.

 

He was addressing the award presentation ceremony held on February 12 at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.

 

The JTA Roll of Honour Award recognises outstanding contribution to education, consistent with the Association’s Code of Ethics.

 

The Honour Roll demands of the awardee the highest level of probity, integrity and professional conduct. It also seeks to emphasise excellence in performance.

 

Senator Reid noted that in honouring one of its long-serving members, the JTA is showing not just “an appreciation for the long and dedicated service of the awardee, but also of the values that that individual, Mrs. Comrie, embodies”.

 

A passion for excellence in education, an enduring commitment to the mission of the JTA, and selfless service to community and country are the hallmarks of the professional journey that took Mrs. Comrie from her initial teaching job at Belfont Basic School in St. James, more than 50 year ago, to the pinnacle of the education system in Jamaica.

 

‘Lady Sadie’, as she is fondly called by her colleagues because of her impeccable deportment and fashionable style of dressing, is widely respected throughout the profession.

 

She is the recipient of the JTA’s Golden Torch; and the R.C. Tavares, and W.B.C. Ben Hawthorne Awards; the Association’s 50th Anniversary Award; as well as the JTA Lasco Salute to Teachers’ Award for Excellence in Education.

 

For his part, JTA President, Dr. Garth Anderson congratulated Mrs. Comrie for her contribution to education in the classroom, as an administrator, and for her 50 years as a member of the profession.“Her impact and legacy as a stalwart to the sector will live on for generations to come,” he said.

 

In her response, Mrs. Comrie expressed appreciation for the award and gave an undertaking “to be a vessel of cooperation [and] to continue to be a vessel of kindness and love”.

 

CAPTION 1: Jamaica Teachers’ Association 2018 Roll of Honour Awardee, Sadie Comrie, addresses the presentation ceremony on February 12 at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.

CAPTION 2: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (right), shares a moment with (from left: President, Moravian Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, Rev. Phyllis Smith-Seymour; Retired Teacher, Arthur Comrie; and the Jamaica Teachers’ Association 2018 Roll of Honour Awardee, Sadie Comrie. They were at the presentation ceremony held on February 12 at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.

JIS: Provisions will be made for students with special needs during the sitting of the new Primary Exit Profile (PEP), beginning on February 26.

 

The students will be among the first cohort at the Grade-six level that will be sitting the Ability Test component in 1,104 centres across the island.

 

Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, said psycho-evaluation reports have been submitted for 304 students, who have been assessed by the Special Education Unit.

 

“The recommendations, which have been made, have been communicated to approximately 95 per cent of the students. The remaining reports are being prepared to be sent to the (education) regions for the schools. In the interim, telephone calls are being made to the schools to inform the principals ahead of time. The regions have also been informed of the recommendations pertaining to each student,” he said.

 

The Minister was speaking at a post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House on Wednesday (February 13).

 

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

 

In addition to the Ability Test, the other components are Performance Task, which will be administered on March 27 and 28; and the Curriculum-based Test on April 16 and 17.

 

Mr. Reid said that for the Performance Task test, students with special needs will be provided with a writer, as this is the only component where they are required to write. The other tests require students to shade in a response.

 

He noted, however, that in cases where students are impacted by a physical disability, special accommodation will be made for a writer.

 

“Students will be granted an extra 30 minutes beyond the allotted two hours to complete their Performance Tasks and an extra 20 minutes for other exams, which will range from one hour and 15 minutes for Abilities Test to one hour and 30 minutes for the Curriculum-based Test,” he informed.

 

A total of 41,423 students have been registered to sit the examination this year.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, addresses a post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House on Wednesday (February 13).

JIS: State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon Floyd Green, has called for church groups to join the thrust to get more children into foster care.

 

“I encourage all of our churches right across Jamaica… to join with us and provide homes for our children,” he said, while addressing the National Foster Care Week Church Service at the Ocho Rios Baptist Church in St. Ann on Sunday, February 10.

 

“We want more people with Christian principles to get involved because it is one thing to have a home, but what type of home will you provide? We prefer homes that are built on strong values, homes that are built on Christian principles – things such as kindness, teaching them respect, teaching them to love their neighbours as much as themselves and to be honest,” he added.

 

Chief Executive Officer of the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), Rosalee Gage-Grey, echoed the call for greater involvement of the church in providing safe homes for children in State care.

 

“The significance of the church cannot be ignored, as, possibly, more than any other institution, you appreciate the value of family as well as the concept of substitution,” she noted.

“Unfortunately, for whatever reason, if the original family fails, we have a duty as the agency responsible for the care and protection of children in Jamaica to step in, and dare I say you too [the church], as well-meaning citizens and Christ followers to protect the most vulnerable in our society,” Mrs. Gage-Grey said.

 

She noted that while Jamaica has come a far way in advancing its foster care programme, more public-private partnership is needed to provide nurturing homes for children in the care and protection of the State.

 

“For that vision to come true, we need you (the church). We also need your friends, neighbours, co-workers to join us in giving love, inspiring hope and fostering a child,” she added.

 

Mrs. Gage-Grey expressed gratitude to the over 800 foster parents in Jamaica, whom she describes as “capable heroes, who have opened their hearts and homes… and shown compassion to our children”.

 

National Foster Care Week is being observed from February 10 to February 15 under the theme ‘Give love, Inspire Hope, Foster a Child’.

 

For the past 13 years, the CPFSA has been observing the week to heighten public awareness about the foster care programme, in an effort to encourage more Jamaicans to take children in State care into their homes.

 

CAPTION: State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green (left), shares a moment with Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), Rosalee Gage-Grey following the National Foster Care Week Church Service at the Ocho Rios Baptist Church in St. Ann on Sunday, February 10.