JIS: The Early Childhood Commission (ECC), in an effort to improve parenting involvement and forge partnerships with parents and community members, will be continuing its Community-based initiative, ‘ECC Pon Di Cawna’, in 2019.

 

This initiative helps to underscore the importance of Standard 10 of the ECC’s 12 Operating Standards – ‘Interactions with Parents and Community Members’.

 

Community Relations Manager at the Commission, Tanisha Miller, said that five Pon Di Cawna sessions will be hosted in designated communities this month in Regions one, two, four, five and six of the Education Ministry.

 

Upcoming sessions are scheduled to be held on January 24 at Friendship Community Centre in Islington, St. Mary, starting at 1:00 p.m.; January 25, at Norwood Basic School, St. James, at 1:30 p.m.; January 30, Lakes Pen Basic School, St. Catherine, beginning at 10:00 a.m.; and on January 31, at the Church of God of Prophecy Basic School, 36 Maxfield Avenue, starting at 2:00 p.m.

 

The first session for 2019 was held in Region one at the Greenvale Community Centre in Mandeville, Manchester, on January 18.

 

Representatives from several ministries, departments and agencies, including Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Ministry of National Security, Ministry of Health, Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), HEART Trust/NTA and Jamaica National Small Business Loan Office, will be on hand to interact with those attending the sessions.

 

According to Ms Miller, the ECC, as part of its legislative mandate, has the responsibility to strengthen/create relationships with relevant stakeholders and sector partners at all levels. This is to strengthen early-childhood services at the community level and to plan community programmes and activities geared towards early-childhood development.

 

CAPTION: Assistant Commissioner of Police, Steve McGregor (standing with mic), addresses an Early Childhood Commission (ECC) ‘Pon Di Cawna’ session, which was held in Cassava Piece, St. Andrew, late last year.

JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, in partnership with La Sierra University in California, has launched a new eLibrary project, aimed at transforming the way school libraries are structured, with digital platforms that users can access from their personal devices, both on and off campuses.

 

The ceremony was held on Tuesday (January 15), at The Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston.

 

At the launch, the software was shared with administrators for the various regions of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, who will be sharing it with schools in upcoming weeks.

 

The project will enable students to access thousands of current textbooks and more than 100 instructional videos, by plugging in a free preloaded flash drive into their computers and uploading the software.

 

Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, who spoke at the launch, said this new project complements the implementation of the National Standards Curriculum and provides access to learning resources that satisfy standards of quality.

 

“Traditionally, libraries offer support at every stage of a person’s life, where we go to study, write and research. Today, with the rapidly expanding range of digital activities, there are greater options for libraries to engage new and existing users. The electronic library system enables teachers and students in schools to gain access to multimedia resources in library services directly from their schools at any time,” Senator Reid explained.

“This is another way of extending the libraries beyond brick and mortar structures and literally bringing the library from the schools. We are becoming more and more a digital society, using mobile phones, tablets and other devices to obtain information,” he added.

 

The Minister said that the digital libraries will improve efficiencies, reduce costs and complement the Government’s Tablets in Schools Programme.

 

“eLibrary is the way to go, and we are using technology to reduce the cost for the delivery of services. The world is changing rapidly and we have to adapt to it,” he said.

 

The Minister also thanked representative from La Sierra University, Patrina Jamieson, a Jamaican, who worked on taking the project from the university to Jamaica.

 

For her part, Ms. Jamieson said she decided to advocate for the eLibrary project to be taken to Jamaica, so that her team could make a positive contribution to the development of Jamaica’s youth.

 

“eLibrary is a global initiative to address Sustainable Goal #4 for quality education. The eLibrary uses, basically, micro compression technology to bring thousands of curated curriculum-based content to communities around the world,” she said.

 

Ms. Jamieson also noted that the eLibrary is being provided to the schools and students at no charge, and aims to reach youth who have problems with numeracy and literacy skills.

 

She is a former student of Tarrant High School in Kingston, which was recently part of a pilot stage of the project.

 

During his testimonial, Principal of Tarrant High School, Major Paul Hall, said the administrators have seen an improvement in students’ performance in the subject of Mathematics after using the software.

 

“The students are also more familiar with the sciences, and I can’t get them to leave the devices alone. Every day they want to explore the sciences. Our students now can learn research skills, which are very important, and what I love about this awesome device, is that without Internet, anywhere you are, you are able to access it through your phone,” he said.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (left); and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dean-Roy Bernard (right), display an eLibrary package from La Sierra University in the United States, during the launch on Tuesday (January 15), at The Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston. At centre is representative from La Sierra University, Patrina Johnson.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, speaks at the launch of the eLibrary Project, on Tuesday (January 15) at The Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston.

 

 

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth, and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, has noted the importance of the education sector to the development of the country.

 

He says that the nation’s teachers have a role to play in creating avenues for opportunities to help students self-actualise and develop their talents.

 

“Jamaica is looking towards the education system for the transformation of Jamaica. Even sometimes when parents would forsake you (students), our teachers are not going to forsake you (students) because outside of the home, our teachers are standing in lieu of your parents,” the Senator Reid stated.

 

He was addressing students and staff at the Grange Hill High school in Westmoreland during a visit to the institution on January 8.

 

Meanwhile, the Education Minister lauded the principal and academic staff of Grange Hill High for playing an active role in transforming the lives of the nation’s students.

 

He stated that students who enter through the gates of the institution have been performing admirably, adding that the framework being used by the institution is ensuring that no student gets left behind.

 

“I am very proud of the work being done here at Grange Hill. You are demonstrating to Jamaica what education is really about because education is about drawing out one’s potential; it’s about not giving up on anybody. That principal, is what I see you demonstrating,” Senator Reid said.

 

“You are fulfilling your mandate here at Grange Hill. You are taking all the students that we send you and others that need to get an education, and you are making sure that no one leaves before they achieve that destination of training and certification,” he added.

 

Senator Reid, along with top officials from Region Four, visited the Little London, Grange Hill and Petersfield High schools in Westmoreland, on January 8, where he met with teachers to discuss issues facing the institutions.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, addressing students and staff at Grange Hill High School in Westmoreland, during a visit to the institution on January 8.

 

JIS: Executive Director for the Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica (CCCJ), Dr. Donna Powell-Wilson, says this year’s CCCJ International Conference highlighted the fact that more research is being undertaken by community colleges.

 

“Most of the research [findings presented during] the conference came from [community college] faculties. This means that in the colleges, we are paying more attention to research, which is good,” she told JIS News following the three-day conference’s closing ceremony at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa in Montego Bay, St. James on Friday (January 11).

 

Dr. Powell-Wilson further stated that the CCCJ recognizes the importance of empowering the colleges’ support staff, noting this was a key focus area for discussions during the conference.

 

“We recognize that they are the first point of contact in our institutions and our students need to know that the support staff is there to aid them,” further she told JIS News.

 

Students were also integrally involved in the conference, and were the focal point of some of the sessions.

 

Several of them, along with community college staff, were presented with scholarships and awards during the opening ceremony.

 

Dr. Powell-Wilson pointed out that the Council has seen a sharp increase in the number of students applying for scholarships during the 2018/19 academic year, and anticipates further increases next year, based on developments at the conference.

 

“We really hope that the word will now be out in institutions and persons will be enthused to apply,” she said, adding that applicants must have a minimum 3.5 grade point average to qualify.

 

CAPTION: Executive Director for the Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica (CCCJ), Dr. Donna Powell-Wilson

JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information is finalizing development of the proposed National School Nutrition Policy.

 

Portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, said work to develop the Policy, which aims to promote healthy eating and physical activity in schools particularly among students, was initially slated for completion this month (January 2019).

 

“But we still have some fine-tuning [to do]. As such, we decided to roll out the restriction of sugary drinks before,” he said.

 

The Minister was speaking at a forum on ‘Sugars, Other Carbohydrates and Fats – Their Contribution to Obesity… and Effective Solutions’, at the Spanish Court Hotel, New Kingston, on January 11.

 

Senator Reid said the Policy seeks to improve the nutritional status of children and support their long-term physical and psychosocial development.

 

Additionally, he said it forms part of the Government’s broader approach to promoting healthy choices in and out of school for children and youth, by equipping them with the requisite knowledge and skills to make better decisions regarding diet and physical activity.

 

“It is only fitting that this is done, as our Ministry has direct contact with the children who will, in turn, become adults,” the Minister stated.

 

Meanwhile, Senator Reid said the National School Nutrition Standards, being developed by the Ministry of Health, will support implementation of the nutrition-related aspects of the Policy.

 

It will outline the recommended nutrient standards for meals; non-meal items, such as snacks; and beverages.

 

The Standards will, eventually, be incorporated into the existing National School Feeding Programme.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator Hon. Ruel Reid (left), and Executive Director of the Heart Foundation of Jamaica, Deborah Chen, peruse details on the label of a beverage bottle, during a forum on ‘Sugars, Other Carbohydrates and Fats – Their Contribution to Obesity… and Effective Solutions’, at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston on Jan. 11.

 

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, has allocated $13 million to assist with the completion of a classroom block at the Little London High School, in Westmoreland.

 

During a visit to the institution on Tuesday, January 8, Senator Reid said the new block will help to alleviate a shortage of space at the institution.

 

Construction on the new block, which will provide six new classrooms for students, began in August 2018 with funds raised by the institution.

 

The Minister told the teachers that the Government remains committed to creating a comfortable and safe teaching and learning environment for both teachers and students.

 

“While we are placing all our students now in secondary up to age 18, they are not always in a comfortable environment. We still need more classrooms in some instances, and more laboratory spaces to ensure that the school and the teaching and learning environment are adequate,” he said.

 

In the meantime, Senator Reid informed that the Ministry will be providing a metal detector for the institution as part of efforts to further boost safety and security at Little London High.

 

“I know that teenagers will bring weapons on the school campus. It is an unfortunate part of our culture, not only in Jamaica but across the world… and we need an efficient way to manage that. The Principal has asked us to have a walk-through scanner installed, and that has been approved, so we expect to have that installed as quickly as possible,” the Minister informed.

 

Grange Hill and Petersfield High schools in Westmoreland will also receive metal detectors.

 

Senator Reid also committed to providing additional equipment to support the technical and vocational programmes at the institutions.

 

“This is an area that we are passionate about because we don’t see it as a second cousin, it is where the world is going. We need to make sure that you have the necessary equipment and facility to develop the skills that our students require as they transition to the world of work,” the Minister said.

 

Senator Reid and top officials from Region Four of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, visited the Little London, Grange Hill and Petersfield High schools to meet with teachers to discuss issues facing the institutions.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (centre), with Principal of the Little London High School in Westmoreland, Garfield James (left); and Director of the Safety and Security Programme in the Ministry, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Coleridge Minto (right), during a visit to the school on January 8.

JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information is taking steps to fully fund the education of students up to 18 years old.

 

Portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says, once finalised, this will be implemented over a three-year period.

 

“So I am now trying to get us to this bold statement of zero to 18 public free-education strategy that gets all our students up to the minimum of having an associate degree that will be paid for by the State. That is the policy position that I am articulating,” he explained.

 

He was speaking at the annual conference of the Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica (CCCJ) at Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa in St. James on Wednesday (January 9).

 

“When I go to Cabinet on Monday (January 14), I will say to the Prime Minister, this is going to be our contribution. This is how were are going to revolutionise Jamaica to make sure that we have every one of our young people trained and certified at least to the minimum of an associate degree, facilitated through the collaboration of the Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica,” Senator Reid added.

 

The Education Minister informed that he will be meeting with representatives from the CCCJ to outline the feasibility of the public free-education strategy.

 

“I have said to Permanent Secretary (Dean-Roy Bernard), we are going to work with you (the CCCJ) to operationalise that; we are not going to put it on you this year. We are going to show you, mathematically, how it can be done on a phased basis over the next three years, because we have to write to the Ministry of Finance and give them a three-year notice to fully implement it,” he pointed out.

 

Senator Reid further noted that the Government is seeking to provide a better avenue for students whose parents are unable to fund their education, while pointing out the need to stem the issue of persons being employed without the required qualification and training.

 

He added that the education sector must be revolutionised to prepare students for a modernised job market.

 

“If we do not empower them (students) to align with the fourth industrial revolution, then they are going to have their own revolution. Every one of these young people, when they leave school and have no answer and have nowhere to go, becomes a liability to the State. Therefore, it makes sense for the State to… make sure that every one of these people is rescued,” Senator Reid emphasised.

 

The CCCJ conference, which ends on Friday, January 11, is being held under the theme ‘CCCJ: Forging Pathways for Future Empowerment’.

 

Several students and staff from community colleges across the island were presented with scholarships and awards at the opening ceremony of the conference.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (left), accepts a gift from Principal of the Trench Town Polytechnic College, Dr. Dosseth Edwards-Watson, following his keynote address at the annual conference of the Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica (CCCJ) held at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa in St James on January 9.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, has called on teachers to work with the Ministry to tackle the issue of indiscipline in schools.

 

Senator Reid, along with top officials from Region Four, visited the Little London, Grange Hill and Petersfield High schools in Westmoreland, on January 7, where he met with teachers to discuss issues facing the institutions.

 

The Minister told the teachers that he is aware of the social issues plaguing high schools in the parish, which he believes have spilled over from the community level.

 

“ Westmoreland and indeed Region Four have been having some challenges. When we did some checks over recent times, the report we got was that Region Four and Montego Bay have one of the highest rates of absenteeism from school,” he said.

 

In this regard, the Minister encouraged teachers to work with the Ministry and other stakeholders to develop strategies to tackle behavioural challenges among students and provide the requisite interventions to reform problem students.

 

Senator Reid said that while indiscipline must not be condoned, the teachers should not turn their backs on students with behavioural challenges but instead work to manage and alter the behaviour of those students.

 

“Through salvation and education, I believe we can transform the lives of every one of our young people. We are not going to tolerate their indiscipline or misbehaviour, but we are not going to give up on any one of them. Where the Ministry needs to intervene and where we have to allow them to go elsewhere to be rehabilitated, fine. It’s not that we are giving up on them, but school must go on,” the Minister emphasised.

 

In the meantime, Senator Reid informed educators at the Little London High School that the Ministry will be equipping the school with additional guidance counsellors to help curb the behaviour of difficult students.

 

He also assured the principal and staff at each institution that the Ministry will continue to give support and direction to the schools, as they work to carry out the mandate of the Ministry.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid

JIS: The Alternative Pathways to Secondary Education programme – a seven-year period (Grades 7-13) of instruction for students on all secondary pathways – has been fully implemented.

 

This was disclosed by Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, in his national back-to-school broadcast on January 6.

 

Under this programme, instruction will be based on tailored curricula, enabling each learner to perform to his/her fullest potential, based on aptitude, interest and ability.

 

“The Ministry effected an additional two years in our secondary-school system to provide students with skills and competencies required for work. This has been made possible under the framework of the Career Advancement Programme (CAP), which has been introduced in 202 institutions, so far, and is working well for our young people,” Senator Reid said.

 

The Education Minister also informed that the integration of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in the education system continues, noting that over $100 million was provided to schools to upgrade science areas.

 

In addition, Senator Reid said the Centre of Occupational Studies now has enrolled more than 1,000 students. The first graduation of over 400 students took place in November of last year.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid.

JIS: The Government has provided subsidies for secondary-level students sitting exit examinations in 2019.

 

Full subsidy payment is being made for up to eight subjects for students on the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) and wards of the State who are eligible to receive the support.

 

This was disclosed by Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, in his national back-to-school broadcast on January 6.

 

“Full subsidy means the Government will cover the cost of all fees associated with the examination, which include entry fee, subject fees, practical fees, fees for orals and all other fees related to the subject,” Senator Reid said.

 

The Minister also informed that the Ministry has committed 1,140 scholarships between 2018 and 2020 to support the training of 135 mathematics teachers, 150 physics and chemistry teachers, 120 technical and vocational education teachers and 650 engineers.

 

“Over $300 million is being utilised to support students at tertiary institutions for this financial year,” he noted.

 

In addition, Senator Reid said the Ministry has successfully completed the implementation of the National Standards Curriculum, including providing assistance totalling $77 million for the execution of the curriculum in primary schools.

 

The National Standards Curriculum aims to enhance the quality of education offered to learners and improve the general academic performance, attitude and behaviour of students, which will redound to the positive shaping of the national social and economic fabric.

 

Under the new system, emphasis is being placed on project-based and problem-solving learning, with science, technology, engineering and mathematics/science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEM/STEAM) integrated at all levels.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid.