JIS: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, says the results of the Grade 5 pilot Performance Task test, have provided a baseline of where students are in terms of the higher-order skills essential for secondary school and for the necessary corrective interventions to be undertaken .

 

“We have sent individual profiles to every single teacher in the classroom. They can now take that profile, work with that student and raise the higher-order skills. The reality is that they would be better off than if we just turned a blind eye to it,” he said.

 

Mr. Green was responding to questions posed by Member of Parliament for Central Kingston, Rev. Ronald Thwaites, regarding the Primary Exit Profile (PEP), in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (November 20).

 

He noted that the mock test, which was administered in June 2018, assessed students’ ability to strategically think and to do extended thinking.

 

“The pilot Performance Task only represents 20 per cent of the total evaluation of the overall examination and cannot be used to determine the students’ overall performance,” Mr. Green said.

 

A total of 37,539 students sat the mock test. The results showed that 12,003 achieved mastery in Language Arts and 22,759 nearly met the standard. In Mathematics, 1,379 students met the standard, while 17,568 nearly met the standard. Additionally, 585 students met the standard in Science and 14,126 nearly met the standard. In Social Studies, 2,861 met the standard while 19,464 nearly met the standard.

 

Mr. Green told the Lower House that, overall, the results corroborate with the marks at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) level in these subject areas where the students’ level of comprehension and application, in the sciences especially, is generally weak.

 

He noted that measures are being put in place to provide additional support to teachers and students.

 

A PEP website and application (app) have been developed, which provide easily accessible information for students, parents and teachers. The website and app will allow for publishers to promote their materials and also for teachers and parents to provide feedback to the Ministry.

 

It includes the National Standards Curriculum (NSC), of which PEP is a component, and other related material, including sample items and links to other educational services. These have been available to the public as at October 5, 2018.

 

CAPTION: State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, addresses the House of Representatives on Tuesday (November 20).

JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information has been working with the Ministry of Health to develop standards for schools, to encourage healthy eating.

 

Speaking in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (November 20), State Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, said this has caused the Ministry to do a comprehensive review of the items that it provides to the school system.

 

He informed that a halt was placed on the provision of bullas and muffins in schools, as both were identified as two of the items that have significantly high sugar content.

 

Mr. Green noted that Nutrition Products Limited (NPL) was requested to explore whether the present provisions could be reformulated into healthier options, especially in the case of items that have become almost synonymous with the school-feeding programme.

 

“In the case of bullas, there has been a new formula that has been put together, and as such, that has cut the sugar content by 10 per cent, bringing it more in alignment with the Ministry of Health requirements. With that reformulation, we have started the redistribution of bullas into our school system as snacks,” he pointed out.

 

The State Minister said NPL is now working on a reformulated cheese bread option, to be rolled out in schools, fortified with the necessary protein and calcium for added nutritional value.

 

“We will continue to work with NPL and the Ministry of Health to ensure that we provide more healthy options to our students,” Mr. Green said.

 

CAPTION: State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, addresses the House of Representatives on Tuesday (November 20).

JIS: State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, says a Joint Select Committee of Parliament is considering harsher penalties for persons who commit crimes against children.

 

“Through the Joint Select Committee of Parliament, we’re moving to ensure that we send a very clear signal to the country and to those who will want to perpetrate crimes against our children, that it will not be tolerated, and as such, we will be bringing in place harsher penalties for crimes against our children,” he said.

 

The State Minister was speaking at the Child Protection and Family Services Agency’s (CPFSA) 12th annual Candlelight Vigil and Concert at Emancipation Park on November 19.

 

“The Joint Select Committee is in its final meeting and, already, I think we have agreed to recommend to Parliament that there should be a special change in our law to indicate that where the crime is committed against vulnerable groups, which include our children and the elderly, there will be the harshest penalties possible,” he said.

 

Mr. Green said the Government will continue to play its role in protecting vulnerable children.

 

“The Government clearly has a role to play, and we have been using our systems to see how we can remove the bureaucracy from our child protection system. We have merged the Child Development Agency and the Office of the Children’s Registry to form the Child Protection and Family Services Agency, and in so doing, we expanded the mandate of what used to be the Child Development Agency, to look more at proactive intervention,” he pointed out.

 

Mr. Green said they will be strengthening the parenting arm of the Child Protection and Family Services Agency by bringing on board the National Parenting Support Commission.

 

“We want to form what we will call a Super Child Protection Agency that not only looks at intervening when a child has been abused, but proactively looks at parenting sessions, parenting mentors, working with our parents to reduce the amount of abuse,” he added.

 

Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer, CPFSA, Mrs. Rosalee Gage-Grey, informed that a report on child mortality by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality states that an estimated 6.3 million children aged 15 years and under died in 2017. Child mortality is due to violence, health-related issues, motor-vehicle accidents and other factors.

 

She also noted that statistics from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) show that a total of 70 children died under violent and tragic circumstances for the period October 2017 to October 2018.

 

This year’s vigil was staged under the theme ‘Every Child Deserves Protection’, in commemoration of World Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse.

 

Highlights of the evening included the ceremonial lighting of a candle in Emancipation Park, and children pinning the names of other children who were killed from across Jamaica on a large mounted map of the country.

 

CAPTION: Singer, Early Break Band, Rochelle Phillips (left), performing at the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) 12th annual Candlelight Vigil and Concert in Emancipation Park on Monday (November 19). Enjoying the performance (from second left) are State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green; Chief Executive Officer, CPFSA, Mrs. Rosalee Gage-Grey and Opposition Spokesman on Youth, Damion Crawford.

JIS: State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, has charged the incoming executive members of the National Secondary Students’ Council (NSSC) to be positive agents of change.

 

He challenged the student leaders to find creative and effective solutions to the issues that their peers face, particularly that of bullying.

 

He noted that the Ministry will shortly be rolling out an anti-bullying campaign to combat the increased incidence of cyber and other forms of bullying among students.

 

The State Minister was addressing the ceremony for the installation of 21 student leaders to the regional and national executive of the NSSC for academic year 2018/2019, at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Regional Headquarters, Mona Campus, on Tuesday (November 20).

 

Mr. Green, in commending the work of the past executive, said “there has been significant improvement in the number of student councils that are active across our schools”.

 

“This body really helps to shape policy to create a better Jamaica. I am a believer in how important the NSSC is, because I have found where you have well-functioning councils you have better schools,” he noted.

 

“You must never feel that this position is just for show or that you talk and we may not listen… . We take what you are saying very seriously, and so we want you to give serious thought in whatever you are going to say. We continue to look for that sort of collaboration. You are our eyes and ears on the ground, so that we can improve upon and fix what is not going right,” he added.

 

The NSSC is the umbrella organisation for all student councils in Jamaica. It aims to give students the opportunity to voice their opinions on matters that affect them.

 

The NSSC represents more than 160 secondary schools and over 300,000 students, advocating on their behalf and providing representation in the decision-making process of schools.

 

Meanwhile, the NSSC will be hosting a fundraising event aimed at raising $1.5 million to support its activities as well as contribute to the renovation of the Lister Mair Gilby School for the Deaf in St. Andrew.

 

The event is to be held on November 29 at the Ardenne High School in Kingston at 3:00 p.m. For more information, call (876) 618-5116 or email [email protected].

 

CAPTION: State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green (second left) and Director of Regional Educational Services in the Ministry, Captain Dr. Kasan Troupe (left), engage with the newly installed executive of the National Secondary Students’ Council (NSSC). They are (from third left): President, Fabian Morris; Treasurer, Aaliyah Campbell; General Secretary, Fabrizio Darby; and Public Relations Officer, Sandrene Campbell. Occasion was the installation ceremony for the NSSC’s regional and national executive held on Tuesday (November 20), at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Regional Headquarters, St. Andrew.

JIS: State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, has reiterated his appeal for Jamaicans to report cases of child abuse.

 

“The anti-informer culture needs to end,” he said, noting that the lives of vulnerable children are at stake.

 

“I want to encourage more of us to speak when we know that a child is being abused. That’s the first step to really end child abuse and to ensure that every child gets protection. We have to speak up, and quite frankly, too many of us are still remaining silent.

 

“You know of the vicious crimes that we have been faced with very recently involving our children. It’s even more difficult when you see the reluctance among members of communities to speak what they know, to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice,” he lamented.

 

“Talk about children being abused. [We need] more people, who are willing to not put up with the neighbour who you know is abusing a child… . That is what we have to treat with, if we really believe that every child deserves protection,” he added.

 

The State Minister was speaking at the Child Protection and Family Services Agency’s (CPFSA) 12th annual Candlelight Vigil and Concert at Emancipation Park on Monday (November 19). The event was held to focus national attention on the issue of child abuse and the importance of protecting the nation’s children.

 

The CPFSA’s Chief Executive Officer, Rosalee Gage-Grey, said children have a special place in the society and need the care and protection of citizens.

 

She cited statistics from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), which show that 70 children died under violent and tragic circumstances for the period October 2017 to October 2018. These include 50 males and 20 females, aged two to 17 years.

 

“The loss of these 70 children is a loss of 70 opportunities to build a better Jamaica; 70 less graduates from our prestigious universities and 70 hopes lost,” Mrs. Gage-Grey said.

 

On November 19 each year, the CPFSA joins countries around the world in observing World Day for the Prevention of Child Abuse by staging a candlelight vigil and concert.

 

This year’s event, under the theme ‘Every Child Deserves Protection’, included the ceremonial lighting of a candle and pinning the names of every child killed across the island over the 12 months on a large map of Jamaica mounted at the venue.

 

CAPTION: State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green (right) and children watch as Chief Executive Officer, Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), Rosalee Gage-Grey (left), lights a candle in honour of children, who died under tragic circumstances over the last 12 months. Occasion was the CPFSA’s 12th annual Candlelight Vigil and Concert in Emancipation Park, St. Andrew on Monday (November 19).

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says that all basic schools must become certified with the Early Childhood Commission (EEC).

 

This, he noted, is in keeping with the Government’s commitment to improve the quality of early-childhood education “giving our babies every opportunity to be properly nurtured and to have highly trained teachers at their disposal”.

 

“We are not knocking the basic schools and the wonderful persons who have played their part in keeping them going for all these years. What we are saying, though, is that in order to get government assistance, they have to become fully certified and meet all the basic requirements,” he told JIS News in a recent interview.

 

He said that the work has already begun, noting that at the end of 2017, more than 100 institutions had met the 12 operational standards of the ECC. Only 34 of the island’s 2,700 basic schools were certified up to 2015.

 

The 12 Standards for the Operation, Management and Administration of Early Childhood Institutions relate to nutrition; staffing; development and educational programmes; interactions and relationships with children; physical environment; indoor and outdoor equipment; health; safety; child rights, child protection and equality; parent and stakeholder participation; administration and finance.

 

“We will continue the work to ensure that more of our basic schools achieve the set standards,” Senator Reid assured.

 

The Education Minister, in the meantime, argued that as more Jamaicans develop an appreciation for children having a solid early-childhood foundation “the better our society” will be.

 

“We have to continue working together to help our young children in developing good study habits, moral values, self-discipline, and the basic learning skills… literacy, numeracy, and thinking skills,” he pointed out.

 

He noted that the Ministry “has been outlining a K-13 strategy, which emphasises the importance of early stimulation in the life of children and continuing on through the various stages of the formal education system”.

 

The policy for the birth to 18-year-old population is as follows: age three months to three plus years – early-intervention/stimulation, pre-education and development; age three years and eight months to five years – early childhood; age six to 12 years – primary education; and age 13 to 18 – seven years of secondary schooling.

 

Meanwhile, Senator Reid told JIS News that 17 basic schools will be converted into 56 infant departments, with nine of them to be transformed during this school year at a cost of $389.3 million.

 

“The ECC is currently assessing another 1,500 basic schools with a view to converting at least 50 per cent to infant schools and departments for the next financial year,” he noted.

 

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

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, takes a selfie with (from left) United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Education Specialist, Rebecca Tortello, Principal of The Queen’s School, Jennifer Williams, and students. The occasion was the observance of The World’s Largest Lesson on Wednesday (November 14) at the school’s Constant Spring Road address in Kingston. The Minister made a special presentation to the students as part of the activities to observe the day. The World’s Largest Lesson is part of a global effort to promote the Global Goals for Sustainable Development. These goals are designed to tackle a range of development challenges and keep the planet fair, healthy and sustainable.

JIS: The Government will be assisting with the funeral expenses of the three John Rollins Success Primary School students who were killed in a motor-vehicle accident along the Rose Hall Main Road in St. James on Tuesday (November 13).

 

The three students, six-year-old Latisha Williams and sisters eight-year-old Tiara and 10-year-old Tianna Thompson, as well as the driver of the vehicle in which they were travelling, died in the tragic crash, which happened a few metres away from the school.

 

Two other students of the institution, who were in the vehicle, remain hospitalised.

 

Speaking with journalists following a visit to the school on Thursday (November 15), Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon Ruel Reid, said the Government will ensure that the necessary assistance is given to the families of the deceased students.

 

“The Ministry will be partnering with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, and other stakeholders, I am sure, will join in. I will make sure that whatever the needs are, a mechanism will be found to offer support,” he said.

 

Senator Reid and a contingent from the Ministry visited the school to offer comfort and support to the students and staff at the institution.

 

He met with Principal, Yvonne Miller Wisdom, who expressed that the students and staff have been deeply saddened by the tragic loss of the three students.

 

The Minister also visited the classroom of each of the students killed in the accident, where he offered words of condolence and comfort to the students and teachers.

 

“I am just here to say, first of all, how sorry I am that one of your friends is no longer here with us, and I just want to say how sorry we are, on behalf of the Government.

 

“I pray that those who are still in hospital will be restored to full health. I just pray, overall, that all our children will keep safe at school, safe in travelling to and from school, and safe at home. You are our precious little ones, the future of Jamaica and the world,” the Minister told students and the teacher of Latisha’s grade-one class.

 

Grade-three teacher, Pelechia Reynolds-Vernon broke down in tears, as she informed Senator Reid of Tiara’s fondness of him.

 

The Minister, who was moved with emotion, embraced Mrs. Vernon as she struggled to share the information with him.

 

The empty desks, which once belonged to the deceased students, were adorned with flowers and tributes inscribed on paper.

 

Meanwhile, in an interview with JIS News, Mrs. Miller Wisdom expressed gratitude to Senator Reid for visiting the institution to offer condolences to the students and staff.

 

She said that the school has been receiving “tremendous support” from a number of stakeholders, including Custos Rotulorum of St. James, Bishop Conrod Pitkin, the church, and the Peace Management Initiative (PMI).

 

“I am impressed with the overwhelming support of the stakeholders. Representatives from the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) region four was here as well, different church groups, the (Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA)… . I cannot express how grateful I am to all the stakeholders,” Mrs. Miller Wisdom expressed.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator, the Hon Ruel Reid, offers words of comfort to students of the John Rollins Success Primary in St. James during a visit to the school on Thursday (November 15) to offer support to the students and staff following the tragic loss of three students of the institution in a motor vehicle crash on Tuesday (November 13).

JIS: Three youth groups across the island will receive funding for the renovation of three basic schools under the Volunteer Project Competition.

 

The 2018 staging of the competition, part of activities to mark Youth Month, was officially launched on Tuesday (November 13), on the grounds of Jamaica House Basic School in St. Andrew.

 

It involves the joint collaboration of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Early Childhood Commission (ECC) and HEART Trust/NTA.

 

The competition is open to all youth groups across the island, which are required to submit a two-minute video proposal highlighting an early-childhood institution that is in need of refurbishing and repairs. Videos can be submitted via email to [email protected].

 

Submissions opened on November 8 and close on November 23. The works on the three schools selected will be undertaken on November 30.

 

Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Hon. Floyd Green, in his remarks at the launch, said that the project aims to promote a culture of volunteerism among young people.

 

“It is the epitome of what we want to do for Youth Month and the messages that we want to send. We are clear and sure that the competition will help us throughout Jamaica to get our young people to do better, get our communities to do better and our country to do better,” he noted.

 

He said the undertaking represents an investment in early childhood education. “It is tremendous, and we recognise that one of the things that is clear across Jamaica [and] across our education system, [is that] no level has a greater uptake than our early-childhood system. We have basically 100 per cent enrolment of our children in early-childhood institutions,” he pointed out.

 

ECC Chairman, Tricia Williams Singh, for her part, noted that the project will assist the basic schools selected in achieving the standards required for certification from the entity.

 

“The outcome of the children will improve, and that is substance,” she noted.

 

She called on youth groups to volunteer their services outside of the competition, to assist basic schools.

 

“I’m asking Jamaicans, I am asking more young people, select more schools. When you go into these institutions and you help to bring about the change… what do you think happens? [There will be a] better Jamaica and better communities,” she said.

 

CAPTION: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green (left), greets Chairman, Early Childhood Commission, Tricia Williams Singh, during the launch of the Volunteer Project Competition on the grounds of Jamaica House Basic School on Tuesday (November 13).

JIS: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, has hailed Northern Caribbean University’s (NCU) Restoring Every Student’s Confidence Using Education (RESCUE) programme as something worthy of emulation throughout the entire sector.

 

He was delivering the main address at NCU’s Alumni Homecoming Fundraising Banquet, held at Golf View Hotel in Mandeville, Manchester, on November 11.

 

“From a Christian perspective, if we know and appreciate that education is so important and the poor cannot afford it, to the extent that God has prospered us, we should give to those who can’t afford it,” Senator Reid said.

 

Close to US$80,000.00 was pledged by members of the alumni association during the banquet for the RESCUE programme, which targets students who have the desire to get a university education but lack the financial resources to do so.

 

Senator Reid said that NCU’s programme to ‘RESCUE’ students is commendable, adding that educators want to impact the lives of everyone.

 

“From a spiritual point of view, the Lord has said to us, those whom he has prospered are to give of what they have to others, so they can be developed to become wholesome and productive citizens,” the Minister said.

 

Senator Reid said that for many years, on average, only 30 per cent of the population was able to get beyond all-age school, and that between 55 and 67 per cent of the current workforce of 1.3 million do not have the equivalent of secondary certification or higher, largely because they did not get to complete their education.

 

“The economy has changed, so there has to be a correspondent shift in how the workforce is prepared, and the Christian community has to understand that reality also. For the economy to function effectively, we need more trained and certified individuals,” the Minister said.

 

Senator Reid said the church has a part to play because if many of the persons waiting to be educated are allowed to fall through the cracks, they will become uneducated and unskilled people who will turn to crime.

 

“As a Christian community, if we can’t solve the social problems, nobody else can,” the Minister said.

 

Meanwhile, President of NCU, Dr. Lincoln Edwards, said the university wants to keep the RESCUE agenda uppermost in everyone’s mind, through a three-year campaign aimed at raising funds for scholarships for needy students, and to construct a well-needed dental hygiene and community outreach centre to treat the needs of the region and to finance special NCU initiatives in at-risk communities.

 

He said another critical element of the RESCUE initiative is to help reduce crime and violence in Jamaica, as the more students that are enrolled at NCU, the less will be available to be influenced by criminal elements.

 

CAPTION: “From a Christian perspective, if we know and appreciate that education is so important and the poor cannot afford it, to the extent that God has prospered us, we should give to those who can’t afford it,” Senator Reid said.