JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information will be providing approximately 300 tablet computers to teachers in primary schools as part of efforts to assist them with lesson plan preparations.

 

This was disclosed by Chief Education Officer, Dr. Grace McLean, who indicated that the teachers will soon be able to go online and download a whole series of lesson plans.

 

Additionally, she said they will be able to submit these plans to principals and administrators electronically.

 

“Integration training will be held for teachers, and integration specialists will be provided to assist you to use a lesson plan template on a tablet,” the Chief Education Officer further stated.

 

Dr. Mclean was speaking at the Ministry’s Region Five Parent Sensitisation Session at Bishop Gibson High School in Mandeville, Manchester, on Tuesday (October 23), which was addressed by Portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid.

 

Meanwhile, Senator Reid reiterated plans by the Ministry to push back the date for the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) performance task to March 2019, in response to concerns regarding teacher and student readiness for its roll-out.

 

Additionally, he said test items have been adjusted, and a committee comprising teachers from all regions established to review those concerns.

 

“The items that will be used for the curriculum-based test would be subject to review by those representatives. I don’t expect there to be any items in the [system] that we all don’t feel are fair, valid or that will test students outside their depth of knowledge,” Senator Reid stated.

 

In the meantime, the Minister urged educators and other key stakeholders to ensure they devote adequate time to the development of students deemed slow learners, particularly youngsters with special needs.

 

He said it is imperative that the education system cater to children with “classic special needs” in a manner that ensures they are afforded opportunities to fully realise their potential.

 

Senator Reid said children with cognitive challenges are not all likely to function at similar levels or even attain certain achievements at the same age or timeline as their colleagues who do not have these issues.

 

He emphasised that in such cases, the solution cannot and should not be to deprive them of quality time in school, but rather to increase it.

 

The Minister also underscored the need for parents, teachers and other stakeholders to understand the importance of the early stimulation of children during the first 1,000 days of their lives.

 

“Early identification and intervention of developmental challenges are key. We need to find opportunities [to provide interventions, as obtains at] the Mico Care Centre… in all regions, to offer universal access to special care,” the Minister stated.

 

Dr. McLean encouraged teachers to capitalise on the “natural tendencies” of Jamaican children to perform, by using aspects of local culture, such as drama and music, to enhance their lessons.

 

CAPTION: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (second right), converses with Assistant Chief Education Officer, Dasmine Kennedy (left), and Regional Director, Dr. Nadine Leachman (second left), during the Ministry’s Region Five Parent Sensitisation Session at Bishop Gibson High School in Mandeville, Manchester, on Tuesday (October 23). Also listening is Chief Education Officer, Dr. Grace McLean.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says a Jamaican diaspora organisation in the United States is to donate more than 10,000 information and communications and technology (ICT) devices to the education sector.

 

The items will include computer servers, laptops and desktop computers, the Minister noted.

 

Senator Reid was speaking to JIS News at the opening of a new classroom for grade one at the Mona Heights Primary School in Kingston on Thursday (October 25).

 

The Minister pointed out that the offer was made when he attended the Enactus World Cup 2018, held from October 9 to 11 in Silicon Valley, California, in the United States.

 

Senator Reid said following talks with representatives of the organisation, the California-based non-profit organisation will donate an estimated 10,000 computer items annually.

 

“We are hoping that by June, if not before, we can get all those devices and have them distributed across our schools,” the Minister said.

 

Senator Reid pointed out that the additional equipment will help to address the challenges in technical subject areas such as mathematics and science.

 

“We have to get our students and teachers to recognise that the Internet is a tremendous asset in terms of teaching and learning, but we have to provide the equipment,” he said.

 

The Minister said the collaboration is timely, as the Ministry is encouraging more computer-aided teaching in the classroom.

 

“We will make sure that we provide support in terms of Internet connectivity or offline solutions by having information backed up on servers, so that this can be used.

 

We have to prepare our schools and students for the imperatives of the future, and we are very happy for this contribution from the diaspora,” he added.

 

He also noted that the United Kingdom-based diaspora charity, Angel Foundation, has indicated an interest in supporting the Ministry’s ICT thrust.

 

The new classroom was constructed, furnished and outfitted with a state-of-the-art multimedia projector, flat-screen television and a reading corner, at a cost of $3.5 million provided through the school’s fundraising activities and stakeholder contribution.

 

In 2017, the Ministry provided $4 million to construct bathroom facilities for the grade-one block.

 

Also attending the ceremony were Member of Parliament for St. Andrew Eastern and Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Fayval Williams; and Councillor for the Mona Division, Andrew Bellamy.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (right), assists a grade-one Mona Heights Primary School student with her lesson. The Minister was taking part in the opening of a new grade-one classroom at the school’s Aralia Drive address in Kingston on Thursday (October 25).

JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information is accepting nominations for its 2019 Mathematics Teacher of the Year Competition.

 

The annual competition is open to mathematics teachers who have consistently applied best practices effectively in the classroom.

 

National Mathematics Coordinator at the Ministry, Dr. Tamika Benjamin, told JIS News that the competition forms part of the Ministry’s ongoing National Mathematics Prorgramme campaign.

 

The competition was first introduced in 2013 to highlight best practices in the teaching of the subject at the primary and secondary levels of the education system and to also recognise teachers who were being effective in terms of their approach to teaching mathematics, Dr. Benjamin said.

 

She noted that there has been a noticeable increase in the interest shown in the competition over the years, and the Ministry is committed to maintaining the standard that is set. Therefore, if during a competition year nominees do not meet the standard, there will be no award, she added.

 

To qualify for nomination, the teacher must be an excellent educator and the consummate professional who will be assessed based on his or her approach in the classroom and the extent to which students are engaged.

 

Nominees will also be assessed on their ability to be consistently drafting lesson plans throughout the year and submitting them on a timely manner.

 

“We evaluate content knowledge to see if the teachers understand not only the methodology but the rationale and the philosophy behind it. This is a robust assessment of the teachers, from their professionalism to their practice,” Dr. Benjamin said.

 

Therefore, principals, teachers, education officers, parents and members of the National Mathematics Team are encouraged to nominate mathematics teachers who display the required attributes and are making a difference in their students’ learning.

 

The nominees will have an opportunity to vie for the coveted Mathematics Teacher of the Year trophy, an all-expense-paid trip to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) National Conference in San Diego, California, USA; an Apple iPad and two years’ NCTM membership.

 

Nomination forms are available on the Ministry’s website at: moe.gov.jm or at the six Regional offices. Nominations close on Saturday, November 10, 2018.

 

CAPTION: National Mathematics Coordinator at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dr. Tamika Benjamin.

JIS: The Jamaica Combined Cadet Force (JCCF) is aiming to tackle crime by engaging the nation’s youth and diverting them from becoming involved in illicit activities.

 

Addressing a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank at the agency’s head office in Kingston, JCCF Adjutant Training Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Simoan Foster, said the organisation is keen on deterring youth from a life of crime.

 

“The JCCF is able to transform children of deviant behaviour. We can’t fix all the problems… but we are willing to try. We are not giving up on anyone – good, bad or indifferent – and we are here to help boys and girls,” shared Lieutenant Colonel Foster.

 

In the 92 cadet units islandwide, students receive training in leadership, first aid, the use of maps and compasses, field craft and military knowledge along with other educational skills.

 

JCCF Commandant, Colonel Errol Johnson, who also spoke at the Think Tank, expressed confidence that the organisation can transform delinquent youth because the activities coordinated by the uniformed group instil core values that result in them becoming productive and well-rounded citizens.

 

“Our programme will find work for those idle hands. This will have a positive impact on them as they will be going on an expedition, going on the range and going on a ceremonial parade,” he said.

 

Colonel Johnson added that as a part of their 75th anniversary, being celebrated from November 2018 to November 2019, the organisation will be targeting unattached youth by creating replicas of the Independent Cadet Unit, an infantry arm of the JCCF comprising students from different schools.

 

“What we are looking at is establishing these independent units throughout the country that will attract these youngsters who have dropped out of school, to bring them into a learning environment. By reshaping their minds, we will be able to get them back into the formal education system and, by so doing, I think the parents will be more comfortable knowing that their [children are] now in a diverted situation,” he said.

 

CAPTION: Jamaica Combined Cadet Force Adjutant Training Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Simoan Foster, addressing a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank on October 24.

JIS: State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, says the Government is working to remove the bureaucracy that hinders the country from effectively reaching children who are in need of care and protection.

 

“As a Government, we are committed to act strategically in the best interest of our children, because we want to ensure that the most vulnerable amongst us are effectively protected,” Mr. Green said.

 

He was addressing a Caribbean Meeting on International Child Protection, which was held recently at the Courtyard by Marriott in Kingston.

 

Representatives from more than 24 jurisdictions, including the Caribbean, North America, Europe and Asia Pacific representing UNICEF, Reunite International Child Abduction Centre and the International Hague Network of Judges, converged to discuss the operations and implementation of the Hague Child Protection Conventions.

 

The meeting was hosted jointly by Jamaica’s Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) and The Hague Convention on Private International Law.

 

During the two-day conference, the participants had the opportunity to discuss the Child Abduction Convention, the Intercountry Adoption Convention, the 1996 International Child Protection Convention and the 2007 Child Support Convention, all part of the Hague Conventions.

 

The State Minister said that in relation to The Hague Conventions, Jamaica passed legislation in 2017 to accede to the Convention; and in 2016 became a member of the United Nations (UN) Global Pathfinder Country.

 

For her part, Chief Executive Officer at the CPFSA, Rosalee Gage-Grey, said that the agency has made strides through a multi-agency approach to protect children within Jamaica’s borders, with support from the Ministries of Education, Youth and Information; Justice; and National Security.

 

She noted that the first stakeholder information session on a National Plan of Action for an integrated Response to Children and Violence was held recently, in response to the spate of violence being meted out against children.

 

She lauded the work of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, and said that the CPFSA remains committed to forming collaborative partnerships, both locally and globally, to empower and support children and families as part of nation building.

 

CAPTION: State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green

JIS: The Government is taking steps to ensure that all students are given equal opportunities to excel, including those with special needs.

 

This entails putting measures in place to accommodate students with physical and other challenges, especially during the sitting of examinations.

 

Director of Regional Educational Services, Region One, Dr. Kasan Troupe, said the education system has been remodeled “to ensure and enable students to stand out… and to be on the cutting edge”.

 

Dr. Troupe, who represented Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, was speaking at the launch of the 2018 Student Motivational and Empowerment Programme, at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston on Wednesday (October 24).

 

“For grades 10 and 11 students (who are sitting exams), if they are so challenged… the Ministry of Education has put the facilities in place that (they) can get a prompter. We can negotiate with the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) that you can get extra time to write your exam. If you are in our schools and you can’t move about physically, we will provide you with a ‘shadow’ – all at the cost of the Ministry of Education,” she said.

 

She further noted that for parents who are unable to afford the required assessment for their child, the Education Ministry has equipped the regional office with a special needs assessment team, to ensure “that you can benefit from free assessment to make sure that we will place (the child) in the appropriate setting, so no child should be left behind”.

 

“We have ensured that our primary schools are better funded, so the grants that we give our primary schools have been increased by 169 per cent; (and) we have also reduced the teacher-to-pupil ratio, so you have more teachers in the primary schools to support the teaching and learning experience,” she added.

 

Dr. Troupe also noted that primary schools are benefiting from the support of numeracy and literacy coaches to make sure that all the challenges will be addressed before students advance to the secondary level.

 

She said that students are now guaranteed seven years in high schools, “so that if you are not able to excel at grade 11 at the exams, we are putting the systems in place now so that you can (successfully continue your education)”.

 

In the meantime, Dr. Troupe welcomed the Student Motivational and Empowerment Programme, noting that it should be replicated in schools beyond Kingston and St. Andrew, so that more students across the island can benefit.

 

Now in its second year, the programme is an initiative of the Kingston and St. Andrew Development and Homecoming Foundation, which seeks to motivate and empower high-school students in pursuing peace, excellence, discipline, ethical conduct, responsible leadership and developing a commitment to the principles and responsibilities of becoming good and productive citizens of Jamaica.

 

The programme, which will run from October 22 to November 23, is being implemented in association with the Education Ministry.

 

Chairman of the Foundation, Steadman Fuller, said the programme aims to give students the opportunity to engage with outstanding citizens who have achieved in their chosen field and are making invaluable contributions to Jamaica’s development.

 

“We have selected 40 outstanding citizens who we believe have a responsibility and a duty to share their experiences with our young people and create role models that would assist them to understand the importance of getting a good education and how to use that education for their own economic and social development and, most importantly, the development of Jamaica,” he said.

 

Heading the list of persons scheduled to speak is Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, who is expected to address the Penwood High School.

 

Other speakers will include former Prime Ministers, Bruce Golding, the Most Hon. P.J. Patterson, and the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller; Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange; Political Ombudsman, Donna Parchment Brown; Professor of Communications Policy and Digital Media, University of the West Indies, Mona, Hopeton Dunn; Member of Parliament for Western St. Andrew, Anthony Hylton; President of the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU), Professor Fritz Pinnock; Commissioner of Police, Major General Antony Anderson; Founder and Executive Chairman, Agency for Inner-city renewal (AIR), Dr. Henley Morgan; Dr. Troupe and Mr. Fuller

 

Established in 2016, the Kingston and St. Andrew Development and Homecoming Foundation is charged with mobilising and channelling resources to help improve the quality of life of citizens in the Corporate Area.

 

CAPTION: Director of Regional Educational Services, Region One, Dr. Kasan Troupe (right); and Founder and Executive Chairman, Agency for Inner-city renewal (AIR), Dr. Henley Morgan (second right), speak with students of the Alpha High School for Girls. They are (from left), Nia Wright, Tahira Chin and Aafiyah Walker. Occasion was the launch of the 2018 Student Motivational and Empowerment Programme, at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston on Wednesday (October 24). Dr. Morgan was guest speaker at the event.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, has highlighted the importance of access to proper nutrition and medical care for expectant mothers in ensuring the healthy development of children.

 

He informed that officials from the Ministries of Education, and Labour and Social Security have been engaged in dialogue aimed at providing nutritional support for pregnant women.

 

“We have to support those mothers, who themselves need good nutrition. We have to ensure that once you get pregnant you have to get certain medicinal services,” he said. He was speaking at the opening of the Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College Diagnostic and Early Intervention Centre in Granville, St. James, on October 23.

 

Minister Reid cited Cuba as a good example of a country that has made the link between the need to give support to pregnant mothers, so as to increase the chances of having healthy babies.

 

“Cuba has done that very well. There, every parent gets good support from the State… to ensure that they get good nutritional support, so that, on average, children are born healthy,” he pointed out.

 

Senator Reid hailed the opening of the diagnostic and early-intervention centre, noting that it will provide early detection and treatment for children with special needs.

 

Mr. Reid cited a 2004 report, which showed that as high as 24 per cent of Jamaican children had serious intellectual and cognitive deficiencies.

 

“There is also a study that shows that one in every 42 of our boys is autistic… and one in every 167 of our girls is autistic… between mild and severe,” he noted.

 

The Minister further hailed the country’s special needs teachers, noting that “the nation owes them a debt of gratitude”.

 

“People who go into the teaching profession… all the great teachers we have in this country… they don’t go into it for the money,” Senator Reid pointed out.

 

“They go in it for the love. We know it takes cash to care, and we will continue to do everything to ensure our teachers are among the best paid professionals in this country,” he added.

 

Ground was broken on April 5, 2017 for the construction of the Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College Diagnostic and Early Intervention Centre through partnership with the Ministry’s Programme for the Advancement of Childhood Education (PACE) and Food For the Poor, Jamaica.

 

The centre, through the Ministry, will identify children with learning challenges and employ the best intervention strategies for each child.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, speaking at the opening of the Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College Diagnostic and Early Intervention Centre in Granville, St. James, on October 23.

JIS: Parents and guardians of children with special needs who are preparing for the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) are being encouraged to register them early with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information’s Special Education Unit.

 

Assistant Chief Education Officer in charge of the unit, Dr. Sharon Anderson Morgan, told JIS News that as was the case with the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), the Ministry makes accommodation for students with intellectual and learning disabilities, physical challenges and autism, among others.

 

She noted that early registration of these students, particularly those with moderate to severe learning and physical disabilities, will better enable the Ministry to make adequate provisions for them.

 

“We would like to start as early as possible because, usually, we have hundreds of persons applying for accommodation. It takes a good while to process all those applications,” she said.

 

“The earlier we get them the better because persons have to be trained. If, for example, we are going to send a prompter to a student, we would want the prompter to meet the child before the exam, so the child becomes familiar. Those are some of the preparations that we have to put in place,” she added.

 

The procedure for a student to benefit from special examination accommodations involves first, making a written request to the Student Assessment Unit detailing the nature of the exceptionality and the specific needs of the candidate.

 

Ideally, requests should be made at least 12 weeks prior to the sitting of the examination or in accordance with established examination application/registration procedures.

 

All requests for accommodations must be accompanied by a formal psycho-educational/behavioural assessment or a medical report based on an assessment conducted in the last two years, from an authorised individual or agency.

 

Dr. Anderson Morgan said that requests may be made by a school, parent or a professional (medical doctor or psychologist) who is treating the child for a particular condition.

 

“This usually takes the form of a psycho- educational assessment report. In some cases, it can be a medical report that is reviewed and then the schools are advised what accommodation is provided,” she explained.

 

She noted, for example, that if a child has a language-based learning disability, they may be provided with a scribe or a reader, if they have slow processing speed or need extra time.

 

“We take it on a case-by-case basis and we evaluate the report and determine what is required,” she pointed out.

 

The review of the request will be done by a team in the Special Education Unit and recommendations forwarded to the Student Assessment Unit, which will then send a written response concerning the status of the application to the institution/organisation or individual making the request.

 

It should be noted that the accommodation being requested should be consistent with the provisions made for the student in the classroom. That is, students should be accustomed to using the particular accommodation during the classroom instruction and internal examinations.

 

The Special Education Unit has responsibility for educational provisions for students with special needs.

 

The unit provides technical support that encompasses education for students aged three to 21 years with various special needs, including students who are deaf or hard of hearing; students who are blind or have visual impairment; students with learning disabilities, intellectual disability, emotional and behavioural disorders, autism; and students who are gifted and talented.

 

PEP has replaced 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. It comprises a Performance Task, Ability Task and a Curriculum-Based Task..

 

CAPTION: Assistant Chief Education Officer in charge of the Special Education Unit in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dr. Sharon Anderson Morgan

GLEANER: Education, Youth, and Information Minister Senator Ruel Reid has said that the Career Advancement Programme (CAP) is creating greater opportunities for youth through education and skills training while aligning them with the 21st-century jobmarket.

 

An initiative under the Ministry, CAP provides opportunities for students, aged 16 to 18, to gain valuable training and skills for the job market or to further their education.

 

In addition to the job-ready training, CAP also provides exposure to life-coping skills, personal development, civics, personal and national values, and the tenets of good citizenship.

 

CAP is offered at selected secondary schools, private skills-development centres, and public or private tertiary institutions islandwide.

 

“We are ensuring that all our children in Jamaica, all students who are now in secondary school, get enough time [and] equal opportunity to develop at the highest level,” the minister said.

 

He was speaking at the inaugural CAP Region One award ceremony at the Courtleigh Auditorium in New Kingston last week.

 

“The CAP is equalising educational opportunities (as well as) taking everybody to the highest point because the traditional CAPE programme is also going to have an associate degree component, and the CAP is also going to have an associate degree component. So everybody can, at the end of your period at age 18, look and say, ‘I have achieved my level at an associate degree’,” Reid stated.

 

He said that the initiative is also providing them with the skills to navigate the global marketplace.

 

“I am very pleased with the development of this particular programme because I know what it is going to do for education – it is equalising educational opportunities [and] it is providing access,” he said.

 

Permanent Secretary in the ministry Dean-Roy Bernard, explained that in the inaugural awards, some 480 students in 13 traditional high schools in Region One would benefit.

 

“Students now pursuing Level II technical vocational education and training courses in non-traditional areas and non-traditional schools will get a provisional acceptance letter for a space in a tertiary institution that is offering the occupational associate degree relating to their programme of study upon successful completion of Level II of the course of study in 2019,” he said.

 

This, Bernard said, is a significant step in career forward planning, “and we continue to encourage our young people to make good use of this facility and opportunity”.

 

“I hope the scholarship will enable you to fulfil your aspirations. Although the programme is available for all students, there are varying criteria at different institu-tions, and space may be limited as the programme expands,” he said.

 

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

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says the Government will continue to increase investment in education in order to improve quality and performance standards.

 

He noted that $37.6 billion was spent on secondary education during the last academic year, which included an increase in the maintenance grant from $50,000 to $500,000 per school.

 

The Minister, who was speaking at the 2018 Annual Conference of the Association of Principals and Vice Principals of Secondary Schools at the Jewel Grande Montego Bay in St. James recently, said that funding to primary, all-age and junior high schools was also increased for academic year 2017/2018 with a budget of over $1 billion outside of salaries.

 

He noted that all infant and primary-level schools received $2,500 per student, up from an average of $850, while all-age and junior highs received $19,000 per student up from $1,100.

 

The institutions also got maintenance grants of $50,000 per school along with a janitorial grant of $172,000.

 

The maintenance grant was increased for the 2018/2019 school year to $150,000 per school.

 

The Minister, in the meantime, said that four schools were removed from the shift system in the previous school year, with another four on schedule to be removed shortly.

 

“It is expected that the remaining 38 schools will be off the shift system within the next three years,” he indicated.

 

As it relates to infrastructural repairs, the Education Minister noted that $492 million was allocated to approximately 170 schools for 2018/2019.

 

He reported that the Ministry was able to place all eligible students in a seven-year high school for the new academic year.

 

This, he said, was as a result of the provision of additional classrooms at a number of institutions and also the upgrading of Nain, New Forrest, Aberdeen and Perth Town Academy to full seven-year schools.

 

Senator Reid informed that the Ministry is well on its way to building 17 new schools, with work to commence in the next financial year on five institutions at Mile Gully and Christiana, Manchester; St. Ann; Clarendon; and St James.”

 

He said that the mathematics enrichment programmes have been enhanced, particularly at the primary level, where the number of mathematics coaches is now more than 90.

 

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