JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Education, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid has reiterated that in about five years, students sitting Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) subjects will do some aspects of their examinations online.

 

“They’re already doing marking online, and all CXC exams are likely, within the next five years, to be online,” Senator Reid said, as he addressed a Teacher Sensitisation and Consultation Session for the Primary Exit Profile (PEP), held at the Old Harbour New Testament Church in St. Catherine on Tuesday (October 2).

 

He said the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information is positioning itself to support this new approach, through the National Standards Curriculum.

 

“A lot of the things that we are doing, even the National Standards Curriculum, will have to incorporate online teaching and learning, so all of us have to now get with the technology and prepare ourselves to navigate in this 21st century and beyond,” Minister Reid said.

 

He added that like CXC with new technology, the Ministry makes adjustments to its curriculum to meet the new standards set regarding subjects, papers, syllabuses and sample items.

 

At a press conference to launch the CXC Learning Hub, at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on May 10, the Minister said that students would soon be required to take some aspects of their examinations online, as part of the Hub.

 

Through the Hub, students now have increased access to CXC material as well as resources produced by the examination body’s external partners.

 

In welcoming the move by CXC at that event, he said with the advancement of technology, it is only fitting for Jamaica’s education system to start testing the use of online examinations for students exiting the secondary level.

 

The Minister said online testing for CXC will now include audiovisuals, videos and animations in multiple-choice tests, which provide a particularly attractive option and will help students to perform better in external examinations.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (left), speaking to teachers and principals at a Teacher Sensitisation and Consultation Session, held on Tuesday (October 2) at the Old Harbour New Testament Church in St. Catherine.

JIS: The Performance Task aspect of the Primary Exit Profile (PEP), previously scheduled for December, has been pushed back to March 2019.

 

The Ability Test and Curriculum-Based Test components will be conducted in February 2019 and April 2019, respectively, as previously scheduled.

 

Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, made the disclosure during a press briefing at his offices in Kingston on Wednesday (October 3)“That will allow us to grade and provide scores and placement of our students on schedule for June 2019,” he said.

 

He informed that the change was based on the recommendation of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) for an adjustment in the PEP schedule.

 

“The next round of discussions will be held with Board chairs and vice chairs, principals, vice principals and bursars, to make sure that at the leadership level they are all cognisant of what we are doing for PEP and other policies. This will then complete the circle of educators’ discussions with me,” he said.

 

Senator Reid said that coming out of consultations with other stakeholders, such as the National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica and the Book Industry of Jamaica, “other changes were taken on board in the best interest of the children”.

 

These include that students will have an option to choose for the Performance Task; teacher-engagement activity will be provided at least one month before the actual assessment is to be done; questions will be organised in such a way as to prevent students from having to flip the paper several times; a national committee will be formed to review test items; removal of teachers’ names from the individual students’ reports; and teachers will also be involved in the marking of papers and the development of test items.

 

“I am very pleased with the feedback and support we have been getting from all our stakeholders, and we intend to continue to listen and make adjustments where necessary and in keeping with the best interest of our children,” Senator Reid said.

 

He said that the Ministry will be continuing the weekend PEP camps for students, teachers and parents as well as teachers’ sensitisation sessions across the island.

 

He noted that over the last eight weeks, the Ministry has distributed a suite of materials to schools across the island, including practice items, registration manuals and sample test booklets.

 

“The final set of key resources will be the official practice booklets and answers for both teachers and students, for which distribution will begin this week,” he indicated.

 

Senator Reid noted that the PEP website should be fully operational by Friday of this week, adding that a PEP software application will be available in another two weeks.

 

Meanwhile, he said Performance Task mock results for grade five have been distributed to schools. The mock test was conducted in June to assess the readiness of students for PEP.

 

Overall, the results showed that 83 per cent of the students met or nearly met the standards for English Language; 48 per cent met or nearly met the standard for Mathematics; 52 per cent met or nearly met the standard for Social Studies; and 22 per cent met or nearly met the standard for Science.

 

He said additional resources, such as specialist teachers, will be utilised to improve the results for Science.

 

“The mock showed that greater support will have to be provided for teachers in the areas of drawing conclusions and taking informed actions, as well as gathering and evaluating sources, which were two of the areas assessed in the mock exam,” he said.

 

He said the Ministry is pleased with the responses of the students and the effort that was made by teachers to understand and administer the assessment.

 

“The signs are encouraging, and we now have tangible data to move forward,” he said.

 

Senator Reid informed that the Ministry will continue to fine-tune the preparations for the administration of PEP, through extensive engagement with teachers, parents and other stakeholders.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (left), engages with Minister of State, Hon. Floyd Green, just before the start of a press conference at the Ministry’s National Heroes Circle offices in Kingston on October 3.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says a new website to assist teachers, parents and students in preparation for the Primary Exit Profile (PEP), will be launched by the end of the week.

 

He was speaking at a Teacher Sensitisation and Consultation Session for PEP at the Old Harbour New Testament Church in Clarendon on Tuesday (October 2).

 

“By the end of this week, we’ll have, fully running, a dedicated PEP website with everything you need to know about PEP; practice items – all the materials… will be available for you 24/7,” Minister Reid informed.

 

“Two weeks’ time, after Friday, we hope to have an app that you can just click on and all that information will be available. We have to transition into the 21st century… . We will have the technology-aided teaching and learning material,” he added.

 

Minister Reid noted that printed material will also be circulated. “We’ve had to pull out all the stops [for] those of you who were not comfortable with some of the material online… [and] we have agreed to print the material for you,” he said.

 

The Education Minister reiterated that the content for PEP has not changed from the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT); the “enrichment, the methodology in terms of how we deliver the content, however, would have changed with the National Standard Curriculum (NSC)”.

 

“We are seeking to draw out of the students those high-order skills; not just get them stuck at recall but moving up the ladder from comprehension, analysis, moving right up to synthesis and evaluation,” he pointed out.

 

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: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (second left), fields questions during a Teacher Sensitisation and Consultation Session on Tuesday (October 2) at Old Harbour New Testament Church in St. Catherine. He is flanked by (from left) Chief Education Officer, Dr. Grace McLean; Acting Deputy Chief Education Officer, Dasmine Kennedy; and Assistant Chief Education Officer, Core Curriculum Unit, Winnie Berry.

JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, under its Safety and Security Programme, is on a mission to increase the number of uniformed groups in schools.

 

The move is part of measures to improve discipline among students. Research shows that the presence of clubs and uniformed groups on the school grounds helps to promote positive values and attitudes.

 

In addition, students who are members of these groups do better socially and academically than those who are not affiliated with such organisations.

 

“We are anticipating that for students who are involved with groups, it will help with their behaviour, help with self-discipline and group discipline and certainly help with the reduction of violence and critical incidents within our schools,” says Director of the Safety and Security Unit in the Ministry, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Coleridge Minto.

 

The Jamaica Combined Cadet Force (JCCF), one of the oldest uniformed groups in the island, is among the entities that the Ministry has engaged in its drive.

 

ASP Minto tells JIS News that the objective is to increase student involvement in the cadet corps from 3, 000 to 10,000 in the next three to five years.

 

“The schools have been very supportive of this expansion effort and 120 persons, including principals and teachers, have expressed interest in becoming cadet officers. Fifty commenced the basic officers and adult rank course in July 2018,” he informs.

 

Commandant of the JCCF, Colonel Errol V. Johnson, tells JIS News that the organisation now has a presence in over 50 per cent of high schools across Jamaica; however, in the next two years, the force will be in all high schools.

 

The JCCF is open to male and female students attending school at the secondary level, who can enlist as cadet recruits.

 

During the training process, which can last up to four months, recruits are exposed to the rules and regulations of the corps, basic drills, and learning to march and salute.

 

Recruits are also exposed to weapons training, field craft, map reading, some social graces, community involvement, disaster management, first aid, music and environmental consciousness.

 

Adults are trained by the JCCF to become cadet officers, and Colonel Johnson is appealing for more persons with suitable leadership qualities to volunteer to serve.

 

Currently, professionals such as pilots, engineers, nurses, doctors, teachers, and lawyers serve as officers in the cadet corps.

 

Other uniformed groups being engaged by the Ministry include the Scouts Association, St. John Ambulance and the Caribbean Merchant Marine Cadet Corps.

 

Currently, there are Scouts groups in 80 public schools, mainly at the primary level, while St. John Ambulance will roll out its youth brigade this year.

 

At the primary level, the students will be called Humming Bird; the St. John Cadet at the secondary level; and the St. John Link at the tertiary level. Students will be taught first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), among other things. Meanwhile, the Caribbean Merchant Marine Cadet Corps, which is operated through the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU), was established just over two years ago and, to date, there are active cadet units in 30 schools with approximately 900 cadets.

 

ASP Minto pointed out that other groups, such as the Boys’ and Girls’ brigades, Girl Guides, National Interschool Brigade Movement, and the Dynamic Cadet Corps, will also be incorporated into the Ministry’s Safety and Security programme.

 

He informs that the Ministry will support these groups through funding, endorsements as well as assisting with their expansion programmes.

 

He says that the Ministry is ensuring that all the groups it endorses are approved to operate in schools.

 

“As with any external body, uniformed groups are required to submit the necessary documentation to the Permanent Secretary when attempting to integrate their club into a school,” he points out.

 

CAPTION: Drummers of the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force (JCCF) practise in preparation for a parade.

JIS: Principal of Petersfield Primary and Infant School, in Westmoreland, Susan Rattray Hammond, says the school’s robust mathematics programme will ensure that students’ performance in the subject improves significantly over time.

 

During an interview with JIS News, Mrs. Rattray Hammond said that in an effort to get students excited about mathematics, the school has implemented several activities based on the subject.

 

“We have a maths pageant, and we have an event called Maths Explosion, which is held annually in November,” the Principal informed.

 

Maths Explosion consists of each grade at the school setting up displays that highlight various strands and techniques of mathematics, after which teachers and students make the rounds to the classes to view the displays.

 

The day is topped off with a maths pageant in which children from both lower and upper school participate, culminating with a Maths King and Queen being chosen.

 

For her part, Mathematics Coordinator at the school, Toni Simpson Reid, said the added attention to the subject has, so far, been rewarding, and has inspired even more maths-centred activities.

 

“We also have a daily maths quiz, which sees questions being posed daily to lower and upper school… . The students go to work them out, and the first to get the correct answer gets a free lunch that day, so it helps to boost (their excitement),” Mrs. Simpson Reid noted.

 

She argued that Literacy had been topping Numeracy over the years and it is time to put both on the same level.

 

The Coordinator said that not only was the school focused on improving performance in maths, but it also wanted to make the subject appealing and fun. One way of ensuring this is the school’s monthly newsletter, which is not only purchased by students but given to parents and other stakeholders.

 

“Pictures from maths and other school-related events, general knowledge, and maths quizzes are put in there. We sell it to the students and teachers, and it sells quickly, especially in November.

 

We also give copies to stakeholders in the community, and also leave copies at the post office, supermarket and the library,” Mrs. Simpson Reid informed.

 

She also added that the school’s ‘Pull Out’ programme, which involves giving students who are falling behind in maths special attention in the school’s Maths Centre, underscores the school’s determination to improve numeracy grades.

 

CAPTION: Principal of Petersfield Primary and Infant School, Susan Rattray Hammond, speaks to students in a classroom

JIS: State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, says Parent Places are needed at early-childhood institutions (ECIs), in an effort to provide parents with the necessary tools to offer psychosocial stimulation and educational support to their children.

 

Speaking at a recent handover ceremony for the expanded Middlesex Infant School in Holland Bamboo, St. Elizabeth, the State Minister said parental involvement at an early age is critical, noting that it ensures positive learning outcomes beyond the early-childhood years.

 

In this regard, Mr. Green said the Early Childhood Commission (ECC) has been mandated to get Parent Places instituted at ECIs, in order to foster proactive parenting education and support.

 

“Parent Places are necessary, so that when the parents come, it is not just to drop off children and pick up children… . You have to schedule a time and come in, so we can do some counselling with you, because we recognise that we can be doing excellent work at school and it is being eroded when they go back into some of our homes and communities,” the State Minister argued.

 

The State Minister emphasised that home-school partnerships are important to building a strong foundation in early-childhood development.

 

“So, we are on a mission to ensure that parents understand that they are a part of this partnership, and, as such, we are looking to establish Parent Places at our early-childhood institutions,” he said.

 

In the meantime, Senior Education Inspector for Region 5, Andrea Tulloch Davis, told JIS News that the establishment of Parent Places at ECIs forms part of the ECC’s 12 required standards for operation.

 

Mrs. Tulloch Davis said Parent Places have become necessary in ECIs, as recent reports released by the National Education Inspectorate (NEI) have revealed that there is an absence of parental involvement at the early-childhood level.

 

“When you look at the reports that are generated from the inspections, we would normally be getting zero per cent, so that is why the Early Childhood Commission thinks it is really important to get the Parent Places up and running, so we can get the involvement of as many parents as possible,” she added.

 

CAPTION: State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green (right), converses with J Wray and Nephew (JWN) Foundation Chairman, Clement “Jimmy” Lawrence (left) and Chairperson of the Early Childhood Commission, Trisha Williams-Singh, at the handover ceremony for the expanded Middlesex Infant School in Holland Bamboo, St. Elizabeth, on September 28. The school was upgraded by the JWN Foundation at a cost of over $30 million.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says that the ability of children to read and develop critical thinking skills from an early age is essential for ensuring positive learning outcomes.

 

“Our students have to be able to read, interpret and apply concepts and explain themselves in a written form. This is a skill set that is at the very core of success in education,” he said.

 

He noted that as students prepare for the Primary Exit Profile (PEP), reading and self-directed learning will enable them to apply knowledge acquired.

 

Senator Reid was speaking at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Reads Capacity Programme Early Reading Conference held on September 27 at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.

 

The programme seeks to increase the impact, scale and sustainability of early-grade reading interventions in the LAC region through the development and dissemination of state-of-the-art knowledge resources and the provision of technical assistance to governments and other key stakeholders.

 

Senator Reid commended the conference organisers, noting that the event provides an opportunity to stimulate public enthusiasm for reading and to improve early-grade reading in early-childhood institutions across the island.

 

“The importance of getting children interested in reading and really enjoying books at an early age cannot be overstated. This is crucial to their developmental ability to understand words, use their imagination and develop their speech,” he added.

 

Held under the theme ‘Get Reading Right from the Start,’ the conference facilitated discussions for the crafting of an early-reading policy, and to launch an ‘Early Reading Community of Practice’ among stakeholders across the LAC region.

 

It also looked at methods to advance effective and inclusive early-grade reading methods and strategies, and examined some of the issues coming out of research findings on early-grade literacy in Jamaica undertaken during the period 2015 to 2016.

 

The conference targeted key personnel from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information; pre-school and early-grade teachers; college and university lecturers; researchers; parents; writers; publishers and other stakeholders.

 

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

 

JIS: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has welcomed plans by the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC) to develop a global academic city on lands at Caymanas Estate in St. Catherine.

 

“This is a notable step in the right direction, which challenges the very core of how we traditionally see universities, and it solidifies opportunity for innovative enterprise. I am excited by the plans to develop this knowledge city and edu-tourism venture,” Mr. Holness said.

 

The Prime Minister’s address was delivered by State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, at the university’s second annual research conference, held at its New Kingston campus on September 27.

 

“The possibilities for new businesses and new career opportunities (will) make Jamaica a more attractive venue for off-shore education,” the Prime Minister said.

 

To be established on approximately 25 acres of land, the new campus will feature the Caribbean’s first Centre of Excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

 

Meanwhile, addressing the conference in his position as State Minister, Mr. Green urged universities to move “research outside of the halls of a university” and into government policy.

 

He assured that the Government has an “open door” approach and would use research posited by universities to influence policy.

 

“Too many of our universities or tertiary institutions do extraordinarily good work; so many of our students are looking at the most critical problems that we face and have come up with solutions, but who knows about it… . Let us feed it into policy,” he said.

 

The conference was held under the theme ‘Developing Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Technology for Global Competitiveness’. Acknowledging the conference’s theme, which includes a focus on entrepreneurship and innovation, Mr. Green said the Government is rebranding and repurposing 11 youth innovation centres (YICs) across the island to engender entrepreneurship, “because we have underserved youth with brilliant business ideas”.

 

“We have already started with two. We have opened one in Westmoreland, and now we have mandatory entrepreneurship classes, and we have mentors to guide the young people to translate business ideas into business plans,” he noted.

 

The second, which was opened in Spanish Town, St. Catherine, has a different focus, as it is equipped with a music recording studio “to encourage innovation and music in business, because the area is well-known for some of our best acts across the world,” the State Minister said.

 

Held to showcase the academic achievements of the UCC, the 2018 annual research conference brings together experts in the fields of innovation, entrepreneurship and technology.

 

This year’s staging includes students from the institution showcasing their entrepreneurial skills and business ideas, with the aim of further enhancing the spirit of entrepreneurship, and cementing the need to excel to the next level of academic achievements.

 

CAPTION: State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green (right), is greeted by Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs at the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC), Professor Bernadette Warner (centre) and UCC Executive Chancellor, Professor Dennis Gayle, at the UCC’s second annual research conference, held at its New Kingston campus on September 27.

JIS: Some 950 primary schools across the island are to receive tablets and computers over the next four months.

 

Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dr. Grace McLean, informed JIS News that 600 institutions will be equipped by the Overseas Examinations Commission (OEC), and the remaining 350 by eLearning Jamaica.

 

She said that the devices will be equipped with the required programmes, lesson plans, educational resources, and material items on the curriculum, including the Primary Exit Profile (PEP).

 

Dr. McLean said that the principals from the beneficiary schools have already received the required training, which will be followed by the training of teachers, to facilitate an early November roll-out to the schools.

 

eLearning Jamaica has a mandate to promote the integration and infusion of technology in the education system, and a vision to transform national learning outcomes using information and communications technology (ICT).

 

The OEC’s mandate is to be recognised as the leader in the provision of educational support services related to the conduct of examinations, including administration, consultancy, training, quality assurance, authentication of results and the provision of a secure repository for results and statistics.

 

CAPTION: Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dr. Grace McLean

JIS: State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, says the total number of certified early-childhood institutions (ECIs) across the island has increased to 128.

 

Speaking on September 26 at the handover ceremony for the renovated Middlesex Infant School in Holland Bamboo, St. Elizabeth, the State Minister pointed out that two years ago, there were no registered ECIs, adding that there are 2,513 ECIs in the island.

 

Mr. Green said the Government remains committed to improving the standard of education at the early-childhood level, and the Early Childhood Commission (ECC) is continuing its work to ensure that ECIs are compliant with the Ministry’s operating standards.

 

“What we said to the Commission is, let us move from saying we have the standards to getting the schools certified, so we can say the schools have met the standards. When we started the journey, I can tell you there was a lot of pushback, because some schools believed that they would never meet the standards. So, when we started, we had absolutely no school that was certified to our 12 standards,” he noted.

 

The State Minister said that while significant strides have been made in getting some ECIs up to par with the Commission’s operating standards, more needs to be done to get the remaining institutions certified.

 

“What they need is a little push. That is what we want to see, more schools becoming certified, and not just to say they are certified, but because it makes a difference in the teaching and learning of the children. We want to ensure that when they leave our infant schools that they are well equipped for modern-day reality,” he said.

 

The State Minister emphasised that private partnership is needed to get more ECIs fit for certification.

 

The Standards cover a wide range of areas, such as Staffing; Developmental/Educational Programmes; Interactions and Relationships with Children;  Physical Environment; Indoor and Outdoor Equipment, Furnishings and Supplies; Health; Nutrition; Safety; Child Rights, Child Protection and Equality; Interactions with Parents and Community Members; Administration; and Finance.

 

CAPTION: State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green (left), has the attention of (from second left), J. Wray & Nephew Foundation Manager, Michelle Samuels; Chairman of the J. Wray & Nephew Foundation, Clement “Jimmy” Lawrence, and Early Childhood Commission Chairman, Trisha Williams-Singh, at the handover ceremony for the renovated Middlesex Infant School in Holland Bamboo, St. Elizabeth, on Wednesday, September 26.