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.

JIS: The National Commercial Bank (NCB) Foundation is to increase the number of subjects it pays for qualifying students sitting the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations for the academic year 2018/19.

 

The Foundation currently pays in full for CSEC Principles of Accounts (POA) and Principles of Business (POB) examination fees, for students at the secondary level.

 

Director, NCB Foundation, Stuart Reid, said that based on the organisation’s strategic focus, collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, and the need to support new and emerging career opportunities, the Foundation has revised the programme.

 

The Director was speaking at the NCB Foundation CSEC National Bursary Programme’s handover ceremony, held at Jamaica College on October 17, where the bank electronically transferred $13.9 million to the Overseas Examinations Commission’s account to cover the cost incurred for the 3,334 students from government-approved public and private schools who sat POA and POB in June.

 

He informed that for this academic year, the organisation will support Information Technology (IT) and two other non-traditional subjects.

 

“Going forward, we will review the changing demands of respective industries and offer support in subjects that align. The future of Jamaica lies in the minds and hands of its youth, thus we cannot have a better Jamaica without first doing everything in our power to empower the next generation to maximise their talents,” he said.

 

Under the programme, the entity allows qualified secondary-level students to sit these two business subjects free of cost. This helps them to meet the minimum number of five subjects required for entry to a tertiary institution.

 

For his part, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dean-Roy Bernard, welcomed the Foundation’s changes to the programme.

 

“We are grateful to NCB for this partnership in supporting our students, especially those who want to take advantage of the new opportunities,” Mr. Bernard said.

 

He also lauded NCB Foundation’s commitment in helping to ensure that students who demonstrate financial need and are excelling academically are able to benefit from this programme.

 

Overall, the Foundation has invested in excess of $141 million in the programme, impacting the lives of more than 100,000 students.

 

CAPTION: Chair, National Commercial Bank (NCB) Foundation, Thalia Lyn (second right), transfers $13.9 million to the Overseas Examinations Commission’s (OEC) account to cover the cost incurred for the 3,334 students from government-approved public and private schools who sat Principles of Account and Principles of Business in June. Observing (from left) are Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dean-Roy Bernard; Executive Director, OEC, Hector Stephenson; Director, NCB Foundation, Stuart Reid; Jamaica College student, Travell Thompson; Norman Manley High School student, Keisia Jackson; and Jamaica College student, David McKenzie. They were at the Foundation’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) National Bursary Programme’s handover ceremony, held at Jamaica College on October 17.

JIS: Two contracts totalling US$30 million have been approved by Cabinet to continue activities under the Tablets in Schools project.

 

Of the sum, US$16 million was awarded to GeoTech Vision Limited while US$14 million was awarded to Innovative Corporate Solutions Limited for the supply and delivery of tablet carts and services.

 

Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, made the disclosure during Wednesday’s (October 17) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.

 

Among the objectives of the Tablets in Schools project are to provide children in educational institutions with appropriate devices based on agreed guidelines for e-learning; provide all educational institutions with appropriate technology, e-content and training of teachers in technology integration; and build competence in the use of technology.

 

Senator Reid said it is paramount that students be technologically adept, noting that very soon, the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) will be administering aspects of their tests online.

 

“Tablets, laptops, all of this is part of the menu… . Our information technology policy will give guidance to our stakeholders on how to manage the (technology) resources in our schools, so that is something we have to embrace,” he said.

 

Senator Reid, in the meantime, pointed to the need to ensure that children remain physically active even while they keep up with the latest technological advancements.

 

“We like our children to embrace technology but also find time for leisure, find time to do physical activities, so that they maintain good health,” he said.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, speaking at Wednesday’s (October 17) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.

JIS: The Government will be spending $116.8 million over four years to undertake a comprehensive review of the education system.

 

This follows Cabinet’s approval for Jamaica to participate in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2021.

 

Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, made the disclosure at Wednesday’s (October 17) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.

 

Jamaica established a task force in 2004 to review and evaluate the education system.

 

“Since then, however, there has been no further comprehensive review of our education system,” he noted.

 

PISA is an international assessment measuring student performance in reading, mathematical and scientific literacy.

 

“It focuses on the ability of students to apply unfamiliar contexts and facilitates the gathering of information pertaining to the education system, and ultimately assists in enriching data analysis,” Senator Reid explained.

 

He noted that the triennial survey will facilitate the evaluation and ranking of the Jamaican education system against other countries.

 

Senator Reid said that PISA’s reach globally has steadily increased from 42 to 80 nations. Trinidad and Tobago is the only other state in the English-speaking Caribbean currently participating in PISA.

 

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

JIS: A website to assist teachers, parents and students in preparation for the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) is now fully operational.

 

Persons may access the website at www.moey.gov.jm/pep.

 

This was disclosed by Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, during Wednesday’s (October 17) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.

 

“We encourage our parents, teachers and students to visit the site and make use of the available resources,” he said.

 

Senator Reid informed that the Ministry has also distributed a suite of materials to schools across the island, including practice items, registration manuals and sample test booklets.

 

He said the Government is moving ahead with the scheduled implementation of PEP as the national secondary-school entrance examination.

 

“We already explained that the curricula had been rolled out from two years ago, and in terms of our testing point of view… I think whatever were the reviews that were required have been done and we’re going full steam ahead in that regard. We can’t in the middle of the programme now revert; that is not possible,” he said.

 

PEP comprises a Performance Task, which will be conducted in March 2019, and an Ability Test and Curriculum-Based Test, which will be administered in February 2019 and April 2019, respectively.

 

Senator Reid noted that sensitisation sessions are being held at various levels, and advised that persons who have challenges should indicate these to the Ministry.

 

“The curriculum is not rocket science; it is the same content and it is essentially using a different methodology, which all teachers would have been exposed to, including principals having gone to university, or gone to teachers’ college,” he said.

 

Senator Reid noted that PEP includes a variety of responses and is “not largely driven” by multiple-choice responses.

 

“This is not something out of the ability of the student. It is very much within the same content area, just that you are asking the students to put on their thinking caps,” he pointed out.

 

PEP has replaced the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) as the national secondary-school entrance examination.

 

It is intended to provide a better and more complete profile of students’ academic and critical-thinking capabilities at the end of primary-level education.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid addressing Wednesday’s (October 17) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says the Special Education Policy, aimed at providing a framework to meet the educational needs of special students, is now before Cabinet for approval.

 

He was speaking at the 2018 Annual Conference of the Association of Principals and Vice Principals of Secondary Schools held at the Jewel Grande Montego Bay Resort and Spa on October 14.

 

The policy, drafted by the Ministry’s Special Education Unit, will complement the Disabilities Act, which makes provision to safeguard and enhance the welfare of persons with disabilities across Jamaica.

 

Its two main goals are ensuring equity and access to educational opportunities; and to promote a system of inclusive education where possible.

 

The policy seeks to protect the rights of children and youth with disabilities against discrimination in educational settings, and it promotes awareness of students’ right to quality education. In addition, it will ensure that students are provided with the necessary accommodations they need in the educational setting.

 

Senator Reid noted that over the last academic year, the Ministry increased the support for students with special needs by providing additional caregivers through the Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) Programme.

 

“Over 60 families are benefiting from this programme, which allows students with special needs to remain in their community schools and be educated among their peers while receiving the support needed to function effectively in the school environment,” he explained.

 

“This includes several students in rural Jamaica who are blind and would have otherwise had to board in Kingston to attend the (Salvation Army) School for the Blind,” he noted.

 

The Minister said, further, that a new curriculum for Students with Moderate to Profound Intellectual Disabilities was recently launched in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

 

It addresses language and communication, mathematics, science, physical education, music and life skills.

 

“This curriculum seeks to provide students with daily living skills… and a level of social skills that will assist him/her to interact appropriately with family and the wider community,” Senator Reid noted.

 

Meanwhile, new special education centres were opened at Church Teachers’ College in Mandeville and Sam Sharp Teachers’ College in Montego Bay at the start of the new academic year.

 

These, along with the Savanna-la-Mar Inclusive Academy in Westmoreland, and the Lyssons Centre of Excellence in St. Thomas, which were opened in 2017, add to the facilities established across the island that provide support for children with special needs.

 

Senator Reid said the Ministry has undertaken to provide financial and technical support for a new programme at the School for Therapy Education and Parenting of Children with Multiple Disabilities (STEP Centre) in Kingston.

 

“This programme targets students at the early-childhood level who have physical disabilities and are also visually impaired. The programme is intended to equip these students to transition to the primary level,” he noted.

 

He said that the Special Education Unit provides Braille and large-print material for persons who are blind or visually impaired.

 

In addition, students with special needs are able to receive accommodation for national examinations.

 

This may include extended time, readers/writers, examination in alternative format (braille/large print), breaks or prompters,” he added, noting that a psycho-educational assessment report or a medical report must be presented with a request for accommodation on registering for a national exam.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, speaking at the 2018 Annual Conference of the Association of Principals and Vice Principals of Secondary Schools, held at the Jewel Grande Montego Bay Resort and Spa on October 14.