Education and Youth Minister, Hon. Fayval Williams, says the Ministry is committed to exploring how Artificial Intelligence (AI) should be used to benefit the various educational institutions.

Addressing the seventh Dennis Irvine Lecture, hosted by the University Council of Jamaica (UCJ) under the theme – ‘Artificial Intelligence: A Paradigm Shift for Quality Assurance in Higher Education’, Mrs. Williams urged stakeholders to embrace the possibilities that the technology provides for the sector.

“AI introduces personalised and adaptive approaches that cater to the unique needs of each student and has revolutionised the teaching and learning landscape, as shared by many teachers at the primary and secondary levels. The issue of quality assurance in higher education is fundamental for accreditation standards. AI emerges as a potent tool [with the] potential [to make] substantial improvements in the sector,” she said.

The lecture was held on Thursday (October 19) at the University of the West Indies Regional Headquarters in St. Andrew.

Mrs. Wiliams noted that while AI could usher in a new era of an enhanced overall quality education in Jamaica, ethical considerations with the use of AI remain at the forefront.

“Considering that it is not merely about harnessing technology, but also about its responsible and ethical use, with due respect for the rights and privacy of Jamaican students and educators. We must establish comprehensive policies and regulations that guide the development and usage of AI in education,” the Minister said.

These regulations, she added, should encompass data privacy, algorithm transparency and accountability.

“Transparency should be at the core of AI deployment in education, in making Jamaican students, educators, and stakeholders aware of how AI is being deployed and how it affects their educational experiences. Additionally, we should seek to ensure that AI does not exacerbate existing educational disparities,” she emphasised.

The Minister said steps should be taken to provide equitable access to AI enhanced educational resources and opportunities for all Jamaican students.

“We are already equipping them with devices, broadband connectivity, laptops and labs, so that they have no restrictions. As educators, we must prepare our students for the ever-evolving job market, equipping them with skills knowledge they need to thrive in this new era of technology,” Mrs. Williams said.

The lecture was held in memory of Dr. Dennis Irvine, late Chairman of the UCJ, who was a distinguished educator.

Over the course of more than 50 years, Dr Irvine made significant contributions to tertiary education nationally, regionally, and internationally.

He was appointed Chairman of the UCJ in 1987 and served for an initial 11 years.

The noted educator was reappointed to the position in 1996, and served up to his passing.

Dr. Irvine guided accreditation decisions and played a key role in the transition of the University of Technology Jamaica (UTech) and Northern Caribbean University (NCU) from college to university status.

He also presided over a number of committees, including the Tertiary Articulation Committee which created the tertiary qualifications framework which now serves as the benchmark for the Jamaican tertiary education system.

A total of $28 million was spent to provide support for 4,608 students across all levels of the education system in the constituency of Manchester Central.

Member of Parliament (MP), Rhoda Moy Crawford, said the support included tuition and book grants, school uniforms, technological devices, and other school supplies.

“Additionally, we have provided education assistance to eight schools across the constituency. These endeavours reflect my commitment to the provision of access to education and training,” Ms. Crawford said.

She was making her contribution to the 2023/24 State of the Constituency Debate in the House of Representatives on Wednesday (October 25).

Meanwhile, Ms. Crawford said $5 million was spent to truck water to homes, schools and farms.

She further informed that 289 water tanks were distributed to constituents who experienced challenges harvesting water.

“We have boosted the local economy, offering employment to 528 constituents and providing 558 entrepreneurial grants to small business operators and farmers. Through our welfare programmes, over 3,000 constituents have received compassionate, funeral and medical grants,” the MP said.

Meanwhile, Ms. Crawford told the House that $170 million has been allocated under the constituency’s signature ‘Road a Fix’ programme for the rehabilitation of roadways across the constituency.

She said more road improvement initiatives are scheduled to begin as early as next week, pointing out that these “will remain a dominant feature of my stewardship”.

In the meantime, Ms. Crawford advised that the inaugural Rhoda Moy Crawford Community Football League was launched, adding that support has been provided to other community leagues and sports clubs.

The Ministry of Education and Youth is embarking on an ambitious programme that will target a minimum of 100,000 Jamaicans for parent education training.

The plan for the programme’s delivery has been formulated by the National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC).

Portfolio Minister, Hon. Fayval Williams, said the plan, which has been shared with schools across Jamaica, outlines the strategies to be employed in achieving the target.

“All public and registered private educational institutions are required to deliver parenting education training to their parent population,” she emphasised.

The Minister was addressing Wednesday’s (October 25) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.

Mrs. Williams said the NPSC is coordinating meetings with education officers, school administrators, guidance counsellors, deans of discipline and other help in service professionals in schools to ensure that Citizens Security Programme (CSP) guidelines are understood.

“The meetings serve as a guarantee that the quality of the education programme will not be compromised. NPSC support officers are to provide oversight by making daily contact with school personnel for the provision of technical support,” she informed.

Parent mentorship training is currently under way with trainees recommended by ministries, departments, and agencies and schools’ leaderships.

“Prospective parent mentors hail from all regions. They are exposed to intensive modules of parenting education training and, as such, form part of those served under indicator 2 of the CSP. Certified parent mentors are mapped to schools and effectively support parents across Jamaica,” Minister Williams indicated.

Parent Places have also been reactivated with an additional 10 slated to be fully revived before the end of the Christmas school term (September to December).

These were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Parent Places provide parenting education, psychosocial support, skills training, and counselling, among other interventions.

These are primarily in schools but serve the community to reach a wider cross-section of the population.

The NPSC has also been conducting roving parent places as another strategy to boost parent engagement.

A pilot to retrofit and instal air-conditioning units in 30 schools is to get under way soon, to reduce heat stress on students amid rising temperatures.

Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams, made the disclosure during a visit to the Hope Valley Experimental school in Kingston on September 4, for the opening of the 2023/24 school year.

“I am delighted that we are almost about to begin piloting 30 schools, so that we can understand how to do it, how to roll it out and how to scale it up. [Global warming] is a phenomenon that we all have to deal with; temperatures are rising around the world and Jamaica is no exception,” she said.

Mr. Williams said greater use of solar energy in schools is being considered as part of the project.

The Minister noted that the project will seek to have early-childhood, primary and secondary schools retrofitted with air-conditioning units and will, therefore, take some time.

“I am not making a promise to say that it is going to be done by the end of the school year. It is going to take a long time. We have 1,010 primary and high schools. We have maybe another 1,000 early-childhood institutions, so you can see the magnitude of [the task of] retrofitting our schools,” she said.

Mrs. Williams argued that the corrective measure will seek to improve the learning environment for students and staff.

“Unfortunately, over the decades, the way our schools have been built, the ventilation is not as [good] as it should be, and we have not been used to the idea of classrooms being air conditioned, but we are at that moment when not only fans are to be in classrooms but also air conditioning,” she said.

“Of course, this is going to take additional funding to do, and it is not something that is going to happen overnight, but that is where our vision is – to retrofit classrooms so that they will be able to take air conditioning, so that when students and teachers are in the environment it is comfortable,” she added.

Two hundred and six teachers from across the island, who have given a minimum of 35 years of service to education, have been bestowed with the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) Golden Torch Award.

Speaking at the awards ceremony held at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on Tuesday (July 11), Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams, lauded teachers for their commitment to education, noting that they are a critical pillar of development in the society.

“Thanks to all our teachers who go beyond the call of duty to ensure that our students are well prepared for various levels of school assessment. Today, we celebrate the teachers who have made a lasting difference in the lives of their students. You have not only imparted knowledge but have nurtured the talent and potential of our students, instilling in them the values of perseverance, respect and empathy,” she said.

The Minister also commended teachers for embracing innovation and adapting to the ever-changing landscape of education.

She noted that teachers have engaged with technology and continue to use creative methods to ensure that every student receives the best possible education.

“All the work you did during the COVID years, we cannot forget that. You kept the education system going. For your sacrifice of long hours, investing your time and often your own resources and acting as mentors, role models [and] sources of inspiration, you deserve the utmost respect and gratitude,” she said.

In her remarks, JTA President La Sonja Harrison, highlighted that the teachers are deserving of the recognition.

“You who have chosen to walk the steps of the master teacher do know your seeds of influence have and will affect eternity. Yours is a service that is irreplaceable,” Mrs. Harrison said.

The Golden Torch Award for service to education was instituted by the JTA in 1991 and the first awards were presented in 1993.

Former JTA President, Ray Howell, under whose tenure the award was established was presented with a special award at Tuesday’s ceremony.

Now in its 30th year, more than 7,000 educators have received the honour.

Approximately 28,000 students will benefit from the 2023 National Summer Academy, which got under way this week.

This was disclosed by Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams, who indicated that the Academy will run from July 10 to 27.

Mrs. Williams further advised that it is being undertaken in 57 schools using face-to-face and online modalities, adding that the engagement is being hosted at no cost to parents.

She was speaking during Wednesday’s (July 12) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.

Mrs. Williams said approximately 7,800 students are participating in-person, while another 20,000 will join virtually.

“For the face-to-face [modality], those are students who need support in terms of literacy and numeracy, and in the virtual space, those are students who are almost at mastery, still needing a little bit of support to get them into mastery. So we are expecting to reach approximately 28,000 students for our summer school this year. It’s a lot targeted… but we are seeing where our target interventions are producing results,” she said.

The programme will be delivered by the Education Ministry’s team of technical officers, including Numeracy and Literacy Coaches/Specialists.

It forms part of the Ministry’s effort to provide extended learning opportunities for students currently in grades five and six, still requiring additional support to recover from the impact of disruptions to their learning process caused by the COVID–19 pandemic.

The Government will be implementing a strategic and integrated programme of education aimed at transitioning students into the labour market upon completion of secondary or tertiary education, says Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams.

Mrs. Williams, who was the keynote speaker at the Association of Caribbean Higher Education Administrators (ACHEA) 20^th annual conference at the Royalton Negril Resort on July 6, said the initiative will also include a standardised programme for the pre-primary to the secondary level and linked to tertiary education and skills training.

She pointed out that discussions focused on improving critical components of the tertiary or higher education sector have been ongoing.

These, she said, include issues relating to increasing access, funding for students and institutions and the relevance of programmes within the context of the changing needs of the labour market.

“These discussions have been informed and shaped by best practices employed in other jurisdictions,” the Minister said.

“Jamaica’s tertiary education and training system has a strong reputation and has contributed significantly to national growth and development. However, there are some areas of challenge that need to be addressed,” she noted.

The Minister cited the existence of a fragmented governance and oversight framework that needs to be integrated and modernised.

“Also, there is a misalignment between the programmes being offered and the needs of the labour market,” Mrs. Williams said.

he Minister pointed out that  in some instances, programmes are being offered based on tradition “or ready supply” and not based on labour market demand.

This, she said, oftentimes lead to inadequate tertiary education programmes to support emerging labour market needs in the logistics, knowledge, and business process outsourcing sectors, “as well as to resource traditional areas, such as agriculture and tourism and hospitality”.

“Tertiary education and training continue to provide important social benefits, and, therefore, represent a wise financial and personal investment. Notwithstanding, there is an urgent need to transform the present system so that its potential and role as the driver of socio-economic mobility and national growth and development is fulfilled,” Mrs. Williams further argued.

She noted that there have been significant efforts over the years to establish a modernised governance framework for the oversight and management of the higher education sector in Jamaica, and that the 2021 Report of the Jamaica Education Transformation Commission, led by Professor Orlando Patterson, provides the impetus for current actions.

The Minister said that the Government continues to invest significantly in the education sector from early-childhood, through primary, secondary, and post-secondary levels with a focus on ensuring affordability, accessibility and quality.

She said it has not been lost on the Ministry that voices have been calling for amendments in the Government’s funding formula to increase the amount allocated to early childhood vis-à-vis the tertiary sector, adding that the proposal here is to strengthen the foundation of the education sector to achieve better outcomes in the ensuing years as students progress through the system.

“The related discussions are ongoing as we continue to address the varying demands at the different levels and recognising that this need not be a zero-sum game,” the Minister noted.

“Discussions surrounding how higher education and training is administered must, therefore, consider how the sector will ensure that programmes offered are intentionally designed to support the changing societal and labour market needs,” she added.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Youth, Maureen Dwyer, has welcomed the retrofitted inclusive classroom at Bethabara Infant School, in Manchester, which was handed over on July 6.

“Given the Ministry’s Transformation in Education focus at this time, we welcome the project,” said Mrs. Dwyer, in a message read by Education Officer for Region Five, Janet Shaw Gooden.

Mrs. Dwyer noted that several special education classes have been established in the region, and the addition of an inclusive infant classroom is phenomenal and groundbreaking.

She said that the classroom will address a demand that is expanding dramatically and for which services are needed in different parts of the island.

“The Ministry salutes the effort of the Digicel Foundation and the Early Childhood Commission (ECC). We could not ask for more, and today we are thrilled to be a part of this groundbreaking activity. Special education services for our children is one of our policy directives through the child and youth development initiative. It is our hope that through continued partnerships like this, we will continue to provide for our children in a meaningful way,” Mrs. Dwyer said.

For her part, Senior Operations Manager for Digicel Foundation, Jodi-Ann McFarlane, said they have a long-standing relationship with the ECC, and with one of their pillars being education they are deeply invested in seeing that children have access to primary education in Jamaica.

“We are also very invested in special needs education and this project was brought to us by the ECC as their Jamaica 60 Legacy Project to bring inclusive classrooms to Jamaica. So, we did a major investment in this space.

We renovated the entire classroom space and created a specialised stimulation sensory space for children who have mild to moderate intellectual and physical disabilities,” Ms. McFarlane said.

She said they also built a ramp and gave them additional storage, so that they are able to integrate their teaching and learning activities in the space without being too disruptive, and this will give children with different abilities and skills a chance to interact with each other.

Sector Planner for the ECC, Paula Shaw, said they worked with the Digicel Foundation to put the space together, noting that the sensory area allows for one-on-one interaction between an individual or small groups and their teacher.

“It’s good to have a quiet place for the child who has a difficulty focusing, so the use of the sensory room will depend on the needs of the child. It is important for activities to be child-led in the early-childhood classroom,” Ms. Shaw said.

She noted that the ECC is working to have four such classrooms islandwide in the first phase but, eventually, they hope to have one in each parish.

There are facilities in St. Ann and in Kingston, and the ECC is in the process of establishing one in St. Thomas.