JIS: Seaview Gardens Primary School in Kingston has rapidly gained the enviable reputation of being a cradle for budding young scientists and innovators.

 

Since 2014/15, this beacon of knowledge and education, which sits majestically in the community for which it is named, has copped the primary school category of the Scientific Research Council’s (SRC) annual National Science and Technology Fair and Competition, with a number of outstanding entries.

 

That year, the school won with ‘World of Plastic’ – a house created entirely from plastic materials; while in 2015/16, the institution took pole position with ‘Mosquimed’ – an insect repellent made from coconut oil, menthol, eucalyptus leaf extract, guinea hen weed and alcohol, which doubles as a pain reliever.

 

Seaview Gardens Primary was again propelled to the top spot in 2016/17 with ‘ER’ – an innovatively designed emergency respirator made with styrofoam cups, lunch boxes, cotton and charcoal, and comprising a glass tank, respirator tubes, valves and filter.

 

The innovation also includes a mobile mask, a biosphere that hosts plants for the generation of oxygen and a collecting reservoir.

 

In 2017/18, the institution again leapfrogged its age-group rivals with ‘So Real’ – a multipurpose cleaning agent/solution extracted from the sorrel plant.

 

The win earned the school $200,000 to purchase science equipment, and trophies medals and prizes for the teachers and students.

 

Principal of Seaview Gardens Primary, Sangieanna Reid Prince, attributes the school’s success to the strong emphasis on the comprehensive and holistic delivery of science to the 790-student population.

 

“We integrate it across the curriculum in other subject areas,” she tells JIS News.

 

This focus, she points out, is complemented by activities undertaken through the Young Innovators/Inventors Science Club, which was established in 2007.

 

She tells JIS News that the science programme is delivered by four teachers, three of whom serve as mentors, while the fourth, Racquel Rose Taylor, is the club’s coordinator.

 

Mrs. Reid Prince explains that preparations for the SRC science fair and competition commence at the start of each academic year, with club members and teachers/mentors identifying topical issues and challenges and exploring potential solutions.

 

This approach has contributed significantly to the school’s success over the years, the signs of which were apparent from as early as 2007/08, when the institution first participated.

 

Mrs. Rose Taylor tells JIS News that the styrofoam sealant project entered that first year earned the school the first runner-up spot and prize for the ‘Best Presenting Team.’ The school got third place for its Solar Multipurpose Food Ware project entry in 2013/14.

 

Since then, Seaview Gardens Primary has copped four consecutive victories, cementing its legacy in the competition.

 

Mrs. Rose Taylor says the teachers and students are proud of the ‘So Real’ cleaning product, the idea for which came from observing how clean pots were after being used to prepare sorrel for drinking.

 

“We conducted our research and discovered that the plant has oxalic, which has cleaning properties… and that products containing this (oxalic) element are manufactured commercially and used to clean (away) rust and mildew, among other surface build-ups. So, in addition to sorrel being used to make drinks and preserves such as jams and jellies, we discovered that we can make this multipurpose cleaner,” she explains.

 

Mrs. Rose Taylor tells JIS News that the ‘So Real’ agent is used to clean the school’s whiteboards, desks, floors, walls, windows, rails and chairs, noting that “it has so many uses”.

 

She says the production of other by-products, such as soaps and dish cleaners, is being explored.

 

Members of the winning team are proud of the innovation and the school’s success in the SRC science competition over the years.

 

Former head girl, Rihanna Hinds, who will attend Excelsior High School in September, attributes the achievement to the hard work by the students and teachers.

 

“Science is such a wonderful thing. We have wonderful teachers, who teach a lot about science, so we get many opportunities to do and create many things. My school won because of our excellent performance,” the 11-year-old tells JIS News.

Jadon Willis, who is also 11 and will be attending Wolmer’s Boys’ School in September, says he loves science.

 

“I am very adventurous… and I really like to explore. That is the main reason why I am so interested in science… because (it covers) a wide variety of things. You can think of something… and there is always a possible way to create it,” adds the former Deputy Head Boy and Science Club Captain.

 

Likewise, Sue-Ann Jones believes science enables persons to learn something new every day.

 

“You get to explore things you never knew before and have mind-boggling experiences and create things that no one knew could happen or that they could invent,” says the 13-year-old, who is on her way to José Martí High School.

 

She credits her teachers, whom she says have “taught us well”, adding “without them, we wouldn’t have won four years in a row”.

 

For 12-year-old Akail Black, being a member of the Science Club has encouraged him to do his own experiments at home, such as making television antennas. “I get to explore things in science that I didn’t know before,” he says.

 

Akail, who will attend Norman Manley High School, says he is “inspired” by the school’s performance in the annual competition, and credits the enthusiasm and dedication of his peers and Mrs. Rose Taylor for her role in preparing them.

 

Kashif Dwyer, for his part, says that being a member of the Science Club has enabled him to do his own research and present his ideas, pointing out that “everyone has an opportunity to shine.”

 

The 11-year-old is on his way to Camperdown High School.

 

The other team members are Janay Williams, who will attend Meadowbrook High School, and Shawn Bull, who will return to Seaview for the 2018/19 academic year.

 

Mrs. Rose Taylor says she is encouraged by the passion displayed towards science, not just by the club members, but all of the students.

 

“In these days, for teachers to be able to get students to participate and maintain their interest in science, because they naturally acquire the passion for it, is a plus,” she tells JIS News.

 

Meanwhile, Mrs. Reid Prince says she is looking forward to “blazing the trail” once again, in the 2018/19 renewal of the SRC Science and Technology Fair and Competition.

 

“Most definitely! We are going back to the drawing board and we are going to brainstorm in preparation for next year,” the Science Club Coordinator emphatically states.

 

CAPTION: Young Innovators/Inventors Science Club Coordinator, Seaview Gardens Primary School, Racquel Rose Taylor (third left), outlines features of the ‘Emergency Respirator (ER)’ project, which won the school first place in the primary school category of the Scientific Research Council’s (SRC) National Science and Technology Fair and Competition in 2016/17. Club members Jadon Willis (left), Rihanna Hinds (third right), and Akail Black (second right), demonstrate how the respirator works. Looking on are School Principal, Sangieanna Reid Prince (second left); and club member, Sue Ann Jones (right).

 

JIS: Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dr. Grace McLean, says the Ministry has commenced work with the Book Industry Association of Jamaica (BIAJ) as part of preparations for the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations in 2019.

 

Books have already been submitted to the Ministry for review, and this should be completed for the 2019 school year.

 

Speaking with JIS News in a recent interview, Dr. McLean explained that although the process of developing material is under way, it will take time for the new set of grade-six books to be developed for use under the new system. As a result, some existing material will be used in the interim.

 

“We do not expect that the full set of books will be out until about 2020/2021. However, the content has not changed completely, so there are textbooks that will continue to be used, along with resource material that would have been specially developed by the Ministry to be distributed to schools this year for that preparation,” she informed.

 

The PEP, which students will sit for the first time next year, replaces the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) as the national secondary-school-placement examination. It is intended to provide an improved and more complete profile of students’ academic and critical-thinking capabilities at the end of primary level education.

 

Dr. McLean pointed out that the Ministry will provide guidance in the development of workbooks.

 

“I know definitely for 2019, we will not have adequate workbooks approved by the Ministry on the market. That is why the Ministry will do the specimen paper and other guidelines that we will provide to the system for them to utilise. By 2020, we expect that everything will be sorted out,” she said.

 

Dr. McLean explained that those workbooks are provided by publishers, and schools decide whether they want the students/parents to buy them.

 

“Those are not going to assist significantly, because those workbooks are mainly multiple-choice questions or Communication Task questions. So, we will have to ensure that we provide guidance to the system in terms of workbooks,” she said.

 

CAPTION: Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dr. Grace McLean, speaks at a Kiwanis Club of Downtown Kingston luncheon recently.

JIS: Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dr. Grace McLean, says the Ministry has commenced work with the Book Industry Association of Jamaica (BIAJ) as part of preparations for the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations in 2019.

 

Books have already been submitted to the Ministry for review, and this should be completed for the 2019 school year.

 

Speaking with JIS News in a recent interview, Dr. McLean explained that although the process of developing material is under way, it will take time for the new set of grade-six books to be developed for use under the new system. As a result, some existing material will be used in the interim.

 

“We do not expect that the full set of books will be out until about 2020/2021. However, the content has not changed completely, so there are textbooks that will continue to be used, along with resource material that would have been specially developed by the Ministry to be distributed to schools this year for that preparation,” she informed.

 

The PEP, which students will sit for the first time next year, replaces the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) as the national secondary-school-placement examination. It is intended to provide an improved and more complete profile of students’ academic and critical-thinking capabilities at the end of primary level education.

 

Dr. McLean pointed out that the Ministry will provide guidance in the development of workbooks.

 

“I know definitely for 2019, we will not have adequate workbooks approved by the Ministry on the market. That is why the Ministry will do the specimen paper and other guidelines that we will provide to the system for them to utilise. By 2020, we expect that everything will be sorted out,” she said.

 

Dr. McLean explained that those workbooks are provided by publishers, and schools decide whether they want the students/parents to buy them.

 

“Those are not going to assist significantly, because those workbooks are mainly multiple-choice questions or Communication Task questions. So, we will have to ensure that we provide guidance to the system in terms of workbooks,” she said.

 

CAPTION: Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dr. Grace McLean, speaks at a Kiwanis Club of Downtown Kingston luncheon recently.

JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information is ramping up its career guidance programme, which is expected to produce school-leavers who are better prepared for the 21st century job market.

 

Minister of State in the Ministry, Hon. Floyd Green, says the programme will provide secondary-school students with critical information on the skills required by the job market, which will help them make more informed career choices.

 

The State Minister was speaking at an information session hosted by the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC), at its Worthington Avenue premises in St. Andrew, on August 7.

 

“What you find oftentimes is that our young people are still unaware of the present-day realities in relation to the world of work and in relation to the society which we now live in, and how quickly our society is evolving and the fact that some of the jobs that we clamour after now, by the time you are finished with university, those jobs won’t be around,” he said.

 

Mr. Green noted that while old jobs are becoming extinct, new jobs are being created that, oftentimes, students seem to be unaware of. “We have to strengthen our career guidance…the reality is there are a lot of exciting professions out there,” he added.

 

In the meantime, he reiterated the Ministry’s drive for the full establishment of seven-year high schools, so that more students can continue their training through the traditional sixth form and the Career Advancement Programme (CAP).

 

“In the modern world, just finishing high school with CXC subjects is not enough; it doesn’t work anymore. The world now needs people with skills – certifiable skills. So, the certification has become so valuable, you can’t stop at the secondary level,” he emphasised.

 

Mr. Green commended the UCC on its partnership with the regional external examination body, Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), which will see UCC offering CXC associate degrees.

 

He hailed the leaders of UCC for their visionary outlook, which has seen them continually finding new avenues to increase access to tertiary education.

 

Under the agreement, UCC will partner with CXC to deliver the associate degree programmes across the island. Additionally, the UCC and CXC will allow applicants for the UCC academic programmes to have their CXC qualifications sent directly to the university, even before their formal release to the local CXC offices.

 

The UCC and CXC will also be jointly establishing a Student Advising and Career Centre at UCC’s main campus in Kingston, for the benefit of CXC students who are not linked to an educational institution, but who require academic and career guidance and mentoring.

 

CAPTION: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, addresses an information session hosted by the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC) at its Worthington Avenue premises in St. Andrew on August 7.

JIS: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, is encouraging parents to help their children in high school to focus on tertiary education.

 

Delivering the keynote address at a forum for new secondary students held today (July 31), at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston, Mr. Green said as the children enter secondary institutions, they need to be cultured into obtaining advanced training to make themselves marketable, as the days are long gone when high-school certificates alone can take persons to fitting careers.

 

“Set your minds firmly on your tertiary education. When you go to high school, you must be focused. Remember, you are not there to waste time; you are there as part of the journey towards your ultimate goal,” he told the students.

 

Mr. Green said while high school will be an exciting time for the students, it will have its challenges, and the role of caregivers and parents is crucial to make them use the period for personal development and to prepare for adult life.

 

He emphasised that students must be passionate about their goals. “This will help you to work towards something,” the State Minister said.

 

Mr. Green said the Government is making the school environment suitable for learning, and also ensuring that when children work hard, they can achieve their best.

 

He reiterated that the Government will pay for all subjects that wards of the State sit while they are in high school.

 

The forum was hosted by the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) under the theme ‘Forging the Path Ahead’. The agency recognised 157 children who sat the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) earlier this year.

 

The event was staged to prepare the students to make a smooth transition to high school, with a focus on bullying, overcoming fear, managing their studies, building self-confidence, adjusting to their new school environment, and school safety.

 

CAPTION: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, converses with three wards of the State, at the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) Education Transitioning Forum held today (July 31), at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston. The agency also recognised 157 children who sat the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT). The event was staged to prepare the students to make a smooth transition to high school.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, has hailed the National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC) as a catalyst for social change in Jamaica.

 

The Minister, who was speaking at the NPSC’s Mentorship Programme graduation ceremony, held at the Jewel Dunn’s River Beach Resort & Spa in St. Ann on Tuesday (July 31), said the Commission has been playing a key role in social change by re-enforcing the need for good parenting practices in the country.

 

“It is catalytic, because we have been promoting the importance and efficacy of parenting and holistic education, [while] understanding how we prepare ourselves to become parents in the same instance,” the Minister said.

 

According to Senator Reid, the country’s battle with crime and violence largely had its genesis with the breakdown of families, and, as such, he is encouraging struggling parents to seek help from the requisite government agencies instead of “falling prey to their circumstances”.

 

He added that his Ministry, in a collaborative way, is establishing brain-builder centres in every constituency across the island to offer additional support to parents.

 

“If we can provide support through the National Parenting Support Commission for those who are poor and vulnerable, through the Ministry of Labour and Social Security’s PATH programme…. [then] we have to work to make sure that all our children are getting an equally good start, equally good nurturing and caring environment,” he said.

 

In the meanwhile, he lauded the graduates for their commitment and reassured them that they are needed in the field to ensure that all is being done to support the holistic development of the nation’s children, and that parents are playing their part to facilitate this development.

 

Some 42 volunteer parent mentors graduated from the Mentorship programme, which has become the flagship programme of the NPSC. It is a volunteer-based programme that offers 10 modules in effective parenting.

 

The graduates represent the fourth cohort of parents who have been trained under the programme, dubbed ‘From Street Talk, to Real Talk’.

 

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

JIS: Fifty animation instructors from training institutions across the island have upgraded their skills under the Government’s Youth Employment in the Digital and Animation Industries (YEDAI) Project.

 

The instructors, who were selected from secondary, tertiary and vocational institutions, went through extensive skills development as part of the ‘Train The Trainers’ component of the project, which is being executed by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM).

 

Speaking at a closing ceremony for the participants on Friday (July 27) at the Excelsior Community College in Kingston, Principal Finance Officer at the OPM, Rosalie Phipps, urged them to pass on the new skills to students so that Jamaica can gain more from the US$ 220 billion global animation industry.

 

She noted that the training is intended to “continuously build the capacity of Jamaican instructors, which will, in turn, improve the skills of young people so that they can participate in the growing animation industry.”

 

Ms. Phipps informed that the ‘Train The Trainers’ initiative  has been growing since YEDAI as implemented over three years ago, noting  the success of students  in the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE).

 

Being undertaken through funding from the World Bank, YEDAI has the objective of fostering entrepreneurship and employability among Jamaican youth and creating a favourable and innovative ecosystem for the emergence and growth of youth-led start-up enterprises.

 

The ‘Train the Trainers’ component aims to enhance effectiveness in the delivery of local animation training programmes.

 

It is designed with input from local animation studios and institutions, and international education experts, for effective instruction in the fundamental principles of 2D and 3D animation.

 

Vice Principal at Excelsior Community College, Dr. Zaria Malcolm, said that the institution was happy to host the training programme, which will help to prepare youngsters to participate in a lucrative global industry.

 

“We are committed to playing our part in the (training) of the Jamaican labour force,” she added.

 

CAPTION: Principal Finance Officer at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Rosalie Phipps (2nd right), along with Co-Task Team Leader at the World Bank, Karlene Francis (2nd left), and Project Manager for the OPM Youth Employment in the Digital and Animation Industries (YEDAI) Project, Margery Newland (right), celebrate with animation instructors at the closing ceremony for YEDAI’s ‘Train the Trainers’ course held on (July 27) at the Excelsior Community College in Kingston. Fifty animation instructors participated in the training.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth, and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says the tertiary education system is being restructured in order to meet the demands of the 21st century and beyond.

 

He said the objective is to better enable the sector to “lead the way in positioning the rest of the education system to prepare for the future as well as retrofitting and re-aligning its programmes to meet the needs of the labour market over the short and long-term.”

 

“This will herald a change in the formulation of the entire sector (and) will include the re-organisation of the governance arrangements for oversight, funding from government, provision of grants, scholarships and bursaries for students and re-organisation of individual institutions in keeping with the mandate and needs of the sector,” Minister Reid outlined.

 

He was addressing the University Council of Jamaica’s (UCJ) Strategic Planning Retreat held on July 26 at the Iberostar Rose Hall Suites Hotel in Montego Bay, St. James.

 

Senator Reid informed that a draft policy has been prepared, outlining the necessary steps towards the establishment of a higher education commission, which will provide oversight of the sector.

 

“This arrangement will see a full restructuring of the bodies that currently provide oversight and will also call for new legislation,” he indicated.

 

As part of the re-organisation, the sector will be referred to as the ‘higher education” system and will incorporate academic, vocational, professional education and training as well as lifelong learning in a more comprehensive way.

 

Minister Reid further informed that efforts will be made to broaden the appeal of the various institutions to better attract the interest of the international community.

 

“The system shall be internationalised through the inclusion and integration of regional and global perspectives and dimensions into its systems, policies, curricula, and processes,” he noted.

 

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

JIS: Mathematics Coordinator in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dr. Tamika Benjamin, is calling for private-sector partnership in the thrust to get more students to embrace mathematics.

 

“We want to encourage members of the private sector, who are willing to come on board through a public-private partnership, in supporting us as we continue to push for all Jamaicans to recognise that mathematics is important in our everyday lives,” she said.

 

She argued that “if we are going to take our country to a place where the average individual is going to be able to access jobs that pay well… we have to ensure that everyone is competent in mathematics”.

 

“For many of the fields, whether traditional or non-traditional, people need to be mathematically competent,” she emphasised.

 

Dr. Benjamin was addressing TANG’s Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) Scholarship Awards luncheon at the Hotel Four Seasons in St. Andrew on July 26.

 

Three students – Vitannia Bedward, Khadedra John and Tai Grant – were presented with scholarships valued at $50,000 each for scoring 100 per cent in mathematics.

 

Vitannia, who attended Mico Practising Primary and Junior High in St. Andrew; and Khadedra, from Southborough Primary in Portmore, St. Catherine, will be attending Immaculate Conception High School in September.

 

Tai, who attended Black River Primary in St. Elizabeth, will be moving to Munro College.

 

Dr. Benjamin commended the students for the excellent work, so too the teachers, parents and others who helped to lay a strong foundation.

 

She also praised TANG for its continued support to education through the scholarship programme.

 

Brand Manager for TANG, Shellian Thompson, noted that the awards scheme, now in its seventh year, aims to recognise outstanding achievement in maths by rewarding top-performing GSAT students.

 

“TANG wants to help the Ministry of Education to remove the stigma and fear often associated with maths by providing incentives to our students to shine in the subject,” she said.

 

CAPTION: Business Development Manager at Facey Commodity Company Limited, Pernal Elliston (second right), speaking with 2018 TANG Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) Scholarship Award recipient, Tai Grant (right) during the TANG GSAT Awards luncheon held at the Hotel Four Seasons in St. Andrew on July 26. Fellow scholarship recipients, Khadedra John (left) and Vitannia Bedward, share the moment. Facey Commodity is the distrbutor of TANG in Jamaica.

JIS: Starting in September this year, entrepreneurship classes will become mandatory in all high schools.

 

State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, says this is one of the major initiatives of the Government to revamp the education system to produce more rounded individuals.

 

“[We have] realigned our curriculum in what we now call the new standards curriculum to focus less on the passing of exams and more on the person we create at the end of the educational journey,” he notes.

 

The State Minister was addressing the opening of a two-day Youth for Sustainable Development Conference at the University of Technology (UTech) in St. Andrew on Thursday (July 26).

 

He said that for a long time, in Jamaica and across the Commonwealth, the educational system has focused on the “conveyor belt” approach, where students keep moving along the system regardless of the outcome of their schooling.

 

Mr. Green argued that this practice has to change in order to produce critical thinkers and individuals who are capable of creating sustainable, meaningful futures.

 

He noted that a key part of this undertaking is to provide students with the tools to become self-sufficient through exposure to entrepreneurship principles.

 

To this end, the Ministry has partnered with Junior Achievement Jamaica (JAJ) to incorporate the Junior Achievement Company of Entrepreneurs (JACE) programme into the ninth-grade curriculum.

 

“So, all our grade-nine students will come together in groups, and they will have to work with a business plan, they will have to put together a business and the business must have the principles of sustainability,” he said.

 

The programme, which has already reached 40 schools, with another 80 high schools targeted in the new school year, provides hands-on experience in running a business while students learn the fundamental skills necessary to make successful enterprises.

 

It is expected that the learning and practical experience gained from running the companies will provide students with a viable option to pursue entrepreneurship as their main income stream or may supplement it while being employed in their particular areas of training.

 

The JAJ is part of the global non-profit organisation, Junior Achievement Worldwide, which provides training for young people in entrepreneurship, financial literacy and work-readiness.

 

CAPTION: State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green (left), in discussion with Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Founder of Youth for Sustainable Development (Y4SD), Rochelle Reid James, prior to the start of a two-day Y4SD conference at the University of Technology (UTech), in St. Andrew, on Thursday (July 26