JIS: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says a grooming policy for schools will come into effect when the 2018/19 academic year begins in September.

 

He says the Ministry has signed off on the policy that will provide guidelines to assist administrators and parents in determining the acceptability, appropriateness and suitability of students’ general appearance for school, particularly in relation to how hair is worn.

 

“The law allows the school to set rules, and then you are required to abide by them. Part of the guideline is to say to schools, they must review their rules so that they conform to the laws of the constitution and they must engage their stakeholders so that they can all agree about what rules are reasonable,” Senator Reid said.

 

He was speaking at a Ministry sensitization session at the Montego Bay High School auditorium in St. James on Thursday (August 23).

 

Senator Reid encouraged parents and other stakeholders to view the full policy on the Ministry’s website at www.moe.gov.jm.

 

Additionally, he anticipates that schools administrators will collaborate with Parent-Teachers Associations (PTA) to ensure consensus among all parties on policies being embarked on.

 

The sensitization session was also used to discuss the Primary Exit Profile (PEP), the provision of metal detectors in school, the expanded pilot rural school bus programme, the proposed nutrition policy, and commencement of the seven-year secondary programme, which is slated to begin in the upcoming academic year.

 

CAPTION: Education, Youth, and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, addressing stakeholders during the Ministry’s sensitization session at the Montego Bay High School Auditorium in St. James on Thursday (August 23).

JIS: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, says the Government is investing more resources in education for the 2018/19 academic year in a bid to further improve students’ academic and developmental outcomes.

 

Mr. Green said the Government is pleased with the notable improvements in students’ performance in this year’s Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) external examinations and Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), and anticipates that with increased funding and other resources, the 2018/19 outcomes will surpass those.

 

“Education moves generations and people forward. So we as (the) Government have to ensure that we’re doing all we can to create that excellence in education. That is why in the last two years, we have been putting significant resources into our education system,” the State Minister said.

 

He was speaking at Victoria Mutual Building Society’s (VMBS) 2018 scholarship awards presentation ceremony at The Knutsford Court Hotel, New Kingston, on Thursday (August 23).

 

Mr. Green said the Government has been meticulous and strategic in allocating significant resources at every level of the education system.

 

 “For example, in our primary schools, we used to give $850 per child for school operation… we have moved that to $2,500 per child for every school. At the secondary level, we used to give $11,500 per child… we have moved that to $19,500,” he informed.

 

Additionally, the State Minister said funding for school-feeding programmes has also been increased so that needy students can be offered at least one meal daily.

 

“When we look at our school-feeding programme, we were only feeding children three times for the week. We put $2 billion into that system so that we could feed our children at least five times – every day of the week,” Mr. Green said.

 

He maintained that the Administration remains committed to “putting much more resources into education to try and (engender academic) excellence (in our students).”

 

Meanwhile, Mr. Green commended VMBS for, this year, awarding scholarships valued at $1.82 million to needy students and those saving with the institution.

 

Teacher from Little London, Westmoreland, Treshana Weise, was awarded the VM Foundation’s 2018 Master Plan Scholarship valued at $160,000, to pursue tertiary-level studies.

 

Tertiary students, Jevaughan Carty, Tashae Bowes, Ricardo Dyke and Nicholas Nelson were awarded Future Plan Scholarships valued at $130,000 each.

 

The top-performing Grade Six Achievement Test student for each of the counties, who are also VMBS Junior Plan savers, received the 2018 Junior Plan County Scholarships.

 

They are: Afiya Morris from Cornwall; Rishona Williamson – Middlesex; and Karla Daley – Surrey. Their scholarships are valued at $40,000 each.

 

Fifty-one other top-performing students from all parishes islandwide, who also save with VMBS, were awarded scholarships valued at $20,000 each.

 

CAPTION: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green (right), presents an award to Victoria Mutual Building Society (VMBS) tertiary level scholar, Tashae Bowes, during the institution’s scholarship awards presentation ceremony at The Knutsford Court Hotel, New Kingston, on Thursday (August 23).

JIS: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says the Ministry will be conducting a survey to ascertain schools’ readiness for the Primary Exit Profile’s (PEP) implementation in the 2018/19 academic year, which begins in September.

 

He says while he is confident that it is “all systems go” for some Regions, schools and teachers that are not ready to implement the new curriculum need to be identified so that the necessary resources and support can be deployed to get them prepared.

 

PEP will replace the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) as the secondary school placement examination.

 

The Minister was delivering the keynote address at the Jamaica Association of Education Officers’ Presidential Inauguration and Awards Ceremony at Royalton White Sands Resort in Trelawny on Thursday (August 23).

 

Senator Reid reassured Principals and teachers voicing concerns regarding details about PEP that the Ministry will provide the necessary support to assist them to better understand the examination.

 

Meanwhile, the Minister praised education officers for their sterling contribution to the sector.

 

In highlighting retired education officers who were recognised by the association for outstanding service, he said they have played a critical role in the sector’s transformation and expressed gratitude to them on behalf of the Government.

 

“I want to… thank you for your yeoman service. The business of education is a labour of love. We don’t do it for the ‘likes’… we do it for the love,” the Minister stated.

 

Senator Reid said he believed that the Education Ministry is, arguably, among the top-performing Portfolios of Government, by virtue of its performance, which he attributed to the education officers’ extraordinary support.

 

Eleven retired education officers received awards for their exceptional contribution to various areas of the education system, including curriculum development.

 

CAPTION: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (left), presents an award to retired member of the Jamaica Association of Education Officers, Molly Russell, for her contribution to the education sector. The presentation was made during the Association’s Presidential Inauguration and Awards Ceremony at Royalton White Sands Resort in Trelawny on Thursday (August 23).

JIS: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, says the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) will help the nation’s youth to be more prepared for new jobs being created globally.

 

Speaking at Victoria Mutual Building Society’s (VMBS) 2018 scholarship awards presentation ceremony at The Knutsford Court Hotel, in St. Andrew, on August 23, Mr. Green not only reiterated his call for parents, teachers, school administrators and stakeholders at the primary level to embrace PEP, but to understand the difference it will make in the lives of the future generation, especially as it relates to employment.

 

“The reality is that entry [level] jobs are being taken away from the system, so unless you have higher skills, you just won’t survive. It is very important to make that point, because for too long we’ve talked about reform, and we have not reformed,” he said.

 

Mr. Green said the Ministry also believes the time is right for reforming early childhood institutions into Brain Building Centres, as this will complement the PEP system.

 

“Education has to start from the earliest point [zero to three years]. We have spent a lot of time focusing on our early childhood institutions, trying to ensure that all our early childhood institutions are certified, because if they [infants and babies] go to the basic school [and] the infant schools and they come out and they’re not ready to learn, then we’ll have a problem,” he said.

 

Mr. Green said the Government is as equally focused on the Brain Building Centres as PEP, because 80 per cent of development in the brain happens in early stages between zero to three years.

 

“It’s not just a place that you will carry your child and leave. It is somewhere that your child will be stimulated, because the Government is going to provide an early childhood practitioner to work with the children,” the State Minister explained.

 

“We’re looking to set up 126 this year right across Jamaica, free of cost for our parents who need to have somewhere to bring their children, so that they can get [not only] the safety, but also the stimulation in those early years,” he added.  

 

Mr. Green congratulated the 59 students who were awarded by VMBS.

 

Teacher from Little London in Westmoreland, Treshana Weise, was announced the recipient of the highest cash scholarship the Building Society offered this year – the VM Foundation 2018 Master Plan Scholarship – which is worth $160,000 for tertiary level studies.

 

Tertiary level students, Jevaughan Carty, Tashae Bowes, Ricardo Dyke and Nicholas Nelson were each awarded with VM Foundation 2018 Future Plan Scholarships, valued at $130,000 each.

 

The three top-performing GSAT students per county, who are also Junior Plan savers with VMBS, were awarded with VM Foundation 2018 Junior Plan County Scholarships. They are: Afiya Morris from Cornwall, Rishona Williamson from Middlesex and Karla Daley from Surrey. They were each awarded with scholarships valued at $40,000.

 

Fifty-one other top-performing students from all parishes across the island, who also save with VMBS, were awarded with scholarships valued at $20,000 each.

 

CAPTION: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green (right), greets Victoria Mutual Building Society’s 2018 Grade Six Achievement Scholar, David Hamilton (second right), along with other scholars at the Scholarship Awards Presentation Ceremony, held at The Knutsford Court Hotel in St. Andrew, on Thursday (August 23).

JIS: The total number of certified early childhood institutions islandwide will shortly increase to 113, up from 17 a year ago.

 

This, according to Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, reinforces the Government’s solid commitment to the early childhood sector’s development.

 

He was speaking at the Jamaica Teachers’ Association’s (JTA) 54th Annual Conference at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa in Montego Bay, St. James, on Wednesday (August 22).

 

Senator Reid said the Early Childhood Commission (ECC) has been crafting a strategy for the sector’s full transformation, which is slated to be rolled out when the 2018/19 academic year begins in September.

 

He said the Ministry has been working to streamline and align the education system, noting that “our focus is to support the birth to three years old group through the early stimulation programme, (thereby) allowing our babies to be developmentally ready (by age) three.”

 

Emphasising that the first 1,000 days are the most critical of a child’s development, Senator Reid said his Ministry will be partnering with the Ministries of Health, and Labour and Social Security, to undertake supporting engagements to be implemented by the ECC.

 

These, he indicated, include developmental assessments to understand competencies in order to create the learning environment that fosters early stage learners’ development, while assuring that “we are fully committed to improving the quality of our early childhood institutions as we firmly believe in providing a good start at this level.”

 

Meanwhile, Senator Reid advised that the 2018/19 Age Four Assessment will, for the second time, “allow us to identify, from very early, any development deficiencies to be corrected in our children.”

 

He said the Ministry also continues to make significant strides in advancing its K-13 Strategy.

 

Notable among its initiatives, the Minister pointed out, is the recently launched 0-3 Brain Builders Programme, which will benefit over 126 institutions. The programme is expected to be rolled out in the first 17 schools in September.

 

In the meantime, Senator Reid said primary level student preparations for transition to secondary education continues to trend in the right direction.

 

He noted that the outcome of the Grade Six Achievement Test’s (GSAT) final sitting earlier this year showed improvements in four of the five subject areas – Science, Social Studies, Communication Task and Language Arts.

 

This, he added, resulted in “100 per cent of our students (being) placed in seven-year high schools.”

 

“The Ministry was able to achieve this as a result of the provision of additional classrooms to a number of our schools and the upgrade to full seven-year high schools of Nain, New Forrest, Aberdeen and Perth Town Academy,” Senator Reid further pointed out.

 

He also said candidates who entered for 35 subjects in the 2017/18 Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) came out with satisfactory results.

 

“There was an overall increase by 0.2 percentage point over the previous year with a 91.2 per cent receiving acceptable grades. As was the case last year, there was improved performance in 23 subject areas,” the Minister stated.

 

Additionally, he said 30,343 or 88.9 per cent of the 34,139 students who sat the 2017/18 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination obtained acceptable grades.

 

Senator Reid noted that Mathematics and English Language recorded passes of 57.8 and 75.4 per cent, respectively.

 

This, he pointed out, is a 7.6 and 4.6 per cent increase, respectively.

 

CAPTION: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, delivering the keynote address at the Jamaica Teachers’ Association’s 54th Annual Conference at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa in Montego Bay, St. James, on Wednesday (August 22).

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) will help to create a more inclusive education system.

 

The PEP, which is scheduled to begin in the September 2018/19 academic year, will replace the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) as the national secondary school entrance test. 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.

 

Addressing the 2018 Sagicor Foundation Scholarship awardees on Thursday (August 23) at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, in New Kingston, the Minister explained that PEP “is a new methodology and a better methodology, because what we are trying to do is reach everybody.”

 

“We want to break down barriers, so we have to cater to the different learning styles. The education system has to be flexible and agile. Some persons learn in abstract ways, some persons are visual, auditory and kinaesthetic, so it is an inclusive system. I don’t want anyone left behind, so we have to create an education system that takes everybody on board,” he emphasised.

 

The Minister noted that the new system is a better way for children to learn and apply concepts.

 

“When you begin to understand the concepts, you become far more creative and you will become the next engineer, the next architect, because you are creating, designing and applying the knowledge and the concepts you have learned to solve problems,” he argued.

 

This year, the Sagicor Foundation awarded 75 secondary and tertiary students with scholarships. The scholarships will cover the cost of tuition books and other related school supplies.

 

Meanwhile, Sagicor Foundation Chairman, Dr. the Hon. R. Danny Williams, commended the awardees for the attitude and values they displayed throughout the scholarship process.

 

“Being granted a scholarship is not something to take lightly… you are among the best and it is an achievement of which you should be very proud. Being a member of the selection committee, we were all impressed by the fact that you all exuded a sense of national pride and are eager to give back to your country and are looking forward to when you will be leaders of the country,” he said.

 

The number of scholarships awarded to students who completed the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) this year and have successfully matriculated to secondary school has increased from 37 last year to 50 this year.

 

In the GSAT category, 27 children of JDF employees were awarded with academic grants valued at $40,000 for this school year, while the other 23 GSAT awardees received full scholarships valued at $50,000 each annually for their five years at secondary school. The full scholarships are renewed per annum on the condition that the awardees maintain an average of 80 per cent and above.

 

For the tertiary scholarships, 25 students were selected based on academic performance, community involvement and voluntarism, strong leadership potential and financial need.

 

Each awardee received a renewable scholarship valued at up to $250,000 towards tuition fees for a maximum of four years.

 

The tertiary scholars will be pursuing their first degrees in various fields of study at The University of the West Indies (UWI), University of Technology (UTech), The Mico University College,

 

Northern Caribbean University (NCU), Caribbean Maritime University and the Edna Manly College of the Visual and Performing Arts.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, speaks at the 2018 Sagicor Foundation Scholarship Awards ceremony, held on Thursday, August 23 at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston

JIS: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, is hailing the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts as an important contributor to the development of Caribbean culture, and Jamaica as a brand.

 

Addressing a staff development conference at the school’s Arthur Wint Drive headquarters in Kingston on August 23, Senator Reid said the College must nourish and nurture Jamaica’s unique international brand for generations to come.

 

The Minister emphasised that all stakeholders must work together to ensure that the College achieve its individual and collective pursuits in a spirit of camaraderie.

 

“The College is certainly a great Caribbean centre of learning and development and it is important that we preserve (this) legacy while we embrace the challenges and opportunities of the future,” Senator Reid said.

 

“We must never forget that this noble institution is the leading regional voice as it relates to training in the arts, and it is no ordinary college,” he added.

 

Meanwhile, Vice Principal of Academic Affairs at the College, Carol Hamilton, told JIS News that the conference, which includes all categories of staff, is being held to “bring everyone back together to refocus and to look again at the College’s mission and objectives.”

 

“We have these conferences twice for the academic year at the start of each semester. It is essentially just to be ready to meet the students next week. We do workshops, we reflect on our past achievements, what worked and what didn’t,” the Vice Principal said.

 

CAPTION: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (right), in discussion with Principal of the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, Nicholeen DeGrasse-Johnson (second left), at a staff development conference at the institution’s Arthur Wint Drive headquarters in St. Andrew on August 23. Others (from left) are: Vice Principal of Academic Affairs, Carol Hamilton, and College Orator, Dr. Amina Blackwood Meeks.

JIS: Over 30 young persons from communities across the Corporate Area have been certified after completing six months of training under the ‘Strengthening the Culture of Integrity Jamaica Project: Skills Building for Integrity Programme’.

 

The engagement, which was initiated and implemented by the Women’s Resource and Outreach Centre (WROC) Limited, targeted persons, aged 17 to 45, who were taught English Language, Mathematics, and social and personal development life skills, and offered psychosocial support.

 

The initiative, which qualifies the participants to enrol in HEART Trust/NTA programmes, also exposed them to training in information technology; integrity; human rights; gender, parenting and family planning; and covered several topics including sexual and reproductive rights, and how corruption influences lives.

 

Additionally, they were taught résumé writing, interviewing skills, dressing for the work environment, professional etiquette, and entrepreneurship.

 

The participants received their certificates during a graduation ceremony at Alhambra Inn in St. Andrew on Wednesday (August 22).

 

Youngsters involved in the WROC’s summer school programme were also presented with certificates of participation.

 

Speaking at the ceremony, WROC’s Executive Director, Nikeisha Sewell Lewis, said the training will enhance the lives of the participants by equipping them with critical knowledge and skills.

 

Ms. Sewell Lewis, in congratulating the beneficiaries, assured them that “at WROC, you have found a family who is going to be there to continue to support you, and we look forward to going to more graduations (with you).”

 

“We know at WROC that if you want to see a new Jamaica… if you want to see a Jamaica where corruption is spurned and integrity is number one, then you have to work with young people and we know that the youth, particularly in our communities, are very vulnerable. So we took on this project not to empower the youth, but to allow them to empower themselves,” she said.

 

Psychologist Deandra Brown, who was guest speaker, encouraged the graduates to always endeavour to strive for the best and implored “don’t give up on your goals and dreams…be the best (that) you can.”

 

National Integrity Action (NIA) representative, Hezekiah Hall, said the training will expose the participants to valuable life skills which will enhance holistic development.

 

Skills Building Coordinator, Ivan Coore, informed that of the 47 programme participants, 32 completed the six-month training component, while 23 gained passes in Mathematics and English.

 

In expressing gratitude for the initiative, beneficiary, Stephen McDonald, lauded the organisers for conceptualising the programme, noting that it provides a platform for youth development.

 

The programme was sponsored by the NIA and United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

 

CAPTION: Skills Building Coordinator, Women’s Resource and Outreach Centre (WROC) Limited, Ivan Coore (left), congratulates Mansfield Greensword (right), who successfully completed the WROC’s six-month ‘Strengthening the Culture of Integrity Jamaica Project: Skills Building for Integrity Programme’, during a graduation ceremony at Alhambra Inn in St. Andrew on Wednesday (August 22). Other participants (from 2nd left) are: Paulette Lyons Shaw and Stephen McDonald.

JIS: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, is again encouraging Jamaicans to embrace and not fear the new Primary Exit Profile (PEP) which will replace the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) as the national secondary-school placement examination.

 

“We can understand the fears and the concerns. But I encourage all Jamaica to embrace this as an opportunity for the transformation of our people from mere consumers of technology and consumers of information to now being people who can create knowledge and who can create technology,” he said.

 

Mr. Holness was addressing an awards ceremony at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) on Wednesday (August 22) for children of OPM and Office of the Cabinet staff members who were successful in the final sitting of the GSAT earlier this year.

 

He said the thrust to create a digital society and a knowledge-based economy will require people who can innovate, think outside of the box, apply knowledge to real world problems, and are solutions-oriented persons, adding that PEP is designed to prepare youngsters for these engagements.

 

PEP, which students will sit for the first time in the upcoming 2018/19 academic year, is intended to provide an improved and more complete profile of students’ academic and critical-thinking capabilities at the end of primary-level education.

 

Prime Minister Holness emphasised that PEP will create a new type of Jamaica – “one (who) has a more curious mind… who is looking more for solutions, rather than being pedantic… is not afraid of technology, but believes in the process of investigation (and) discovery, and applying existing knowledge to current problems to come up with solutions.”

 

“I think the transition from GSAT to PEP will be better for the country and for the generations to come,” he asserted.

 

Mr. Holness explained that PEP, unlike GSAT, “won’t be one exam that will determine your fate”, instead, it will require students to sit a series of exams over three years.

 

“So you will not have one exam determine your life chance. The exam is not only geared for the brightest, those who can read and assimilate and then regurgitate; it tests a broader range of skills. So we want to know how you function in the real world. Can you take the knowledge that your have learnt and apply it to real world situations? That’s profound. That’s fundamental to the growth and development of the Jamaican economy and our society,” he said.

 

Mr. Holness pointed out, however, that the exam will take teachers out of their comfort zones because they will now be tasked with inspiring students to come up with their own solutions.

 

“So it is not just a different type of exam; it will really take a different kind of approach to teaching as well,” he said.

 

Meanwhile, Mr. Holness commended the GSAT awardees on their performance, noting that they “will have the distinction to be the last generation of Jamaicans to sit that…examination”.

 

“I know many of you would’ve gotten your school of choice. That means that you would’ve worked very hard and your parents are very relieved; and we at OPM are doing our little part to ensure that you can continue with your education,” he said.

 

During the event, the Prime Minister presented 10 students with back-to-school gift vouchers.

 

CAPTION: Mr. Holness was addressing an awards ceremony at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) on Wednesday (August 22) for children of OPM and Office of the Cabinet staff members who were successful in the final sitting of the GSAT earlier this year.

JIS: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, has lauded the nation’s teachers for their outstanding contributions and continuous commitment to the profession.

 

He also praised them for their active roles in the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA), which this year presented awards to 16 educators in recognition of their excellent and steadfast service to Jamaica, above and beyond the call of duty.

 

The presentations were made during the JTA’s 54th annual conference awards ceremony at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa in Montego Bay, St. James, on Tuesday (August 21), at which the Minister was the keynote speaker.

 

“On behalf of the Government of Jamaica and team at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, I want to extend congratulations to (the) recipients (of) special awards, and in particular (for) your service to the Jamaica Teachers’ Association, an organisation I have been privileged to lead as President,” he stated.

 

Senator Reid, who encouraged the educators to continue their good work, said Jamaica is a better place as a result of the teachers’ dedication, professionalism, and commitment, which have left indelible marks on the lives of hundreds of persons.

 

“You have set a fine example for others to emulate. You have followed your passion and your calling and remained in a profession where, sometimes, the rewards rarely come in the form of material things. In your work with the JTA, you have committed to a role in advocacy not only for your colleagues, but for improvements in the education system,” the Minister shared.

 

Meanwhile, Senator Reid advised that as the mission to phase out the shift system continues, the Ministry has been able “to place every child into a full high school this year”, describing this as an “outstanding achievement”.

 

The three-day JTA conference, which concludes on Wednesday (August 22), is being held under the theme: ‘Promoting the Teaching Profession: A Beacon of Hope and Inspiration to Our Nation’.

 

CAPTION: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, addressing awardees and guests attending the Jamaica Teachers’ Association’s ( JTA) 54th annual conference awards ceremony at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa in Montego Bay, St. James, on Tuesday (August 21).