JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says a Special Education Policy has been developed and is ready for Cabinet submission.

 

He made the disclosure at a back-to-school conference for regions one, two and six, held at the Jamaica Conference Centre on June 14.

 

“We have never had a special-education policy, and we need to put it into legislation. We are about to submit that to Cabinet. We have done the work, and once that has been approved, we will [distribute] it to all our stakeholders,” the Minister said.

 

The Special Education Policy seeks to ensure access and equity for students with special needs in the education system.

 

Senator Reid also informed that a School to Work Transition Resource Guide (STWT) has been developed, which will guide educators in developing transition programmes for students with special needs at the secondary level.

 

“Research indicates that students with special needs are more likely to drop out of school and have more challenges transitioning to the world of work or tertiary education programme, once they complete secondary education,” the Minister noted.

 

Senator Reid said that over the last academic year the Ministry increased the support for students with special needs in the general education setting by providing additional Shadow/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,” the Minister said.

 

He said among these are several students in rural Jamaica who are blind and would have otherwise had to board in Kingston to attend the School for the Blind.

 

Meanwhile, Senator Reid noted that the Ministry has undertaken to provide financial and technical support for a new programme at the School for Therapy Education and Parenting (STEP Centre).

 

“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 explained.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (standing), makes a point as he addresses the Back-to-School conference for regions one, two and six, held at the Jamaica Conference Centre on June 14. Seated at left is Chief Education Officer in the Ministry, Dr. Grace McLean.

GLEANER: Collaborating with others is increasingly becoming a necessity for life success. After all, “no man is an island, and no man stands alone”.

 

Strong collaboration skills are necessary to work constructively and effectively in teams so that integration of individual expertise and ideas mesh into a coherent solution. In the world, face-to-face interaction with colleagues across a conference table has evolved. Workers increasingly accomplish tasks through mediated interactions with peers stationed across the world that they may never meet in person.

 

The very nature of how we interact has evolved, and is evolving, and requires a sophisticated skill set that requires development over time beginning in school.

 

As with other skills, we can no longer assume that collaborative competence is something that our students will learn on their own.

 

Collaboration is a process that results in other desired individual and group outcomes such as successful problem solving and enhanced intellectual development.

 

The National Standards Curriculum (NSC) highlights the importance of cooperative interpersonal capabilities. It describes collaboration as involving the discussion of ideas and concepts among team members to accomplish common goals and benefiting all parties.

 

NSC activities and Primary Exit Profile (PEP) assessments will require students to demonstrate this skill through various activities introduced in the classroom. Students will be expected to integrate the multiple perspectives to produce a final product while managing conflict that can often arise with group work.

 

Within the classroom setting, lesson plans for PEP performance tasks should be designed by your child’s teacher in such a way that reinforces shared responsibility among students and fostering inclusivity in making substantive decisions. These features help students learn important collaboration skills of negotiation, conflict resolution, agreement on what must be done, distribution of tasks, listening to the ideas of others, and integration of ideas into a coherent whole.

 

HAVE A CONVERSATION

  

For projects that are brought home, parents should be able to determine whether the learning activities are honing these skills. Parents can be alert and inquire if the child’s work is inter-dependent. Have a conversation with you child’s teacher to clarify whether this skill set is being developed and assessed.

 

When collaborative skills are honed at home, children will be able to apply them to all areas of life. Outside of in-school assignments, parents can help their children to become team players by:

 

– Encouraging them to interact with siblings or friends. Examples of activities are putting on a play, engaging in team sports or playing board games in teams. Be available to make suggestions as children practise negotiation skills.

 

– Acknowledging and affirming children when they work well together.

 

– Promoting communication and active listening. If children are having difficulty working together, take time to talk about differing perspectives. Encourage them to discuss their feelings and to listen to each other, giving opportunities to speak without interrupting.

 

Engaging in role play. Talk about “stepping into someone else’s shoes” to teach and to build empathy.

 

Talk with children about the value of a having a positive attitude, encouraging other group members, and including friends in groups.

 

Let’s prepare our kids for the skills they need not just for PEP, but life. Great collaborators are leaders, organisers, idea generators, helpers and encouragers. Let’s prepare them for success for their future and the future of Jamaica.

 

– Brittany Singh Williams is the founder of SPARK Education Ltd and is a senior adviser to the minister of state in the ministry of education, youth and information. Learn more about the 4C’s at “Enhancing Learning for 21st Century Students” on July 14, 2018, at 24 East King’s House Road. Register today at www.spark-education.com or call 876.576.7756.

JIS: The country’s first Transitional Living Complex for Children in State care will be opened soon at 24 Lady Musgrave Road, in Kingston.

 

Girls who will be exiting State care on turning 18 years of age will be accommodated at the location.

 

The complex is in the final stages of completion and is expected to be opened in August 2018. The total cost of the complex is $135 million.

 

Ground was broken for the complex in November 2015 and construction commenced in July 2017.

 

The building will house 40 young women aged 18 to 21 who have “aged out” of State care and have no options for safe housing.

 

Speaking to JIS News following a tour of the building on Thursday (June 7), State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green said “today is a very good day for us in the Ministry. This is something that has been a pipe dream of our child-protection service for a very long time”.

 

“To actually come to the building and see that we are close to the end brings me a lot of joy. It has always been a difficulty across our child-protection system where we have children leaving State care, transitioning out of our homes that have nowhere else to go. We have always said that we needed somewhere that our children could have some additional time, especially for those who are in educational institutions where they could live, go to school and work while they set themselves for a better life,” he said.

 

The complex has seven four-bedroom suites with double and single room accommodation, and shared living, dining and kitchen spaces. Also included is a Manager’s suite with separate office space and laundry facilities. The apartments will be outfitted with furniture and appliances.

 

During their stay over a period of two to three years, the residents will be mentored to achieve personal and career goals in preparation for independent living.

 

Also touring the site were Chief Executive Officer of the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), Rosalee Gage-Grey; and representatives from the Caribbean Child Development Centre (CCDC) and funding agency for the project, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which has provided US$5.2 million over six years.

 

Mrs. Gage-Grey told JIS News that the facility is one of the components of the programme, which seeks to support these young people as they make the transition to independent living.

 

“The facility is for any child who needs accommodation for transitioning. Young adults who are here will be at different stages, some will be in school, some will be learning a trade and some will be working. The aim is that any child who leaves State care, we will be able to help them to transition properly,” she said.

 

Two additional transitional facilities will be constructed, including one for boys.

 

The multicomponent project is being implemented through the collaborative efforts of the CCDC, University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus and the CPFSA.

 

CAPTION: State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green (right), examines building plans for Transitional Living Complex for Children in State located at 24 Lady Musgrave Road in Kingston during a tour on Thursday (June 7). Others (from left) are Deputy Principal of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Open Campus, Professor Julie Meeks; Programme Management Specialist for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Jamaica, Kenneth Williams; and Construction Technician for the project, Marsha Gaye-Wright.

JIS: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, says physical education is a very important part of the curriculum in schools and will be strengthened through public- and private-sector partnership.

 

Addressing a press conference to kick off a partnership between Sandals Resorts International, through its Beaches Resorts brand, and the Real Madrid Foundation out of Spain at Beaches Negril in Westmoreland on June 6, Mr. Green said the power of sports should never be underestimated, “which has helped to foster unity” across every spectrum in society.

 

“We across the education system have long recognised the power of sports. We have also recognised the great role that sports play in education, and which is why for a very long time in Jamaica, we always have a mandatory physical-education programme from the primary up to the secondary schools,” the State Minister said.

 

Mr. Green said the Ministry has also been busy trying to figure out “how we can strengthen our physical-education programmes,” adding that forming partnerships such as the one between Sandals and the Real Madrid Foundation “is a step in the right direction”.

 

The State Minister further noted that sports also help to create opportunities, and that many of Jamaica’s athletes have made it on the world stage based on the sporting programmes “in our schools”.

 

Sandals Resorts International and the Real Madrid Foundation are collaborating on a series of soccer clinics at Beaches Resorts slated for 2019.

 

Hosted in partnership with the Sandals Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Sandals Resorts International, this world-class educational and training programme will take place over two separate five-day periods, the first being in Negril from May 14-20, 2019 and the second at Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, from May 22-28, 2019.

 

Each training session will feature immersive instruction and sport value sessions by the Real Madrid Foundation coaches.

 

For his part, Deputy Chairman of Sandals Resorts International, Adam Stewart, said that partnering with the Real Madrid Foundation presents “a unique opportunity for us to bring local Caribbean children together with guests of the resorts, over the most popular sport in the world – soccer”.

 

“Our work with the Sandals Foundation aims to improve the communities of the Caribbean, and this partnership is an exciting way for us to continue these efforts and facilitate bonds between visitors and locals alike,” he said.

 

CAPTION: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says there was no fallout in the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) results from the state of emergency (SOE) and zones of special operations (ZOSOs).

 

“Overall, to the credit of our students, parents and teachers, they have demonstrated resilience. We see no trend at all from any of the exam types… that there has been any marked decline in overall performance,” Mr. Reid said at a press conference at the Ministry on Tuesday (June 5) to announce the results of the exam.

 

“We will have to do some more disaggregation of the data, but from the results I have reported, we see positive movements (overall), separate and apart from Mathematics, where we knew that there was a problem and we had interventions,” he noted.

 

An SOE is in operation in St. Catherine North, while ZOSOs are in effect in Mount Salem, St. James and Denham Town in West Kingston.

 

The Education Minister noted that the presence of the security forces in the communities have enabled the schools to focus on teaching and learning.

 

“Where we have had a state of emergency or zones of special operations, it has actually been positive, because what has happened is that we’ve had more controlled environments, reduction of crime and so on, and the improvement in leadership within our schools,” he said.

 

“Our teachers track the performance and the progress of our students and they give extra attention and more time to get the students ready,” he added.

 

The Minister announced that there was improved performance in four of five subject areas in GSAT.

 

Science was the biggest gainer, moving by 7.9 per cent to 72. 6 per cent from 64.7 per cent last year.

 

Passes in Communication Task jumped by 5.5 per cent to 81.7 per cent from 76.2 per cent; Social Studies moved by 1.6 per cent to 72. 2 per cent from 70.6 per cent; and Language Arts improved by one per cent to 73.8 per cent from 72.8 per cent.

 

Passes in Mathematics were 61.2 per cent, representing a 1.2 per cent decline over the 62.4 per cent recorded in 2017.

 

A total of 39,510 students (19,295 boys and 20,215 girls) were registered to sit GSAT in March, of which 30,789 (80 per cent) of these students were placed in one of their preferred schools.

 

Seventeen per cent, that is 6,524 students, were placed in secondary level schools that are within proximity of the institutions that they currently attend, and a further 1,438 students were placed manually in secondary-level schools in proximity to the address they submitted.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, delivers the results of the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) at the Ministry in Kingston on Tuesday (June 5).

JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information is partnering with the School of Education at the University at the West Indies (UWI), Mona, St. Andrew, to award 200 scholarships to educators, and individuals desirous of pursuing training in teacher education.

 

Addressing a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank, at the Agency’s head office in Kingston on Wednesday (June 6), Undergraduate Coordinator and Deputy Dean at the School of Education, Dr. Aisha Spencer, said the scholarships will target two categories of potential candidates.

 

These, she indicated, are in-service students who will pursue a 66-credit programme, and pre-service students who will have the opportunity to pursue a 90-credit programme.

 

Dr. Spencer explained that in-service students would have already gained a teaching diploma, but are currently teaching Mathematics, English Language and Geography without the requisite bachelor’s degree.

 

The pre-service student programme in Mathematics and Science is designed for persons who have only completed high school or are accessing teacher training for the first time. Lecturer and Business Development Coordinator at the School, Dr. Canute Thompson, disclosed that 100 scholarships will be available for each category of candidates. Each scholarship is valued at approximately $300,000 per annum per student.

 

He indicated that the scholarships are funded by the Government of Jamaica and will cover tuition, housing, books and other critical amenities that are required for the awardees to pursue their studies.

 

The in-service scholarships are open to teachers in public schools at the secondary level, while persons wishing to pursue the pre-service programme must be Jamaican with at least five Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate subjects at grade one or two, and two Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination subjects between grades one and four. The Ministry of Education is now accepting applications, the deadline for which has been extended to June 30.

 

Dr. Spencer encourages school principals and heads of departments to support teachers who are seeking to access these programmes, especially the scholarships.

 

CAPTION: Undergraduate Coordinator and Deputy Dean at the School of Education, University of the West Indies, Mona, Dr. Aisha Spencer, addressing a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank at the Agency’s head office in Kingston on Wednesday (June 6). Looking on is Lecturer and Business Development Coordinator at the School of Education, Dr. Canute Thompson.

THE GLEANER: Education Minister Senator Ruel Reid has said that, from a policy standpoint, zoning of secondary schools was inevitable and should begin to take shape within another 10 years.

 

Speaking yesterday at a press conference to announce student performance in the 2018 sitting of the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), the results of which will be available to schools online and at regional offices tomorrow, Reid said that zoning would have to be preceded by taking the remaining 21 high schools off the shift system and completing the construction of 17 new high schools.

 

“We actually now have more than adequate capacity at the early childhood and primary level. But at the secondary level, we need to close that gap, and once we close that gap, we can better rationalise how we do placement,” said Reid. “So, I want to signal, by policy, that zoning is inevitable,” he added.

 

The proposed zoning system would see students being mandated to attend secondary schools within a particular geographic region, usually within proximity of their residence.

 

Meanwhile, Reid reported that the education ministry would place 100 per cent of the 39,510 students who sat the March 2018 GSAT in high schools.

 

“This is a very good achievement for all of us as a country that has struggled for many years to get all our students placed in high schools,” Reid declared.

 

He further disclosed that 80 per cent (30,789) of the cohort was placed in one of their preferred schools with another 17 per cent (6,524) in schools that are in proximity to the institutions they currently attend.

 

The remaining three per cent (1,438) were placed manually in high schools in proximity to the address they submitted.

 

Reid reiterated that come next year, GSAT will be replaced by the Primary Exit Profile, making this year’s students the last cohort to sit the exam.

 

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CAPTION: Education Minister Ruel Reid addressed a press briefing yesterday on performances in the most recent Grade Six Achievement Test, the results of which will be made available to schools online at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow and later at regional offices by 2:00 p.m.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, has announced that there were improved performances in four of the five subjects used for testing in the final sitting of the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT).

 

The subjects are Language Arts, Communication Task, Science and Social Studies.

 

The overall students’ mean per cent scores for Language Arts, Communication Task, Science and Social Studies showed improvement over the previous year’s performance by one per cent, 5.5 per cent, 7.9 per cent and 1.6 per cent, respectively.

 

Addressing a press conference at the Ministry on Tuesday (June 5), Senator Reid said the Government of Jamaica is pleased to have on record an increase in students’ performance in these four areas, especially Communication Task.

 

“We have seen that, overall, there has been a positive trend in the right direction. Communication Task, which is a written component of these exams, achieved the largest percentage point increase. This is encouraging, as it shows that the students have been developing the skills of critical thinking and are able to express themselves,” the Minister said.

 

He added that all students who sat the GSAT in March have been placed in full secondary-level institutions.

 

“The Ministry, this year, has placed all students in full secondary-level institutions, an improvement over last year by one per cent. Last year, we achieved 99 per cent and this year, I said we were going to deliver and get 100 per cent… . We have,” he said.

 

A total of 39,510 students (19,295 boys and 20,215 girls) were registered to sit GSAT in March, of which 30,789 (80 per cent) of students were placed in one of their preferred schools. Seventeen per cent or 6,524 students were placed in secondary-level schools that are in close proximity to the schools they currently attend, and a further 1,438 students were placed manually in secondary-level schools in proximity to the address they submitted.

 

Senator Reid offered congratulations to each student who sat GSAT. “The entire Ministry congratulates all students on their performance and wishes them continued success in pursuing their education beyond the primary level,” he said.

 

The results for the 2018 GSAT will be made available on Thursday, June 7 at 6:00 a.m. to schools at the primary level. Principals at the primary level who do not have access to the Internet, can collect the printed results from their respective regional office by 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 7.

 

School administrators at the primary level are also reminded to check the results carefully and communicate any concerns/queries by Monday, June 11.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, addresses press conference on the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) results at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, National Heroes Circle, in Kingston on Tuesday (June 5).

JIS: The Dunrobin Primary School in St. Andrew is now better able to accommodate children with disabilities, following the recent installation of a wheelchair ramp under the Government’s Ramps for Schools project.

 

The institution, located at 47A Red Hills Road, has one student on roll who is wheelchair bound.

 

Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, said that the Government is committed to providing an inclusive education system whereby all students can have access.

 

“We are not going to stop at the ramps. We are going to make sure our bathroom facilities cater for those with physical disabilities,” he said at the blessing and ribbon cutting ceremony for the amenity this morning (June 5).

 

Senator Reid noted that with the revised special education curriculum and the bolstering of specialised teacher support, the education sector is in a better position to cater for the various needs of children.

 

He said Dunrobin Primary must be an example of excellence and inclusive education.

 

Principal of the school, Noel Watt, expressed gratitude that the institution was selected to benefit under the Ramps for Schools project.

 

Tamara Brown, parent of 11-year-old Alex Fraser, who is the sole physically challenged student at the institution, also voiced her appreciation, noting that it was difficult for her child to get around.

 

She noted that although her son will be leaving Dunrobin Primary for secondary school this year, the ramp will improve the mobility of any other wheelchair-bound student who attends the institution.

 

Ms. Brown told JIS News that the students at the institution have been very kind to her son, who is awaiting his Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) results. “The students love him, I can’t complain; they have been so good to him,” she said.

 

The Government has allocated $50 million for the installation of wheelchair ramps at public educational institutions across the island under the Ramps for Schools project. The initiative, which will run initially for one year, commenced on Labour Day (May 23) with construction works at 18 institutions, including the St. Ann’s Bay Infant School, which was a national Labour Day project.

 

Another 112 schools are being targeted, to bring the total to 130 over the course of the year.

 

Data from the National Education Trust (NET), which is the implementing entity for the project, indicates that of Jamaica’s 971 public infant, primary and high schools, and over 2,000 early-childhood institutions, only 138 primary and high schools are fitted with ramps.

 

CAPTION (MAIN PHOTO): Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (left), assists student of Dunrobin Primary, Alex Fraser, in accessing the wheelchair ramp at the institution located at 47A Red Hills Road in St. Andrew, following a blessing and ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 5. The ramp was installed under the Government’s Ramps for Schools project.

 

CAPTION (IN STORY): Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (left) and student, Dunrobin Primary School, Alex Fraser (foreground), cut the ribbon to open the wheelchair ramp at the institution located at 47A Red Hills Road, St. Andrew, on Tuesday (June 5). At third left is Alex’s mother Tamara Brown.