JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information is partnering with the National Parent-Teacher Association (NPTAJ) to stage a series of information fora on the Primary Exit Profile (PEP).

 

Making the disclosure, Chief Education Officer, Dr. Grace McLean, said the islandwide events will commence during the last two weeks in August and will include presentations from portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid; and other officials, who will “provide more detailed information for the parents”.

 

“We are extending this invitation to our broad-based stakeholders such as persons who do extra lessons. We will go through some of the fundamentals that persons who are engaged in assisting our students, would need to know,” Dr. McLean informed.

 

She was speaking at the Sixth Biennial General Meeting and National Conference of the NPTAJ held recently at Jamaica College in St. Andrew.

 

PEP, which will be administered for the first time in 2019, replaces the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) as the national secondary school placement examination.

 

While GSAT focused primarily on content and assessing students’ knowledge of subject areas, PEP is centred on critical analysis and seeks to accurately measure how students use the knowledge, abilities and skills they have developed to solve problems.

 

PEP is built on the notion that competency involves both student knowledge and what a student is able to do with the knowledge that they possess.

 

Dr. McLean said that for the new programme to be successful, support from parents is crucial, hence the partnership with the NPTAJ.

 

“We are depending on you to assist with those sessions, so that persons can be sensitised and for children to maximise their potential,” she said.

 

Manager of the Student Assessment Unit at the Ministry, Terry-Ann Thomas Gayle, said that under PEP, “more opportunities will be provided for teachers to identify students’ strength and weaknesses”.

 

This, she said, will better enable them to design a more customised programme for children at the primary level in order for them to successfully move on to secondary education.

 

CAPTION: Chief Education Officer, Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dr. Grace McLean, addresses the National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica’s (NPTAJ) Sixth Biennial General Meeting and National Conference at Jamaica College held in St. Andrew recently. In the backgrond are President of the NPTAJ, Everton Hannam; and Manager of the Student Assessment Unit in the Ministry, Terry-Ann Thomas Gayle.

JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, and the Mexican Embassy in Jamaica have partnered on a project to further boost the Government’s capacity to digitally preserve the nation’s priceless archived records and historical data.

 

The initiative, titled ‘Project for Capacity Development in Digital Preservation for Records and Information Professionals’, was launched by Permanent Secretary, Dean-Roy Bernard, and Mexico’s Ambassador to Jamaica, His Excellency Juan José González Mijares, during a ceremony at the Ministry in Kingston on Thursday (July 19).

 

The project aims to develop a cadre of public-sector records and information management (RIM) professionals with the requisite digital preservation skills who are capable of training other persons in this area; and to create a user manual that will be integral to the process.

 

Local stakeholder partner engagement will be led by the Jamaica Archives and Records Division, an agency of the Education Ministry, in collaboration with the Cabinet Office and the Ministries of Finance and the Public Service, and Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.

 

Representatives of the General National Archives of Mexico will undertake study tours to conduct system assessments at a number of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), and training of personnel from July 19 to 24.

 

Speaking at the launch, Mr. Bernard said the project is being undertaken against the background of a need, based on a study, to boost persons’ capabilities to professionally preserve records and information and the extent to which information and communication technology (ICT) is leveraged in this regard.

 

He explained that the training will be based on principles and concepts of digital preservation in relation to migration, encapsulation and emulation of digital records.

 

The subject areas, the Permanent Secretary further outlined, will include records capture; records classification and indexing; metadata assignment; maintenance and utilisation; appraisal and disposition, including retention schedules; preservation processes; and methodologies for training trainers, among other areas.

 

Mr. Bernard said the project will involve an additional capacity-building exercise and a study tour of the General National Archives of Mexico by local participants at a later date.

 

“By implementing this project, government efficiency and service delivery will improve, making Jamaica an enabling business environment. This project is aimed at modernising the public service and making it more efficient and democratic. Additionally, it is consistent with (the goals of) our Vision 2030 Jamaica long-term National Development Plan,” he added.

 

For his part, Ambassador Mijares said the project represented a continuation of scientific and technical cooperation, which the Mexican Government has extended to Jamaican institutions over several years in a number of areas.

 

These, he pointed out, include agriculture, data management, disaster risk management, and biotechnology.

 

Ambassador Mijares said the Mexican Government recognises the pivotal role of national archives in countries’ economic, political and social development.

 

“This particular project for capacity development and digital preservation with the Jamaica Archives and Records Department… is part of our broad technical and scientific cooperation programme, which will be renewed in order to continue with activities in 2018 and 2019,” he added.

 

CAPTION: Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dean-Roy Bernard (left), greets Mexico’s Ambassador to Jamaica, His Excellency Juan José Gonzalez Mijares (right), at Thursday’s (July 19) launch of the ‘Project for Capacity Development in Digital Preservation for Records and Information Professionals’, at the Ministry in Kingston. At centre is Director for Information Technology at the General National Archives of Mexico, Erick Cardoso Espinosa.

JIS: State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, says the Government expects a 14 per cent increase in the number of students trained in HEART Trust/NTA programmes this year.

 

Giving the keynote address at the opening ceremony for World Youth Skills Day 2018 on July 17 at the Garmex HEART Academy in Kingston, Mr. Green said the Government has set a target of having 134,000 young persons trained over the period.

 

He said this is possible due to the improved access to training opportunities through the full integration of the National Youth Service (NYS), Jamaica Foundation for Lifelong Learning (JFLL) and the Apprenticeship Board with the HEART Trust/NTA to create a super training agency.

 

“As a Government, we have been improving access to skills training. We want to ensure that right across the length and breadth of Jamaica, any young person that wants to go into skills, there is an avenue. When you come to the HEART Trust, it is a one-stop shop. We provide assessments and then put you on a pathway towards skills education,” the State Minister said.

 

Mr. Green called on young persons to explore technical and vocational education and training (TVET) areas as viable career options.

 

According to studies conducted by the HEART Trust’s Labour Market Research and Intelligence Department, new and emerging occupational areas include 3D Visualisers, Big Data Engineers, Renewable Energy Specialists, Accident Reconstruction Specialists, Robotics Engineers, Mechatronic Engineers, Smart House Infrastructure Designers and Drone Pilots.

 

HEART Trust now has an increased focus on specialisations, including training programmes targeted at high-employment industries, such as business process outsourcing (BPO), tourism and hospitality, logistics and animation as well as construction and agriculture.

 

CAPTION: State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green (left), listens to Managing Director of the HEART Trust/NTA, Janet Dyer, during the opening ceremony of World Youth Skills Day 2018 Skills and Career Exposition on July 17 at the Garmex HEART Academy in Kingston. It was staged under the theme: ‘New Skills for Emerging Jobs: Improving the Image of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)’.

JIS: For the new academic year, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information will be increasing its effort to promote technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in secondary schools.

 

State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, said this area offers a number of opportunities for young persons, arguing that a “mindset change” is needed to encourage greater interest and participation in the new and emerging careers in this field.

 

“Part of what we will be embarking on come this September is a really robust career training programme in our secondary schools, as a number of our students are still unaware of some of the new areas that they can go into. A lot of them still have misconceptions about the areas that can bring them significant wealth,” he said.

 

The State Minister was delivering the keynote address at the opening ceremony for World Youth Skills Day 2018 on July 17 at the Garmex HEART Academy in Kingston.

 

Discussions are under way with the National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC), the National Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), the HEART Trust/NTA and school guidance counsellors to provide advice to students and parents on TVET careers.

 

“We have a bad perception of going into skills. We want to ensure that we are going into our schools with our guidance counsellors to have career training sessions where we say to our young people, these are the new areas. We have to partner with the PTAs to counsel the parents, because often they are the ones that discourage our young people (from pursuing alternative career paths). We have to explain to them that these are areas of growth,” the State Minister said.

 

CAPTION: State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, addresses the opening ceremony of the World Youth Skills Day 2018 ‘Skills and Career Exposition’ on July 17 at the Garmex HEART Academy in Kingston. It was staged under the theme ‘New Skills for Emerging Jobs: Improving the Image of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)’.

JIS: For the new academic year, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information will be increasing its effort to promote technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in secondary schools.

 

State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, said this area offers a number of opportunities for young persons, arguing that a “mindset change” is needed to encourage greater interest and participation in the new and emerging careers in this field.

 

“Part of what we will be embarking on come this September is a really robust career training programme in our secondary schools, as a number of our students are still unaware of some of the new areas that they can go into. A lot of them still have misconceptions about the areas that can bring them significant wealth,” he said.

 

The State Minister was delivering the keynote address at the opening ceremony for World Youth Skills Day 2018 on July 17 at the Garmex HEART Academy in Kingston.

 

Discussions are under way with the National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC), the National Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), the HEART Trust/NTA and school guidance counsellors to provide advice to students and parents on TVET careers.

 

“We have a bad perception of going into skills. We want to ensure that we are going into our schools with our guidance counsellors to have career training sessions where we say to our young people, these are the new areas. We have to partner with the PTAs to counsel the parents, because often they are the ones that discourage our young people (from pursuing alternative career paths). We have to explain to them that these are areas of growth,” the State Minister said.

 

CAPTION: State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, addresses the opening ceremony of the World Youth Skills Day 2018 ‘Skills and Career Exposition’ on July 17 at the Garmex HEART Academy in Kingston. It was staged under the theme ‘New Skills for Emerging Jobs: Improving the Image of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)’.

JIS: State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, says the Government is placing increased focus on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in order to better prepare young people for the job market.

 

“We are reforming our education system to place more emphasis on the practical side of skills, and we want to ensure, from as early as secondary school, our young people are learning certifiable skills,” he said.

 

He was speaking at the opening ceremony for World Youth Skills Day 2018 on July 17 at the HEART Trust/NTA’s Garmex Academy in Kingston.

 

Held under the theme ‘New Skills for Emerging Jobs: Improving the Image of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)’ the expo highlighted the value of acquiring a skill to achieve personal success and fulfilment.

 

It was targeted at young people, aged 15 to 25, introducing them to new and emerging skills and training opportunities in areas such as hydroponics, mechatronics, mobile robotics 3D printing, mobile application development, videography, make-up artistry (for film) and renewable energy (photovoltaic installation).

 

The event featured plenary sessions on careers in the automotive industry, marketing self for future jobs, social media and cybercrime; and booth displays in information and communications technology (ICT), digital animation, engineering, and allied health services, among others.

 

Managing Director of the HEART Trust/NTA, Janet Dyer, encouraged the young people to take advantage of available training opportunities.

 

She noted that “67 per cent of our workforce is untrained and uncertified and we have that to fix”.

 

“Today’s World Youth Skills Day is one of the many activities that we are using to ensure that our young people in Jamaica get all the opportunities that are available to get trained, certified and to contribute to the productivity of this nation,” she said.

 

The expo was organised by the HEART Trust/NTA and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and Vocational Education Centre (UNESCO-UNEVOC) in collaboration with WorldSkills Jamaica.

 

CAPTION: State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green (right), examines a mobile robot during the opening ceremony for World Youth Skills Day 2018 on July 17 at the HEART Trust/NTA’s Garmex Academy in Kingston. Looking on is second-year student in Industrial Systems, Operations and Maintenance at the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU), Jenelle Hinds.

JIS: Recipient of the Prime Minister’s Medal of Appreciation for service to Education, Mrs. Isoline Brown-Budhoo, says that her journey of more-than 40 years in the teaching profession happened as a result of a short-lived love affair with nursing.

 

Speaking with JIS News, the retired Vice Principal says she realised she was destined to teach, after a one-year stint at nursing school proved futile and took her back to a career that she describes as “one of the most gratifying professions”.

 

“I started out as a pretrained teacher at Wood Hall All-Age School in 1970 in my home parish, Clarendon, then left and went to Kingston School of Nursing, but realised I did not have the guts for nursing, and so, I returned to teaching and never looked back,” Mrs Brown-Budhoo says.

 

On her return, she taught at the Mount Providence All-Age School in Clarendon before journeying to Church Teachers’ College to pursue studies in primary education.

 

While at college, her love for the profession grew, and as she gained experience through teaching practice at the Christiana Leased School in Manchester, she knew that, without a doubt, teaching was where her true passion lies.

 

On full completion of her studies, she returned to Clarendon and accepted a job at the then Denbigh Secondary School, where she taught from 1977 to 1979.

 

September 1979 saw her venturing to May Pen Primary, where she remained until she retired in 2012.

 

During this period, she served as senior teacher, acting Vice Principal and was appointed Vice Principal from 2009 to her retirement.

 

“I started a 33-year journey here…it was challenging, but also exciting, and I did everything in my power to enhance the reputation of the school,” Mrs. Brown-Budhoo says.

 

“When I went to May Pen Primary, I taught grade four for two years, then the principal decided to move me to grade six due to my ability to manage that age group and the volume of work to be done to prepare the students for the Common Entrance Examination, and within the year, I was also promoted to senior teacher,” she adds.

 

She says her job felt most rewarding when her children succeeded, and this propelled her to being even more committed and dedicated to serve.

 

“I initiated a lot of programmes in the school… . They did not have a house system in place, and so I introduced a house/sport system using the names of past principals, and the school came alive on sports day and there was camaraderie, good sportsmanship and teamwork,” she says.

 

She adds that the house/sport system prepared the school to participate and dominate several parish, regional and national competitions, while producing top athletes who went on to excel at the high-school and tertiary levels.

 

Another initiative that she introduced was the Spelling Bee Club, which sparked competition among the various grades at the school.

 

“We used to have an organised ‘spell down’ at the end of the month, and we did our own inter-school spelling competition, which enhanced reading and comprehension and also resulted in the school winning parish competitions and advancing to the National Spelling Bee competition for several years,” she reflects.

 

Mrs. Brown-Budhoo also spearheaded an extension class at the school to prepare students for entry into the HEART/NTA programmes.

 

“We would teach these extra classes after school, to help children who applied for HEART but failed mathematics and English… so myself and a team at May Pen Primary would teach them for a year and prepare them to resit the test, and we had 100 per cent passes for five years,” she boasts.

 

These projects were in addition to the 4-H Club, Cub Scouts, and beautification, which she also spearheaded.

 

“It was hard work, but I enjoyed the challenge and loved spearheading the various projects, as there was an abundance of joy and accomplishment when the students succeeded, and this was proof that the hard work that I committed to doing truly paid off,” she asserts.

 

“Teaching is one of the most gratifying professions… . When you go out and you meet your past students and they greet you and tell you thanks for not giving up on them… [and] when they hug you and tell you how much they appreciate the way you helped to mould their lives, it is extremely gratifying,” she expresses.

 

Mrs. Brown-Budhoo was also an active member of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) and spearheaded several projects within the May Pen community.

 

She served as President of the Clarendon Teachers’ Association and member of the Central Executive of the JTA.

 

“I was a very active member of JTA, and as president I visited all 26 schools in the parish to inform the teachers of their rights and responsibilities. At the community level, I would have classes with persons in the area who could not read… . I would collect food, clothes and other basic items and distribute to children’s homes, infirmaries, nursing homes and to the homeless,” she tells JIS News.

 

Her service to community and the teaching profession has resulted in her being recognised and awarded on several occasions.

 

Included among the awards are the JTA Golden Torch award, for 37 years of service; the JTA Clarendon Parish 40th Anniversary award in December 2005; the JTA South Central Region award; Kingston Bookshop award in 2001; and a special award from the May Pen Primary School for her invaluable contribution.

 

She adds that she felt quite honoured, and grateful on receiving the Prime Minister’s Medal of Appreciation for Service to Education.

 

“This recognition is now the icing on the cake… . I am very happy for receiving this prestigious award and for getting it while I am alive,” she says.

 

Her advice to those currently in the profession is to “be there for your students, help them to be the finest individuals… . It may be quite challenging, but somebody has to be there to do it, and if you choose to do it, give it the full 100 and you will get your reward in the long run”.

 

“Teachers do not only teach but they also have to be role models; they have to live a certain way, as they are looked up to in their communities, and, through their actions, children learn and understand how to become good citizens, so they have to lead by example,” she appeals.

 

Even though retired, Mrs. Brown-Budhoo continues to serve and to empower those around her.

 

“I want to establish a centre and offer remedial, literacy, numeracy classes and empowerment sessions. There are some persons who would have graduated but did not do so well and tend to be withdrawn, so I want to help build their self-esteem, empower them and let them know that they are loved and that they can be somebody of worth and make a valuable contribution to society,” she shares.

 

CAPTION: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, presents former Vice principal of the May Pen Primary School, Mrs. Isoline A. Brown-Budhoo, with the 2018 Prime Minister’s Medal of Appreciation for Service to Education at the awards ceremony held on June 27 at Jamaica House.

THE GLEANER: Newly elected president of the National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica (NPTAJ), Lennon Richards, said he will be encouraging more fathers to be active participants in the education system.

 

Richards, who was elected at the NPTAJ’s just-concluded Sixth Biennial General Meeting and National Conference, held at Jamaica College in St Andrew on Saturday, said more fathers are needed in the parent-teacher associations (PTAs).

 

“I want to encourage male parents to be more involved in the PTAs, and be involved more with their children’s education,” Richards said.

 

He added that other priorities are to have representatives of the organisation sit on critical committees that are influencing policies for children’s well-being, and to ensure that safety measures are in place at every school.

 

EXPANDING BUS SYSTEM

  

Richards said that the NPTAJ will be working with all stakeholders to expand the rural school-bus system and to dedicate as much time as possible to issues in education impacting the nation’s children.

 

“I am calling on all Jamaicans to support the Association, and in particular the PTAs that are at their schools,” the president said.

 

The NPTAJ is a charitable, non-profit association comprised of volunteers with the primary responsibility to review and conduct a thorough analysis of the education system in Jamaica, and to make recommendations consistent with a vision to create a world-class education system.

 

It is comprised of six regions, spread across 14 parishes, providing direction and leadership programmes, support and resources to members at all levels of the Association.

 

With its motto, ‘Involved Parents Equal Better Students’, the Association fosters parental involvement in education, information sharing, resource management and fundraising efforts, as well as lobbies for improvements to Jamaica’s education system and general school environment.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Ruel Reid (left), greets newly elected President of the National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica (NPTAJ), Lennon Richards, at the Association’s Sixth Biennial General Meeting and National Conference, held at Jamaica College in St. Andrew on Saturday.

 

JIS: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the sixth-form option in high schools provides a unique opportunity for students to develop leadership qualities and should be encouraged.

 

Addressing the 30th Anniversary Banquet of the St. Catherine High School Class of 1988, at the Jewel Runaway Bay Beach and Golf Resort, Runaway Bay, St. Ann, on July 14, Mr. Holness said to this end, he is spearheading an effort to build a state-of-the-art sixth-form block at his alma mater (St. Catherine High), which will be used as a template for other high schools across the island.

 

“Sixth form was a particularly interesting and important experience for me. That’s where I developed most of my leadership skills and abilities. That’s where I got the grooming for leadership. I think sixth form is such a critical part of the school experience, now that more and more students are not just leaving school at fifth form,” he said.

 

The Prime Minister noted that in light of such widespread interest, it is now incumbent on the nation’s high schools to put the facilities in place to accommodate the demand.

 

Mr. Holness said that a team has already been assembled to start working on the design and that he expects that the (St. Catherine High) facility should be completed within 18 to 24 months.

 

“I visited the school on Labour Day (May 23), and we have settled on a location. It will be central between the junior and senior campus, and some funds have already been committed. While the timeframe is anywhere between 18 months and two years, it could well be earlier based on the interest being shown by many of our past students,” the Prime Minister said.

 

The Ministry of Education, under the guidance of portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, has long been pushing for more schools to implement sixth-form programmes.

 

To that end, Senator Reid said the Government has implemented a textbook rental for sixth-form students in the coming school year, so as to offset cost for students who have opted to continue their high-school education, as opposed to moving on to college or taking a break from school.

 

“While sixth form can be an expensive venture, we would rather students remain in school as opposed to leaving and not having anything to do,” the Minister said in a recent interview.

 

“We feel that by implementing the textbook rental, we can give parents a much-needed break on the cost of having students moving on to sixth form,” Senator Reid added.

 

CAPTION: Prime Minister, the Most Hon Andrew Holness (centre), with some of his St. Catherine High School class of 1988 batch-mates at their 30th anniversary banquet, held at the Jewels Runaway Bay Beach and Golf Resort in Runaway Bay, St. Ann, on July 14. From right are Bryan Hastings, Andrine West Davidson, Leonie Dixon Sylvester, Georgia Laverna Robinson, Merle Donaldson and Garfield Gordon.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says that schools are benefiting from the effective management of principals who have been trained and certified by the National College for Educational Leadership (NCEL).

 

The Ministry’s policy position is that no principal can be appointed to lead an educational institution unless he/she has done the requisite training at the NCEL.

 

“We have seen the tremendous result of that, where the schools that have these trained and certified principals are emerging and they are doing well,” Senator Reid said.

 

He was addressing the National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica (NPTAJ) Sixth Biennial General Meeting and National Conference held at Jamaica College in St. Andrew on Saturday (July 14).

 

NCEL is the premier educational leadership training and development organisation creating world-class leaders for Jamaica and the global community.

 

Its mission is to develop and support highly competent, educational leaders, who are able to create and sustain effective schools, thereby contributing to national development.

 

Minister Reid told his audience that the NCEL is moving to equip vice principals, senior teachers and bursars “because the Ministry wants to ensure that people are trained appropriately for the roles and responsibilities that they are asked to take on”.

 

“We must strive in all we do to make sure that the persons serving our children at all levels within our schools are highly trained, highly effective, so that quality education can be delivered to the population,” he stressed.

 

Senator Reid encouraged members of the NPTAJ to continue to serve on school Boards, which are charged with ensuring the effective management of institutions.

 

“Stakeholders like parents are very important. It is a role that we want to cement,” he said.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (right), is in discussion with Opposition Spokesman on Education and Training, the Reverend Ronald Thwaites, at the National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica (NPTAJ) Sixth biennial general meeting and national conference held on Saturday (July 14), at Jamaica College in St. Andrew.