JIS: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has lauded educators at the Bog Walk High School in St. Catherine for implementing the ‘Boys Big-Up Programme’, which rewards boys for displaying good behaviour and deportment.

 

“It is important that we recognise that there are differences in how boys and girls learn within the education system. I can see that this is one way in which the system is responding, and I believe it is to the credit of the administration of the school to do this. This initiative is worthy of praise, and I want to extend my own recognition and congratulations to you for doing this,” Prime Minister Holness said.

 

He was addressing students from the school who are members of the ‘Boys Big-Up Programme’ when they called on him, today (April 25) at Jamaica House.

 

Mr. Holness said that there is, emerging within the Jamaican culture, a rejection of being disciplined, adding that the value system in the society has “been turned on its head”.

 

“What is praised is how bad you can do things, instead of how good you can do things. So, I see this as an attempt to counteract the counterculture that is becoming the mainstream culture. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being properly groomed and well spoken,” he told the students.

 

The Prime Minister also emphasised that school is a training ground for them to be able to meet the standards of the workplace.

 

“So, the school in maintaining a dress code is not saying that styles and fashion that exist within the broader society should not exist, but what the school is saying is that the standards that are necessary for the efficient and effective operation of the workplace, that culture starts in the school,” Mr. Holness said.

 

He also emphasised the need for self-discipline, while encouraging the boys to see themselves as leaders.

 

For his part, Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, said it is important for positive behaviours to be recognised within the school system.

 

“It is important to reinforce good and positive values. I believe that if we can create an education system that nurtures and produces these kind of quality students, disciplined and trained, then we are providing the kind of raw material for Jamaica’s growth and development,” Senator Reid said.

 

The Minister also commended the staff at the Bog Walk High School for implementing the programme.

 

“Congratulations to you youngsters for this recognition, and now you have a responsibility to be exemplars of excellence,” Mr. Reid said.

 

Meanwhile, Principal of Bog Walk High School, Patrick Phillips, said the initiative seeks to create a culture of excellence at the institution, especially among boys.

 

“We want to say to our boys – you are valuable, you can be positive and you can make something of yourselves,” he said.

 

CAPTION: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (front, centre); State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green (second left); Principal of Bog Walk High School, Patrick Phillips (third left); and Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (second right), with students and administrators of the Bog Walk High School, who are participants in the institution’s ‘Boys Big-Up Programme’, at Jamaica House on April 25.

JIS: A new multipurpose building, valued approximately $16 million, was officially opened at the St. Augustine Place of Safety, an all-boys institution located in Clarendon, on Tuesday (April 24).

 

Construction of the building, which was funded by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information through the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), is in keeping with the Government’s commitment to improve service delivery to children in State care.

 

State Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, who participated in the ceremony, said he was elated that the building has been provided, noting that St. Augustine was in dire need of the facility.

 

He told JIS News the building will help with the development of the boys residing at the home, noting that it will be used for skills training and sports, among other activities.

 

“The area gives us the ability to have a number of interventions with the children. We have areas where they can have indoor games (and activities) such as table tennis, group counselling sessions, and staff training,” the State Minister added.

 

Mr. Green said the facility also includes a new administrative block, comprising office space for the manager, assistant manager and social care workers, as well as a new food preparation area, “which we think (are) important (so) that (the staff) are able to operate in a sense of comfort; so (the building is) a great addition to the Clarendon Child Protection and Family Services”.

 

The State Minister, who toured the compound, commended the administrators on the success of the institution’s farm, which is self-sufficient in the production of layer chickens and eggs, and also supplies provisions to neighbouring all-girls home, Summerfield Child Care Facility.

 

Meanwhile, Mr. Green advised of additional development plans for St. Augustine.

 

“Our next step… is to construct a new… modern dorm facility. We expect to start work this year, and that will go over the next two years,” he told JIS News.

 

CAPTION: State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green (left), examines a kite made by boys at St. Augustine Place of Safety in Clarendon along with Manager of the facility, Michael Coward (centre); and Chief Executive Officer, Child Protection and Family Services Agency, Rosalee Gage-Grey, following Tuesday’s (April 20) official opening of a new $16-million multipurpose building at the institution.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, is assuring teachers that the pending licensing and registration regime for the profession will serve to enhance their capacities and should not be feared.

 

“I don’t want people to be afraid of (registration and licensing). I think it will be good for the system,” he said.

 

The Minister was delivering the 10th public lecture of the Institute for Educational Administration and Leadership –Jamaica (IEAL-J) at the Papine campus of the University of Technology (UTech) on April 18.

 

He pointed out that there are persons in the early-childhood sector who say they are teachers, yet are not trained or certified, noting that this is one of the areas the regime would seek to address.

 

“It will mean, therefore, in the licensing regime, that people are trained, certified and serving appropriately, based on their qualifications. So, you don’t have people who are early-childhood specialists teaching grade nine and subjects that they are not actually qualified to do,” he said.

 

This will be facilitated under the pending Jamaica Teaching Council (JTC) Bill, which seeks to provide for the establishment of a governing body for the teaching profession and institute a regime for licensing and registering of all government-paid teachers.

 

Mr. Reid informed that much work has been done on the JTC Bill, which is to undergo a final review this week “to make sure the last draft is consistent with what we have agreed to”.

 

Following this, the Minister said the legislation will then be taken to Cabinet, “and I hope to have it tabled in Parliament in short order”.

 

“It will be my first major piece of legislation, and I think it will further position the education system on a path for sustainable growth and development,” he said.

 

In the meantime, Minister Reid praised the IEAL-J for staging the lecture, which has served to keep leadership in education at the centre of public discourse.

 

“We need more of these stakeholder sessions to discuss varied ideas and pathways to improving our education system as we continue to fashion more inclusive solutions to our long-standing economic, social and political issues, and move faster towards the building of a knowledge economy,” he said.

 

Senator Reid further congratulated Professor Paul Miller of the University of Huddersfield and President, IEAL-J, on the launch of his book, which took place prior to the lecture.

 

The book, titled ‘The Nature of School Leadership: Global Practice Perspectives’, looks at the different issues faced by school leaders and the approach to school leadership adopted by school leaders in 16 countries.

 

The lecture was staged in collaboration with UTech and the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (right), is greeted by Professor Paul Miller of the University of Huddersfield and President, Institute for Educational Administration and Leadership-Jamaica (IEAL-J), when he arrived at the Papine campus of the University of Technology (UTech) on Wednesday (April 18) to deliver the IEAL-J’s 10th public lecture.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, has expressed condolences to the family, colleagues and students of late teacher of Eltham High School, Shanice Lewis.

 

Ms Lewis passed away after a brief illness at the Spanish Town Hospital on April 10.

 

Speaking at a special assembly held in her honour on April 20, at the Spanish Town based institution, Senator Reid described the death of the Mathematics teacher as a “very significant loss”.

 

“God alone understands, and I want to say to students, notwithstanding this loss, since we are living, we must commit ourselves to be inspired by her diligence and hard work,” he stated.

 

The Education Minister further commented that Ms. Lewis was among the greatest professionals who served Jamaica, as teachers “give the greatest service that humankind can provide.”

 

“I pray, even in this moment, as we grieve on the passing of such an outstanding teacher, that the God will comfort our hearts and her death will inspire you to live more loving and kind with each other,” Mr. Reid said.

 

For his part, Interim Principal at the Eltham High School, Mr. Ricardo Bennett, described Ms. Lewis as a kind and patient teacher of Mathematics.

 

“She was passionate about enabling the school to become a better place for students to learn and for teachers to work. She had the gift of innovative thinking, a visionary spirit and the skills required to present the most difficult mathematical concepts in a simple way,” he said.

 

He added that even though she taught at the institution for only five months, “she was an excellent teacher who will be missed”.

 

As part of his visit to Eltham High, Minister Reid toured the various facilities at the school.

 

Currently, a new perimeter fence is being constructed and three new classroom blocks have been completed to accommodate students and teachers.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (left) expresses condolences to finance of Shanice Lewis, Mr. Shevon Edwards (right), at the conclusion of a special assembly held in her honour on April 20, at Eltham High School in Spanish Town. Others seated from left are: Aunt, Leonie Lewis; father, Shevon Lewis and mother, Cecilia Morse. Standing from second right are: Chairman, Eltham High School, Mr. Lenford Salmon and Board Member, Dr Orville Beckford. Ms Lewis passed away on April 10.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth & Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, is hopeful about an improvement in the results from students who sit Mathematics in external examinations at both the primary and secondary levels.

 

In his address to students and educators at the annual National Mathematics Exposition on April 19, at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, in recognition of National Mathematics Week, the Minister said Jamaica recorded an improvement in the performance of students who did Mathematics in external examinations in 2017, when compared to previous years, and he is working towards a greater increase being achieved.

 

“I’m happy to report that we are doing better and better in Mathematics right across the system. We are going to conquer this [low performance by some students], because in this 21st century, we have to be good at Mathematics, Science, Engineering and Technology. Once we have this good foundation to build on, it means that Jamaica can compete [globally] and use our skills to create new products and services that we can better market,” Senator Reid said.

 

“As I reported in our results last year, for 2017, all the categories of assessment showed that Mathematics was improving for both the Grade Four Numeracy Test and Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT). We saw improvement of about seven per cent. For the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), it was 2.5 per cent,” he added.

 

At the launch of National Mathematics Week on Monday (April 16), held at the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean, St. Andrew, Mr. Reid said for the 2016 to 2017 academic year, Grade Four pass rate in Mathematics moved from 60 per cent to 67 per cent; while in GSAT, the pass rate increased from 59 per cent to 63 per cent and for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), the pass rate improved from 49 per cent to 52 per cent.

 

With the increase in numbers, he said a team from the Ministry is working towards achieving continuous improvement in the future. This team was present at the National Mathematics Exposition hosting numerous mathematics games with students and teachers.

 

“Overall, we are seeing the system moving in the right direction, and we’re very happy that the new system that we have developed in terms of the math coaches, the support to schools, the training of our teachers, the additional resources, the national standards curriculum, all of these things are enuring to much better outcomes with Mathematics,” the Minister said.

Senator Reid pointed out that the number of students interested in Mathematics has also improved based on data from previous years.

 

The Exposition was held under the theme: ‘Math Counts’. Thousands of students between grade four at the primary level and grade 13 at the secondary level attended with their teachers.

 

In addition to the Ministry, other exhibitors had booths designed to show students and teachers how Mathematics relates to everyday life. There was also full participation from teacher-training institutions, public sector and private sector organisations, along with professional bodies.

 

The main highlight of the exposition was a ‘Math Extravaganza’, where students and teachers performed dub poetry, songs and drama pieces based on the theme. They were awarded prizes.

 

CAPTION: Students play interactive mathematics-based games at the National Mathematics Exposition, held at The University of the West Indies, Mona, on Thursday (April 19).

JIS: More than 500 young participants in the Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) programme are to graduate by the end of June.

 

Speaking at a JIS ‘Think Tank’ on April 18, National Coordinator of the HOPE programme, Lt. Col. Martin Rickman, said the participants will receive certificates for having successfully completed their training and apprenticeship by the end of the second quarter of this year.

 

“The initial training, which is referred to as core skills training, includes a values and attitudes component, followed by a basic skills training component, after which they serve as an apprentice and are paid a stipend,” said Lt. Col. Rickman.

 

Upon completion, the candidates are assessed for certification by HEART Trust/ NTA, in accordance with the programme guidelines.

 

The Coordinator further noted that certification carries dual benefits, as the person would have been certified as having served his country as well as being certified in a specific skill area.

 

“They can then go on to use this certification to secure gainful employment later on, or to start their own business ventures, if they so choose,” noted Lt. Col. Rickman.

 

According to Lt. Col. Rickman, a system of monitoring is currently being developed as a means of following up with graduates from the programme.

 

“We want to track their progress for a few years to ensure they continue on the path that they have started,” he said.

 

Meanwhile, the Coordinator indicated that there are currently 5,000 participants in the programme, and of that number, 2,500 persons are actively engaged in a number of specialised areas across various agencies and departments.

 

“We have persons placed within organisations such as The National Housing Trust, Accountant General’s Department (AGD), Factories Corporation of Jamaica (FCJ), Urban Development Corporation (UDC), Port Authority of Jamaica, HEART Trust/NTA, the Ministry of Education, among others, and we are hoping to have some take-up within the private sector in short order,” Lt. Col. Rickman said.

 

CAPTION: National Coordinator of the Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) Programme, Lt. Col. Martin Rickman, emphasises a point during a JIS ‘Think Tank’ on Wednesday, April 18.

JIS: Students pursuing the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) will have an opportunity to earn credits that will be tenable at certain universities in the island, says Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid.

 

Addressing students of St. Mary High School during a visit to the institution on April 18, the Minister said that as of September this year, he will be working with the local Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) office in Jamaica to make this a reality .

 

“You will have a whole suite of subjects around your CAPE programme, which will be the equivalent to 60 college credits, so that when you complete sixth form you go into university with the credits. This means (that) you will end up completing your first degree in a much shorter time, and you will also reduce the cost of your university education,” he said.

 

His visit was part of a tour of schools in the parish, which also included Highgate Primary and Junior High and the St. Cyprian’s Preparatory School.

 

The tour was organised in response to a letter from a student of St. Cyprian’s, Alicia Blake, who expressed gratitude to the Minister for enabling her to sit the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) while in hospital.

 

Meanwhile, the Minister said a memorandum of understanding (MOU) will be signed with the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) to facilitate opportunities for students on the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) to pursue courses of study in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

 

More scholarships will also be opened up for students on the PATH programme but will require the Government to bond them “for five years, so that we can get you back to work for us in Jamaica to build our country, so that it becomes very progressive and prosperous,” the Minister said.

 

Senator Reid hailed the students of St. Mary High School for it being a “top school” in the parish, and described them as “exemplars of excellence”.

 

CAPTION: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (right), is welcomed by Principal of St. Mary High School, Jullet Sadaar, when he visited the institution on April 18.

MOEYI: Jamaican Tijani Christian has been elected to chair the Commonwealth Youth Council for the 2018 -2020 period. Another Jamaican Michelle Thomas was elected to the executive as Representative – Special Interest Groups.

 

Mr Christian, 26, has served in a number of youth leadership capacities including as Jamaica’s Youth Ambassador to the Commonwealth; Special Advisor to the National Youth Council of Jamaica (2014 – 2016); President of the UWISTAT Vice Chancellor’s Ambassador Corps, Mona Chapter (2014) and Member of the CARICOM Single Market & Economy (CSME) Spokesperson Bureau.

 

Miss Thomas, an attorney at law, has served on Jamaica’s Youth Advisory Council, is a past student of the St. Andrew High School for Girls and the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill campus, where she obtained her Bachelor of Law degree. During her tenure at University she was elected to serve on the Guild of Students (student governing body) as a result of her strong leadership and interpersonal skills. She was also awarded a co-curricular scholarship based on her involvement and leadership capabilities at the university level. Both Mr Christian and Miss Thomas honed their leadership skills through programmes run by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information.

 

 Ministry of Youth State Minister, the Honourable Floyd Green, in congratulating Mr Christian and Miss Thomas said: “All our representatives truly flew our flag high and displayed some of the best qualities of Jamaican youth. They have made their county and region proud and I celebrate them. Special congratulations toTijani and Michelle who I know will provide stellar service to the CYC and will leave an indelible mark. The Ministry stands ready to assist.”

 

The Commonwealth Youth Council was established in 2013 with the support of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Commonwealth Youth Programme and endorsed by Commonwealth Heads of Government at that year’s summit in Sri Lanka as an “autonomous, youth-led organisation” to advocate on behalf of over two billion young people in the Commonwealth.

 

The Council is led by a nine-member executive serving a two-year term, and acts as a coalition of national youth councils and other youth-led civil society and private sector bodies from across the 53 member countries of the Commonwealth.

 

The highest decision making body for the CYC is the General Assembly and is made up of national youth delegates representing National Youth Councils from each member state and youth-led organisations. The CYC represents young people in international decision making processes, including the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, at the UN and with national governments.

 

JIS: Beginning in May, the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Information will be training more teachers in restorative justice practices, in keeping with strategies to improve safety and security in schools.

 

This is according to Director of Safety and Security in Schools, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Coleridge Minto, who informed that the targeted 500 teachers will be trained in batches of 100 over the next six to 12 months.

 

“Restorative justice is really an alternative and looking at another method of treating with when you have conflicts in the schools, and so the objective of the Ministry is to ensure that we train at least 500 persons in the next couple of months,” he said.

 

He told JIS News that the initiative, which has already seen 200 primary- and high-school teachers being trained, is in partnership with the Ministry of Justice.

 

“In the long-term, over the next three to five years, there should be at least three or four persons trained in every school in restorative justice practices, which is a new methodology we are using,” he said.

 

He noted that while the focus will be on the 171 high schools, training will also be extended to primary and junior-high institutions.

 

Part funding for the exercise will be provided under the US$3-million Safe Schools Project of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

 

CAPTION: Director of Safety and Security in Schools in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Coleridge Minto.

JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information is collaborating with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) in the staging of an inaugural Anti-Gang Week, aimed at steering youth away from criminal activities.

 

It is part of a special partnership involving the Ministry and JCF’s Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch (C-TOC) to engage at-risk youth using a more proactive approach.

 

Details of this initiative and other areas of collaboration were discussed at a high-level strategy meeting involving portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, and other Ministry officials; and Head of C-TOC, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Fitz Bailey, at the Ministry’s National Heroes Circle location on Monday (April 16).

 

ACP Bailey told JIS News that the date for the event is yet to be finalised, but noted that the team is “looking at sometime in May”.

 

He informed that the week will be focused on activities that promote diversion from gangs, and will not only target youth in school but also at-risk youth outside of the school system.

 

“We want to divert people from engaging in things that are not consistent with the law and proper morals and principles. We believe that if we can reach our children… we will go a far way. It is about changing the psyche of the youth,” he said.

 

Director of Safety and Security in Schools, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Coleridge Minto, told JIS News that this preventive measure – targeting young persons who are at-risk and potentially at-risk – is necessary, given research that shows that gangs recruit children as young as age eight.

 

The week of activities, which is expected to engage non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the church, civic groups and other stakeholders, will entail town hall meetings, as well as sensitisation sessions in schools.

 

This partnership, for which an agreement is to be signed soon, is one of several areas of collaboration between the Ministry and JCF.

 

Other areas include public education on the responsible use of social media, other anti-gang initiatives, and special presentations by C-TOC to school officials.

 

The activities are to be funded under the US$3-million Safe Schools Project of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

 

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