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.

JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information will be implementing an initial one-year campaign to encourage more Jamaicans to embrace mathematics.

 

The objective is to promote the importance of mathematics to national development and change attitudes towards the subject.

 

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dean-Roy Bernard, made the disclosure at the official launch of National Mathematics Week on Monday (April 16) at the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean, St. Andrew.

 

Mathematics Week is being observed from April 15 to 20, under the theme ‘Math Counts’.

 

Mr. Bernard noted that the main objective of Mathematics Week “is to help to change the attitude and views of students, teachers and, of course, the wider society about the subject”.

 

He said that the Mathematics Unit, through its public education initiatives, workshops and seminars, is working to make the subject more appealing and reinforce the idea that maths counts.

 

The Permanent Secretary noted that while there have been some improvements at the primary level, the current levels of performance in the subject remain a concern.

 

“So, to address these concerns, we are broadening the programmes with the aim of changing long-standing fears and misconceptions about the subject,” he said.

 

For his part, Portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon Ruel Reid, noted that the Ministry continues to work to improve performance in mathematics at all levels of the school system.

 

He noted that the National Standards Curriculum, which is being introduced from grades one to nine, is designed to facilitate greater levels of application in learning, with emphasis on project-based and problem-solving activities to facilitate enhanced learning outcomes.

 

Senator Reid said that at the primary level, the Ministry has recorded improved performance of students in the Grade Four Numeracy Test as well as in the Grade Six Assessment Test (GSAT).

 

“Our grade-four averages moved from 60 per cent in 2016 to 67 per cent in 2017. In GSAT, we have moved from 59 per cent to 63 per cent, and for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) from 49 per cent to 52 per cent,” he informed.

 

Activities for Mathematics Week include a Maths Road Show to be held on April 17 at the Neville Antonio Park in Port Antonio, Portland, under the theme ‘Maths in your World’.

 

The event will engage members of the public in identifying areas in their everyday life where they are using maths.

 

The main event for the week will be the staging of a National Mathematics Exposition on Thursday, April 19 at the University of the West Indies’ (UWI) Mona campus from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

 

The expo is intended to provide students, teachers and parents with an opportunity to interface with maths in the real world.

 

The day’s activities will include a maths extravaganza from noon to 2:00 p.m., which will feature cultural performances under the ‘Math Counts’ theme.

 

Several exhibitors will be on hand to demonstrate how maths applies to their profession or the industry in which they operate.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (second left), exchanges pleasantries with Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dean-Roy Bernard, at the official launch of National Mathematics Week on Monday (April 16) at the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean, St. Andrew. Sharing the moment are National Mathematics Coordinator, Dr. Tamika Benjamin (left); and Communications Officer, Shipping Association of Jamaica, Monique Morrison. Mathematics Week is being held from April 15 to 20 under the theme ‘Math Counts’.

GLEANER: State Minister for Education, Youth and Information Floyd Green is imploring more Jamaicans, including those in the diaspora, to become involved by offering more scholarships to needy Jamaican students.

 

“Sometimes we may see it just as a way to help an individual, when, in fact, we are really helping our country, especially when the scholarship is tied to education,” said Green, who has responsibility for the youth portfolio.

 

He was speaking ahead of the publication of The Gleaner’s popular Scholarships To Go feature, the 12th edition of which is due out on May 1. It’s a must-have not only for students, but for parents and guardians who are looking to further their children’s education.

 

The indispensable role scholarships now play in Jamaica’s education system is not lost on Green.

 

“Scholarships are a very critical part of our educational system. Many students and their parents find it difficult to move from one level of the system to the next because of a lack of financial and other resources,” the junior minister observed.

 

The member of parliament (MP) for St Elizabeth South West told The Gleaner that as elected officials, MPs are oftentimes faced with families that are unable to adequately fund their children’s education.

 

“So for us (the Ministry of Education), where you can have scholarships or where they have access to scholarships, it goes a far way in helping them to achieve their dreams,” said Green.

  

… Scholarships A Great Way To Reward Excellence – Green

  

While stressing that for those who are in significant need, scholarships are “extremely important”, Junior Education Minister Floyd Green says they also serve other purposes.

 

“A scholarship is a great way to reward excellence and encourage our young people,” Green said.

 

He noted that many of the scholarships that are awarded each year, scores of which are listed in Scholarships To Go, are not based solely on financial need.

 

“You have to be a high performer, so in this regard, the prospect of gaining a scholarship motivates students to do well and to work hard. When somebody gets a scholarship, it becomes a crowning moment … so it is a very important part of our education system,” Green reiterated.

  

STRATEGIC SELECTIONS

  

In terms of the Ministry of Education and the scholarships it awards to promising students each year, he said the ministry was becoming more strategic.

 

Green said the ministry was now using scholarships to “help to influence selection, career paths and choices”.

 

“We recognise that there are some areas where we have deficiencies in relation to having trained personnel, and we are also trying to use scholarships to incentivise those areas, for example, as a way to attract more mathematics and science teachers,” the state minister explained.

 

He said the ministry also looks at labour market demands and trends to justify granting scholarships in particular fields of endeavour.

 

“A scholarship, for us, is a very important tool in relation to helping our young people to achieve their goals and in relation to driving a policy regarding ensuring that training is aligned to market.”

 

Meanwhile, the state minister heaped praises on the individuals and companies that award scholarships each year, sometimes at great expense to themselves and their organisations.

 

With regard to companies, Green said. “It’s an important part of their corporate responsibility to give back through scholarships”.

 

To those thinking about offering a scholarship, Green had some advice: “I would want to encourage more of our people to get involved. It does not take much to establish a scholarship and to work with an educational institution to identify children who are in need,” he said.

 

“If more of our people took that on board, then we would have more of our young people being able to complete and fulfil their educational journey … .”

 

CAPTION: Earl Jarrett (second right), general manager of Jamaica National Building Society and chairman of JN Foundation, and Floyd Green, minister of state in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, pin JN Scholars awardees at a Jamaica National Foundation Scholarship Awards function in 2016.

 

JIS: The National Child Month Committee (NCMC) is calling on citizens to provide a supportive and positive environment for the nation’s children as it prepares to observe Child Month in May under the theme ‘A.F.F.I.R.M Me!’.

 

Chairman of the NCMC, Dr. Pauline Mullings, explained that A.F.F.I.R.M is an acronym for “Acknowledge me, (Be) Friend Me, Favour Me, Influence me positively, Respect Me, and Motivate Me” and emerged out of calls by children for adults to recognise and validate their worth.

 

She said that “children need an environment that fosters love, care, friendship and appreciation, and they also desire from us as adults to be role models, who will impact their lives in a positive way”.

 

“We must, therefore, use the God-given opportunity afforded to us to shape the lives of our young ones through our words and actions. Words are powerful and actions are just as potent, and what we sow today, what we speak over them helps to shape their destiny and, by extension, the destiny of this nation,” she added.

 

Dr. Mullings was addressing the media launch of Child Month at GraceKennedy’s head office in downtown Kingston on April 11.

 

The calendar of activities for Child Month includes a national church service on Sunday, May 6 at the William Knibb Memorial Baptist Church in Falmouth, Trelawny, beginning at 9:30 a.m.

 

National Children’s Day will be observed on Friday, May 18 with special activities for children at Half-Way Tree, downtown Kingston, and Montego Bay; and a National Day of Prayer and Fasting will be held on Wednesday, May 30 at the May Pen New Testament Church of God from 10:00 a.m.to 2:00 p.m.

 

The observance will go beyond May, to include the Youth Outstanding Academic Achievement Awards Ceremony to recognise students from non-traditional high schools, which will be held on Wednesday, June 27 at The Knutsford Court Hotel, New Kingston.

 

A Youth Forum is scheduled for Friday, November 2 at the St. Andrew Parish Church Hall, 16 Ellesmere Road, Kingston 10 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

 

In addition to the activities organised by the committee, the entity will be partnering with the Jamaica Fire Brigade in its campaign ‘Jamaica’s Future is on Fire… Mek Wi Fix It’, which aims to get children to acknowledge fire safety practices and extend these to friends and families.

 

The NCMC has joined forces with the coordinators of the Family Expo and Special Resource Needs Fair, which will be held on Saturday, May 26.

 

The NCMC Chairman is imploring groups and individuals who are staging events during May to celebrate children, and to register with the committee so that there can be greater visibility of projects and activities.

 

“We are aiming to have a registry where we know exactly all of the persons who are involved, all the groups who are involved, what is it that you are doing for children,” Dr. Mullings said.

 

She is urging persons to contact Social Media Coordinator, Ruth Lawrence, at 466-6372, or email [email protected] for further details.

 

Sponsors of Child Month include GraceKennedy Ltd., National Baking Company Ltd, Kingston Bookshop, RJRGLEANER Communications Group, National Health Fund, General Accident Insurance Company Ltd., Island Grill Ltd., Jamaica Producers Group Ltd., and Restaurants of Jamaica.

 

CAPTION: Chairman of the National Child Month Committee (NCMC), Dr. Pauline Mullings, addresses the media launch of Child Month on Wednesday (April 11) at GraceKennedy’s head office in downtown Kingston.

 

JIS: Thousands of students from primary and secondary institutions and mathematics enthusiasts will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in all things related to the subject from April 15 to 20.

 

During the period, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information will host the fifth staging of Mathematics Week under the theme ‘Math Counts.’.

 

Addressing a JIS Think Tank on Tuesday (April 10), National Mathematics Coordinator at the Ministry, Dr. Tamika Benjamin, said that during the week, “students, teachers and the wider public will have the opportunity to engage in activities that are geared towards improving attitudes towards mathematics”.

 

Activities will kick off with a national church service on Sunday, April 15 at the Life Centre Tabernacle, Church of God of Prophecy in Spanish Town, St. Catherine. This will be followed by the official launch on Monday, April 16 at the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC), St. Andrew.

 

On Tuesday, April 17 a Maths Road Show will be held at the Neville Antonio Park in Port Antonio, Portland, under the theme: ‘Maths in your World’.

 

Dr. Benjamin explained that the event will seek to engage members of the public in identifying areas in their everyday life where they are using maths.

 

The main event for the week will be the staging of a National Mathematics Exposition on Thursday, April 19 at the University of the West Indies’ (UWI) Mona campus from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

 

The expo is intended to provide students, teachers and parents with an opportunity to interface with maths in the real world.

 

At the expo, the Ministry will collaborate with the teacher-training institutions to mount concept-based booths designed around topics in the maths curriculum.

 

Students will have the opportunity to interface with the ideas and the principles in a fun and engaging way.

 

The day’s activities will include a maths extravaganza from noon to 2:00 p.m., which will feature cultural performances under the ‘Math Counts’ theme.

 

Several exhibitors will be on hand to demonstrate how maths applies to their profession or the industry in which they operate.

 

These include Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN), Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE), HEART Trust/NTA, Shipping Association of Jamaica, Caribbean Maritime University (CMU), Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA) and the Meteorological Service of Jamaica.

 

Dr. Benjamin is encouraging schools within the respective educational regions to organise their own activities on Friday, April 20 that place emphasis on ‘Math Counts’.

 

CAPTION: National Mathematics Coordinator, Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dr. Tamika Benjamin, provides details on activities for Mathematics Week 2018, during a JIS Think Tank on April 10. Maths Week will be observed from April 15 to 20 under the theme ‘Maths Counts’.