JIS: Fifty environmental wardens are to be placed in primary schools in Clarendon and Manchester under a pilot programme involving the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, and Recycling Partners of Jamaica Limited (RPJL).

 

The wardens, who have already been trained, will have responsibility for managing the collection of plastic bottles in the institution they have been assigned.

 

Education Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, said the Environmental Wardens Programme is an important part of Jamaica’s national development plan, Vision 2030, which speaks to cultivating a healthy environment.

 

“Lessons learned in school lay the foundation of habits for a lifetime, and among the more important lessons we can teach our children, is the importance of recycling, whether it is bottles, paper or (tin) cans. School recycling programmes such as this one can demonstrate the power of how small actions by many can achieve big things,” he pointed out.

 

The Minister was speaking at the launch of the initiative on February 1 at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston, where the parties signed a memorandum of understanding (M\OU).

 

Chairman of RPJL, Lucille Brodber, said the joint venture is a signal of public- and private-sector commitment to protecting and sustaining Jamaica’s environment and its beauty.

 

“We anticipate that the programme will be expanding to the Ministry’s other regions, so that other schools can be involved in this programme,” Ms. Brodber noted.

 

The Environmental Wardens Programme aims to educate youth about the importance of recycling and help them develop responsible attitudes towards the environment.

 

It is being delivered through the Work to Learn, Earn, Give, Save (LEGS) programme with training, assessment and certification of the environmental wardens facilitated by the HEART Trust/NTA.

 

Supervision of the wardens will be provided through the LEGS programme. The RPJL will ensure that schools have enough receptacles and that they are placed at strategic points to facilitate collection of plastic bottles.

 

RPJL is the designated national recycling entity and a registered charity with a mandate to separate and remove plastic material at the source to prevent these from polluting waterways, gullies and landfills.

 

Between March 2014 and December 2017, RPJL has removed 4.3 million pounds of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles from the environment.

 

CAPTION: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (left) is about to place an empty plastic bottle in a recycling bin, during the launch of the Environmental Wardens Programme in schools on February 1 at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston. From right are State Minister for Education, Hon. Floyd Green (right); Environmental Warden, Ricardo Gouldbourne; Chairman of Recycling Partners of Jamaica Limited (RPJL), Lucille Brodber; and Environmental Warden, Samantha Wilson.

JIS: More than 6,000 students will put their technical abilities on display at the 2018 National Careers Week (NCW) and Skills Competition to be held from February 17 to 23 at the National Arena.

 

Under the theme ‘Building the Future by Guiding the Present, the initiative, organised by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information in collaboration with public- and private-sector partners, aims to promote and introduce new skills and entrepreneurial opportunities to youth.

 

It will feature Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students in the areas of construction and building technology; manufacturing and engineering technology; creative arts and fashion; and transportation and logistics.

 

Among the skills to be showcased are welding, electronics, visual merchandising, graphic design technology, computer-aided design and cooking.

 

This year’s staging will see the introduction of a suite of skills, including freight forwarding and logistics, mobile application development, digital animation, robotics and mechatronics.

 

Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, in hailing the staging of the event, said it emphasises the importance for today’s youth to be trained and certified in specialised skill areas that are in demand in an increasingly competitive labour market.

 

He was speaking at the press launch on February 1 at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston.

 

“One of the challenges we have is ensuring that we are properly aligned to new economic opportunities that are available. Out of the 75,000 students enrolled in the tertiary sector, we have over 42 per cent pursuing the social sciences in management and accounts, which means that those graduates may have difficulty finding jobs,” the Minister pointed out.

 

Senator Reid said the National Careers Week and Skills Competition is part of a Government-led intervention aimed at transforming Jamaica into a skills-driven society.

 

“(It) is being positioned as the premier event to prepare citizens for their future as they develop new and emerging skills, whether to further education, business or career goals,” he noted.

 

Other activities for the week include the Jamaica Library Service Expo; Junior Achievement Company of Entrepreneurs’ (JACE) Annual General Meeting/School Career Expo, Leaders Summit and Youth Forum; as well as the Entrepreneurial Expo and Competition.

 

Other partners in the staging of the event include HEART Trust/ NTA, World Skills, Career Advancement Programme (CAP), and Junior Achievement (JA) Jamaica.

 

CAPTION: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (centre) cuts the ribbon to launch the National Careers Week and Skills Competition on Thursday ( February 1) at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston. State Minister for Education, Hon. Floyd Green (second left), looks on. Others observing (from left) are HEART Trust/NTA National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) level 3 construction student, Paul Staple; Interim Managing Director, HEART Trust/NTA, Dr. Janet Dyer; and Chairman of HEART Trust, Edward Gabbidon.

JIS: The HEART Trust/NTA has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Business Process Industry Association of Jamaica (BPIAJ) to provide skills training for Jamaicans who desire to work in the growing business process outsourcing (BPO) sector.

 

The signing took place in the boardroom of HEART Trust’s head office on Oxford Road in Kingston on Friday (February 2).

 

Chairman, Board of Directors, HEART, Mr. Edward Gabbidon, said he is pleased to be officially partnering with the BPIAJ, as this will provide hundreds of Jamaicans with training, skills development, qualifications and job opportunities in the BPO sector.

 

“HEART, the new entity, has a mandate to provide training that is industry-specific and training that will help us to grow our economy. Growth in our economy is dependent on our human capital, and one of the industries that offer that avenue of growth is the BPO sector,” Mr. Gabbidon said.

 

“One of the things that we expect to do from this is to create that base pyramid for entry into the BPO sector, and for training of persons to grow on the value chain to be anything they want to be in that sector,” he added.

 

Mr. Gabbidon pointed out that the training that will be provided from the MOU will not only focus on aspects of BPO but also for business in general.

 

Meanwhile, President, BPIAJ, Gloria Henry, said her organisation is also pleased to be partnering with the HEART Trust/NTA.

 

“HEART has been part of this sector since inception. Even before the BPIAJ was formally inaugurated, HEART was providing training through a partnership with the Montego Bay Free Zone Company, and has been involved in the growth and development of many of the companies that have been here in Jamaica,” she said.

 

“The BPIAJ is very keen on this partnership, because it will help us to create the kind of talent pool that we want to have for new investors who are coming to Jamaica,” Ms. Henry said.

 

She pointed out that there has been growth of the industry, in terms of the number of firms that are now operating in Jamaica, from just under 40 to nearly 60 firms.

 

“Employment (in the BPO sector) has moved from about 13,000 to about 26,000, so that’s a doubling of employment. We have about a 75 per cent increase in export and 75 per cent increase in foreign exchange earnings. We are on a growth path right now, not just to improve the existing businesses that are here but to fill the almost two million square feet of space that is being developed in Jamaica,” she added.

 

Vice President of Sales and Promotions, Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO), Claude Duncan, endorsed the MOU and the objective.

 

“This move by the BPIAJ and HEART puts us in a better competitive position. Numbers have been quoted as to where we see the sector going. We at JAMPRO are committed to driving those numbers. This move is demonstrative of the commitment of the Government to work with the private sector, and partner to provide solutions to achieve those numbers,” he said.

 

CAPTION: Chairman, Board of Directors, HEART Trust/NTA, Edward Gabbidon (right), addresses the ceremony for the signing of a memorandum of understanding between HEART Trust/NTA and the Business Process Industry Association of Jamaica (BPIAJ), to provide skills training for persons interested in becoming employed in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, at HEART’s head office in Kingston, on Friday (February 2). At left is President, BPIAJ, Gloria Henry.

JIS: Operators of private schools are being encouraged to further partner with the Government as it seeks to increase the placement of infants (aged zero to three) and special needs students in these institutions.

 

The call comes from Deputy Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Maxine Headlam, who noted that accommodation for these children is one of the Ministry’s priorities that private schools can take advantage of, “because the Ministry, at present, does not have the scope to meet all the needs in those areas”.

 

She was speaking at the annual general meeting of the Jamaica Independent Schools’ Association (JISA) at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston on January 31.

 

Ms. Headlam noted that this aspect, along with other possible areas of collaboration, is part of ongoing discussions with JISA that are expected to be included in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) now being formulated.

 

Other areas for partnership being explored under the pending agreement include accessing furniture, text books, and educational software through the Ministry at a reduced cost.

 

The MOU is also expected to speak to the issues of waivers on shipment fees and taxes for the importation of school equipment, training opportunities, and private schools having access to regional meetings of the Ministry.

 

Ms. Headlam said the Government is fully committed to an inclusive approach to education, noting that the Ministry is always open to dialogue and suggestions from private educators.

 

She noted that the Ministry has had a long history of collaboration with independent privately owned schools, and assured that work will continue to strengthen this invaluable partnership.

 

“We are committed to the independent schools, and we are (grateful) to them for their invaluable roles in educating our children and recommit ourselves to this partnership,” she assured.

 

In the meantime, President of JISA, Karlene Bisnott, said she is looking forward to the strengthening of ongoing partnerships with the Ministry through the MOU.

 

“We are hoping that before the school year is out, things will be so structured that within the next school year we should be seeing some of these things bearing fruit,” she told JIS News, adding that the collaboration has already started regarding text books, where the Ministry has extended the deadline for orders.

 

Founded in 1969, JISA is a professional organisation of principals, vice principals and directors of registered private schools.

 

CAPTION: Deputy Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Maxine Headlam (right), and President of the Jamaica Independent Schools’ Association (JISA), Karlene Bisnott (second right), speak to Sales and Marketing Executive, Hodder Education, Frank Mark Phipps, about some of the books the company publishes and distributes. They were visiting booths mounted as part of the annual general meeting of JISA, held at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston on January 31.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, has reiterated that urgent steps are being taken by the Government to get schools across Jamaica, such as the St. James High School in Montego Bay, off the two-shift system.

 

Speaking at a ceremony to mark the official opening of a new three-storey block of classrooms at the St. James High School on January 30, Mr. Reid said he is proud that despite the double-shift system, the institution has been performing extremely well.

 

“I am in a hurry under my shift, to fix all of these problems. Yes, I have 42 schools still on shift and, systematically, we are going to take them off one by one,” the Minister said.

 

Senator Reid noted that the Ministry responded quickly when St. James High requested financial support for additional classroom spaces and for the construction of a perimeter wall.

 

“This will help to prepare in the transition process to a single-shift system. It is important that we do so, because we are not doing so for ourselves, we are doing it for the future and for the transformation of St. James,” the Minister said.

 

Meanwhile, Senator Reid said the Ministry will be constructing five new high schools across the island, one of which will be in St. James, which will add significantly to the number of classroom spaces available in western Jamaica.

 

“We have a lot of work to do, but, under God, we are going to get it done. I am getting full support, and I have the fiscal space to get it done,” he said.

 

The Minister also visited Anchovy High School in St. James, and the Knockalva Agricultural School and the Knockalva Technical High School in neighbouring Hanover.

 

Mr. Reid told JIS News that he was happy to have visited the institutions to get a first-hand look at their operations and make assessments and recommendations.

 

“My tour has been extremely successful, and I am very happy to be able to get out of the office to see exactly what is happening in these institutions and to give some policy direction,” he added.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (third left), is assisted by Principal of the Mt. Alvernia High School, Stacey Reynolds (second left), to cut the ribbon to mark the official opening of a new block of classrooms at the St. James High School on Tuesday, January 30. Sharing the moment are Director of Region Four, Dr. Michelle Pinnock (left); Principal of the school, Joseph Williams (right); Chairman of the school Board, Reverend Alton Thelwell (second right); and students of the institution.

JIS: Lecturer at Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College, Keitha Osbourne, says students enrolled in the special education programme are acquiring a very important skill that will make them more marketable at home and abroad.

 

Addressing a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Tank’ on January 29 at the agency’s Regional Office in Montego Bay, St. James, Ms. Osbourne said the uniqueness of special education is that student-teachers are trained in specialised techniques to deal with “children with those disabilities”.

 

Ms. Osbourne said it is important to recognise that there are students who are naturally gifted, but are plagued by physical or emotional problems.

 

She noted that students who participate in the special education programme at Sam Sharpe cover “a wide variety of areas”, adding that the number of credits are a little more than in the primary programme, “because the students are exposed to the primary curriculum in addition to carrying their specialised areas”.

 

The Lecturer said “it is a win-win” situation for a person who is trained at Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College in special education and is exposed to teaching students from early childhood to the secondary level.

 

“When we develop our curriculum, we are also in line with international standards. We are seeing a direct effort by the Ministry of Education to address the problem of students with special needs,” she said.

 

Ms. Osbourne noted that the graduates from Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College are in great demand in the area of special education, as “there are not sufficient graduates to fill the available jobs”.

 

“The students are trained not just to teach those with special needs, but to be able to identify them. They are taught assessment and also given diagnostic training,” she pointed out.

 

Ms. Osbourne said that at Sam Sharpe there is one course that is mandatory in special needs for all students, “because we know there are special needs students who require the specialist teachers to address their problems”.

 

“We also make the programme available to persons who can come to the college and get their undergraduate degree in special education. In addition, sometime this year we are going to open our diagnostic centre where students with special needs can be assessed,” she said.

 

CAPTION: Special Education Lecturer at Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College, Keitha Osbourne, addresses JIS ‘Think Tank’, at the agency’s Regional Office in Montego Bay, St. James, on January 29.

JIS: A total of 9,100 students in 10 primary schools across the island are to benefit from the Digital Mobile Classroom project.

 

The initiative, which will also impact 30 teachers and administrators, enhancing their skills and competencies, aims to improve the quality of education through the provision of information and communications technologies (ICT) and promoting the digital learning of children in vulnerable communities.

 

It is being implemented by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information through partnership with the Organization of American States/Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (OAS/CITEL).

 

Speaking at the opening of a training seminar at the Courtyard Marriott in New Kingston on January 29, Minister of State in the Education Ministry, Hon. Floyd Green, said the initiative will assist in bridging the digital divide and transforming the education sector.

 

“We are trying to put the technology in the hands of the students and the teachers. This is what we need to close that digital divide to ensure that, at the fingertips, especially in rural communities, that we will have the technology to bring the curriculum alive and that our children will now become engaged in a different sort of way that will really give us a better outcome,” he said.

 

He described the programme, which utilises an offline platform, as a “game changer” as it will enable students and teachers without Internet connectivity to gain access.

 

Mr. Green said the Government is committed to retooling the education system to ensure that the needs of the students are catered to at all levels.

 

“That is why in 2016, we rolled out our new standards curriculum, which, in essence, puts the child at the centre of our learning model and recognises that one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to education. Different children will learn differently, and you have to cater to those different needs if you want to have an effective educational system,” he said.

 

He pointed out that almost all jobs are linked to technology and, therefore, “we have to ensure that our children are au fait with the technology”.

 

“The most basic job is being replaced by a technology solution, so who is important is the man that can programme that machine. That’s the job of right now,” he said.

 

The three-day Digital Classroom Project training seminar is being hosted by the Ministry in collaboration with OAS/CITEL).

 

The sessions are being conducted by a team of experts from ProFuturo Foundation.

 

CAPTION: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green (centre), is in discussion with Representative from the ProFuturo Foundation, Isabel Martinez (right), during the opening ceremony for the Digital Classroom Project training seminar at the Courtyard Marriott in New Kingston on January 29. Others (from left) are Deputy Chief Education Officer, Lena Bucke-Scott; ProFuturo Representative, Maria Isabel Lobo De Leon; and Organization of American States/Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (OAS/CITEL)Representative, Yadir Salazar.

JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information and University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC) have partnered to roll out the Early College and Advanced Placement High School Programme.

 

This will enable secondary students with the requisite qualifications, who graduate at Grade 11, to pursue accredited Associate Degrees at the university.

 

It will also allow students entering grade 12 to begin an early college programme, similar to what obtains in the United States.

 

The initiative, which is being facilitated under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Ministry and UCC, is slated to get under way in September with a pilot in 50 high schools across 10 parishes and targeting 5,000-grade 11 graduates.

 

Portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon Ruel Reid, and UCC’s Group Executive Chairman, Dr. Winston Adams, signed the MOU at Thursday’s (January 25) launch, at the university’s main campus on Worthington Avenue in New Kingston.

 

Senator Reid welcomed the programme against the background of data he said indicated that only 55 per cent of students are involved in post-grade 11 academic or training programmes.

 

“A (key goal) of this programme is to reduce the cost of tertiary education. So, I am very excited about this very creative development, which is aligned with the Government’s strategy to facilitate greater access to tertiary education. I am proud to validate and launch it,” the Minister added.

 

In his remarks, Dr. Adams emphasised that tertiary education is pivotal to Jamaica’s sustainable development.

 

“That’s the only thing that will help us to make a significant impact on the country. Mass access to quality tertiary education is really Jamaica’s last chance to secure sustainable development and, indeed, create meaningful employment and career opportunities, especially for our youth at risk,” he said.

 

The Early College and Advanced Placement High School Programme will enable students to access either UCC-accredited Associate Degrees, or those accredited by the Ministry in Occupational Studies targeted to specific expanding and emerging industries.

 

These include Cybersecurity, Computer Programming, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Hospitality Management, and Business Intelligence Management.

 

The degrees are designed to guide secondary students in making informed career choices, thereby strengthening the pool of highly skilled and knowledgeable labour force for whom the cost of tertiary education may be prohibitive.

 

The programme spans two years, at the end of which graduates desirous of pursuing further studies will have the opportunity for advanced placement to either UCC’s bachelor’s degree programmes in Kingston or its regional campuses; the University of London Bachelor of Law Degree; and the Florida International University’s bachelor’s degree programmes offered through UCC.

 

CAPTION: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, addresses Thursday’s (January 25) launch of the joint Ministry/University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC) Early College and Advanced Placement High School Programme. The launch, which included the signing of a memorandum of understanding facilitating the partnership, was held at the UCC’s main campus on Worthington Avenue in New Kingston.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says students in Jamaica’s public school system have been performing admirably and, as a consequence, will become one of Jamaica’s finest generations of adults.

 

Speaking with JIS News during a tour of four schools in Brown’s Town, St. Ann, on January 23, Mr. Reid expressed confidence that “this generation is not lost”.

 

“The students who are currently in school are doing very well. They are getting even better prepared for school, so it is important that as Minister of Education I encourage the teachers and the leadership that for us to transform Jamaica, we have to get it right with this generation,” Senator Reid said.

 

“There is no excuse anymore. While we have to deal with some of the other issues for the unattached youth, my job now is to make sure that from zero to 18, everybody remains in school, and by the time they leave at grade 13, they are certified to transition to the world of work or higher education,” he added.

 

The schools toured are in the Ministry’s Region Three, and include Servite Primary School; and St. Hilda’s, York Castle and Brown’s Town High Schools.

 

Senator Reid explained that the visit forms part of his regular scheduled tours that see him “getting out of the office and going to different schools in the regions”.

 

The Minister, along with officials from the Ministry, including building inspectors, also did a first-hand assessment of the schools’ properties, including the canteen at the Servite Primary School, which was recently refurbished and equipped.

 

“I toured the canteen and I saw very significant improvements… including a new freezer, new fans and general improvement of the roof, and they are very happy with that,” he said.

 

Senator Reid said he is pleased with the performance of the school. “When I look at their grade-four literacy and numeracy, it is very high. They are doing very well at GSAT, and I had an opportunity to interact with their students and they are doing really well,” he told JIS News.

 

The Minister said additional work will be undertaken to improve a section of the school’s roof.

 

“I did promise also, that we will give them some more information technology (IT) support, because IT is part of the means by which we deliver our curriculum. It is far more student-friendly and teachers will certainly see that using technology enhances teaching and learning and the overall outcome for our students,” he said.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (right), addresses grade-six students at the Servite Primary School in Brown’s Town, St Ann, during his tour of the institution on January 23.

GLEANER: Pointing to bright employment prospects in various sectors of the economy, Minister of Education, Youth and Information Ruel Reid recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC) to increase access to higher education and training for high-school students.

 

The agreement establishes the UCC’s Early College and Advanced Placement Credits in High Schools Programme, which will be delivered initially through clusters of 50 select high schools in 10 parishes across Jamaica. The MOU also seeks to extend the ministry’s Centre of Occupational Studies associate degrees to high schools in 10 parishes, initially through UCC subcampuses. It is envisioned than an initial maximum of 5,000 students will be able to participate in the programme each year.

 

REVOLUTIONARY APPROACH

  

Likening the launch of the programme to Emancipation Day, Reid said: “We must move away from elitism. Education must liberate our people.” He was speaking during the official launch of the programme at UCC’s head office in New Kingston on Thursday.

 

Reid said that the project was also in keeping with the education ministry’s policy goals of ensuring that all secondary-school graduates have an opportunity to earn an associate degree by the time they complete Grade 13.

 

“This is another revolutionary approach being taken,” he said, “to diversify tertiary-level education in Jamaica while providing appropriate skills training in the arts, science, and technology in response to specific industry demands and provide a pool of highly skilled and knowledgeable workers.”

 

In his remarks, UCC Executive Chancellor Dennis J. Gayle pointed out that although some 90 per cent of age-cohort students are enrolled in high schools, only 19 per cent of age cohort students (16-30 years) are enrolled in tertiary education.

 

“This UCC initiative is intended as a significant service to the community, which will help our nation to further develop its human capital resources, generating momentum towards sustainable economic growth and development,” Gayle told the gathering of largely educators from across the island.

 

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