GLEANER: As preparations continue for the implementation of the Primary Exit Profile (PEP), the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information continues to heighten public awareness of the initiative.

 

With just-concluded town hall meetings across the island, the ministry is in the process of training school administrators to allow for the smooth implementation of the programme.

 

PEP will replace the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) and should provide a better and more complete profile of students’ academic and critical-thinking capabilities at the end of primary-level education.

 

The implementation of the new curriculum in schools, from grades 1 to 9, requires new assessment instruments to measure student achievement. The PEP is one such instrument that has been designed to assess student learning from grades 4 to 6 in the National Standards Curriculum (NSC).

 

Based on the emphasis of this new curriculum, PEP will be designed not only to measure content, but it will also measure student acquisition and development of skills embedded in the NSC. These are 21st-century skills.

 

 

 

How Has Ministry Of Education, Youth And Information (MOEYI) Prepared The System So Far?

 

 

The Student Assessment Unit (SAU) has provided in-service training for several key stakeholders in the education system in how to assess the National Standards Curriculum. Workshops have been conducted with the island’s grade 4 teachers (April 2017), grade 5 teachers (November 2017), and primary school assessment coordinators (October 2017). They were trained in the following areas:

 

– How to identify evidence of the 21st-century skills in students.

 

– How to analyse the extent to which assessment tasks identified can elicit evidence of the development of these skills

 

– How to develop assessment tasks that will elicit evidence of these skills

 

The SAU has also engaged in public sensitisation for PEP through town hall meetings facilitated in all parishes in December last year. The public was given information regarding the components of the test:

 

– how it will affect students at various levels in the system now

 

– How parents can help to develop the requisite skills in their children.

 

Hundreds of brochures with information regarding PEP were disseminated at each town hall meeting. Additionally, information is available on the Ministry of Education’s website.

 

 

 

What’s Next For MOEYI?

 

 

The Student Assessment unit’s training plan will see the Unit continuing to provide in-service training for other stakeholders such as primary school principals (January-February, 2018) in leading the assessment process in their schools. Grade 6 teachers will also be trained in May 2018 in similar areas as the Grades 4 and 5 teachers, and Grades 1 to 3 teachers will be trained between October 2018 and January 2019.

 

A training programme has also been designed for further and regular training of primary school assessment coordinators as their role in schools is critical to ensuring that the quality of assessment carried out is of a high standard and one that will prepare students adequately for the national assessment.

 

Assessment procedures and practices will also be standardised and encouraged. Pre-service training for students in teachers’ colleges will also be provided.

 

The Student Assessment Unit will continue to provide schools and teachers with information and material regarding PEP as we prepare for its first full administration in June 2019. A sample item publication is set to be released to schools this month. This publication will give teachers and students a a look at the various types of items that may be used on the tests at the national level. Sample item types from each component of PEP will be provided. Additionally, a national mock trial of the Performance Tasks will be fully administered in all schools to all grade 4 and 5 students in June 2018 in an effort to familiarise students and teachers with items of this type.

 

 

 

How Can Parents And Students Prepare For PEP?

 

 

In addition to ensuring that children grasp the facts and procedures outlined in the curriculum, parents should assist in developing the four 21st-century skills in their children. It is not only about students knowing facts and procedures, but they should be able to apply this knowledge in a meaningful way. Students will now be required to demonstrate what they can do with what they know and go further than just recalling information. They will need to be able to apply knowledge of this information to solve real-world problems and use this information to make meaningful decisions.

 

Parents can help to develop these skills at home by.

 

– providing opportunities for play that encourage problem solving.

 

– asking children open-ended questions about relatable issues and allowing them to express their points of view.

 

– engaging children in meaningful discussions.

 

– helping children make connections in their everyday lives.

 

Parents should also work closely with their child’s teacher to monitor the progress of the development of these skills in their child.

 

Article courtesy Ministry of Education, Youth & Information

JIS: The Government is seeking to reach out to many of the 140,000 unattached youth through the Work to Learn, Earn, Give and Save (LEGS) programme and equip them with viable skills.

 

According to Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, data will be gathered soon to locate the youth and engage them in training opportunities that fit their passion.

 

“Heavy-duty equipment is a major demand, and we have not scaled up our education system to meet these things,” the Minister said.

 

He was delivering the keynote address at the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the HEART Trust/NTA and the Amateur Swimming Association of Jamaica on January 24 at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona Campus in St. Andrew.

 

The agreement will facilitate the engagement of 500 youngsters at the upcoming CARIFTA Aquatics Championship 2018 in Jamaica.

 

Senator Reid said that although the opportunities to be provided for the youth may seem modest, they are a glimpse of what lies ahead for the LEGS participants if they remain committed to the initiative.

 

“Sport is another opportunity where you can have fun while you are learning discipline,” the Minister said.

 

Senator Reid argued that the MOU embodies the vision of the Government to foster a culture of positive youth development and participation in decision-making around activities that affect the lives of youth and facilitate economic development, focusing on entrepreneurship.

 

Twenty-six delegations will be in Jamaica for the Aquatics Championship from March 15 to 18 and March 31 to April 4. They will participate in disciplines such as open water swimming, artistic swimming, and water polo.

 

The HEART Trust/NTA will recruit, train, certify and transport the 500 youth volunteers.

 

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, said training young people in volunteerism is a “great opportunity for them to serve their country”.

 

“Volunteerism is an investment that has unlimited value and is one of the tenets of development and advancement in nations,” she said, in a speech delivered by Director of Sport Monitoring and Development in the Ministry, Florette Blackwood.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (left), converses with three of the 500 youth volunteers for the upcoming CARIFTA Aquatics Championship 2018, in Jamaica. They are (from left) Relando Ulett, Courtnea James and Britney Williams. Occasion was the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the HEART Trust/NTA and the Amateur Swimming Association of Jamaica, on January 24,at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona Campus in St. Andrew. The agreement will facilitate the engagement of 500 youngsters at the upcoming CARIFTA Aquatics Championship 2018, in Jamaica.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says the annual Jamaica Day is designed to contribute to citizen education, enhance the appreciation for Jamaica’s rich heritage and culture, and build a positive identity in students.

 

Speaking at the launch of the event on January 24 at the Pavilion, Hope Botanical Gardens in Kingston, the Minister said as Jamaicans celebrate the good and positive things about the country, “we must also confront those things that are negative”.

 

“We have a serious social and cultural deficit that needs to be addressed if we are to move forward as a country,” Senator Reid emphasised. Jamaica Day, which is celebrated on the last Friday in February annually, is designated to showcase aspects of Jamaica’s culture through the performing arts, visits to historical sites, sporting activities and recognition of outstanding citizens.

 

All themes for Jamaica Day over the years begin with two words – ‘Celebrating Jamaica’. This year’s theme is ‘Celebrating Jamaica: Nurturing our Cultural and Natural Heritage’. Chairman of the Jamaica Day Planning Committee and Senior Education Officer in the Core Curriculum Unit at the Ministry, Marlon Williams, said that the ‘Day’ is one of the flagship projects of the Culture in Education Programme.

 

“In nurturing our cultural and natural heritage, we want our schools and students to mount displays and have conversations about food, arts, indigenous plants, protection of the environment, among other issues,” he said.

 

Schools at all levels of the education system are urged to engage all students, staff and community in planning the Day’s activities. They are also being encouraged to involve the Civic Affairs Committee, the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) and the Social Development Commission (SDC) regional offices, as well as parish libraries, churches, corporate Jamaica and community-based groups.

 

Meanwhile, Principal Director, Culture and Creative Industries Policy Division at the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Dr. Janice Lindsay, who brought greetings on behalf of Portfolio Minister, Hon. Olivia Grange, said that symbolism of the day is resonating across the length and breadth of the island.

 

“Perhaps one of the greatest success stories of the Day is that the spirit in which we observe the day has gone beyond our educational institutions and is now embraced by all Jamaicans,” she said.

 

The official Jamaica Day celebration will take place at Munro College in St. Elizabeth. Within the six Educational Regions one school will also be selected to be the focus institution for the day.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, giving the keynote address at the launch of Jamaica Day 2018, on January 24 at the Hope Botanical Gardens, in Kingston.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says the annual Jamaica Day is designed to contribute to citizen education, enhance the appreciation for Jamaica’s rich heritage and culture, and build a positive identity in students.

 

Speaking at the launch of the event on January 24 at the Pavilion, Hope Botanical Gardens in Kingston, the Minister said as Jamaicans celebrate the good and positive things about the country, “we must also confront those things that are negative”.

 

“We have a serious social and cultural deficit that needs to be addressed if we are to move forward as a country,” Senator Reid emphasised. Jamaica Day, which is celebrated on the last Friday in February annually, is designated to showcase aspects of Jamaica’s culture through the performing arts, visits to historical sites, sporting activities and recognition of outstanding citizens.

 

All themes for Jamaica Day over the years begin with two words – ‘Celebrating Jamaica’. This year’s theme is ‘Celebrating Jamaica: Nurturing our Cultural and Natural Heritage’. Chairman of the Jamaica Day Planning Committee and Senior Education Officer in the Core Curriculum Unit at the Ministry, Marlon Williams, said that the ‘Day’ is one of the flagship projects of the Culture in Education Programme.

 

“In nurturing our cultural and natural heritage, we want our schools and students to mount displays and have conversations about food, arts, indigenous plants, protection of the environment, among other issues,” he said.

 

Schools at all levels of the education system are urged to engage all students, staff and community in planning the Day’s activities. They are also being encouraged to involve the Civic Affairs Committee, the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) and the Social Development Commission (SDC) regional offices, as well as parish libraries, churches, corporate Jamaica and community-based groups.

 

Meanwhile, Principal Director, Culture and Creative Industries Policy Division at the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Dr. Janice Lindsay, who brought greetings on behalf of Portfolio Minister, Hon. Olivia Grange, said that symbolism of the day is resonating across the length and breadth of the island.

 

Students of  the National Water Commission (NWC) Co-op Credit Union Basic School and the New Day Primary and Junior High, listen to Education Outreach Officer of the Natural History Museum at the Institute of Jamaica, Eartha Cole, as she explains content of brochures on display.  Occasion was the launch of Jamaica Day 2018, on January 24 at the Hope Botanical Gardens, in Kingston.

 

“Perhaps one of the greatest success stories of the Day is that the spirit in which we observe the day has gone beyond our educational institutions and is now embraced by all Jamaicans,” she said.

 

The official Jamaica Day celebration will take place at Munro College in St. Elizabeth. Within the six Educational Regions one school will also be selected to be the focus institution for the day.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, giving the keynote address at the launch of Jamaica Day 2018, on January 24 at the Hope Botanical Gardens, in Kingston.

JIS: HEART Trust/NTA and the Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association (JMA), have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) geared towards providing on-the-job training for apprentices in the manufacturing and export sectors.

 

At the signing on Tuesday (January 23) at the JMA boardroom, downtown Kingston, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dean-Roy Bernard, commended the entities for coming together to assist the nation’s youth who are in need of training and experience to secure employment.

 

“Today’s signing… represents a significant step forward in the efforts to address the shortfall of skilled, semi-skilled, technical and professional labour in the manufacturing sector. This will also allow for job creation and greater contribution to Jamaica’s economic output and increase in international competitiveness,” he noted.

 

JMA President, Metry Seaga, said he is elated about the MOU, for which discussions started in 2016.

 

He informed that several members of the JMA have already expressed an interest in the programme and have committed spaces for apprentices.

 

Mr. Seaga said the agreement seeks to address one of the persistent issues faced by manufacturers – that of finding skilled labour for production and other key areas of businesses.

 

He noted that the sector employs 77,000 persons.

 

Citing a recent study done by the University of the West Indies (UWI), he indicated that 78 per cent of manufacturers have difficulty hiring skilled staff, and up to 90 per cent of the micro and small firms experience problems hiring qualified staff.

 

“This is the case even when Jamaica’s youth unemployment persists over 20 per cent,” he pointed out.

 

Mr. Seaga noted that manufacturing contributes over eight per cent to Jamaica’s gross domestic product (GDP) and the sector will be better strengthened by having young people with the talents to sustain and grow businesses.

 

He gave the JMA’s commitment to doing its part to giving its members a competitive edge and providing Jamaica’s youth “the opportunity for employment and self-actualisation”.

 

HEART Trust/NTA Chairman, Edward Gabbidon, for his part, said the agreement will take the underserved youth from a situation of untrained to employment.

 

“Our greatest resource is our human capital. We have youngsters who are very good at doing things… (so) let’s capture that level of ingenuity and skill sets and turn (the youngsters) into being useful citizens of this country,” he said.

 

The partnership between the HEART Trust/NTA and the JMA is expected to lay the foundation for a sustainable manufacturing industry consisting of a highly skilled and qualified labour force.

 

Among other things, the agreement sees the reintroduction of the apprenticeship programme to the manufacturing and export sectors; the provision of jobs for apprentices who complete their programmes; business development support for improved productivity within firms; and greater opportunities for matriculation through a strengthened National Qualifications Framework.

 

CAPTION: President, Jamaica Manufacturers’ Association (JMA), Metry Seaga (front left), hands a signed Memorandum of Understanding to Chairman, Board of Directors, HEART Trust/NTA, Edward Gabbidon, during the signing ceremony at the JMA’s boardroom in downtown Kingston on Tuesday (January 23). Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Youth an Information, Dean-Roy Bernard (right) looks on. Others in the background (from left) are Acting Senior Director, Community Services Department at the National Youth Service, Ronique Rhoden; Senior Director, Corporate Planning and Strategic Development, HEART Trust/NTA, Nicole Manning; Executive Director, JMA, Imega Breeze McNab; and Managing Director, HEART Trust/NTA, Dr. Janet Dyer.

JIS: Five primary schools are benefiting from a three-year Mathematics Enhancement Programme (MEP) being piloted by The Mico University College, which is aimed at improving student achievement in the subject.

 

The institutions are Allman Town, Clan Clarthy, and John Mills Infant, Primary and Junior High in Kingston and St. Andrew; Devon Primary in Manchester; and Mineral Heights Primary in Clarendon.

 

The programme, which got under way in September 2017, incorporates innovative strategies observed in mathematically high-achieving countries such as Hungary, Finland, Singapore, Russia and Japan, to impact the teaching and learning of mathematics at the primary level of the education system.

 

Students in 15 grade-one classes in the five primary schools are currently benefiting from the programme. Thereafter, it will be piloted in 15 grade-two classes and 15 grade-three classes in the same schools, commencing in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

 

At the end of the pilot project, a comparative analysis will be done to determine its impact and whether it can be expanded to other schools.

 

MEP is being administrated through the Caribbean Centre of Excellence in Mathematics Teaching (CCEMaT) at The Mico.

 

The Centre for Innovation in Mathematics Teaching (CiMT) at Plymouth University in the United Kingston (UK), which developed the MEP concept, is also assisting in its implementation locally.

 

At a press briefing at The Mico’s Marescaux Road headquarters earlier this week, the institution’s principal, Dr. Asburn Pinnock, expressed the hope that the programme will help students to develop a love for maths and inspire them towards higher achievement.

 

He said mastery of maths will open new job prospects for the country’s young people.

 

“Mathematics plays an important role in the fields of science and technology and, of course, engineering, No longer are we thinking about the traditional medicine and law, but we are looking for the new jobs,” he contended.

 

Director, CiMT, Professor David Burghes, said he is excited to bring the programme to Jamaica, and he hopes the country’s students and educators will benefit in a major way.

 

“We are a maths centre. We’re dedicated to trying to help teachers particularly, but also learners, to enhance their mathematics. It’s great that we will be working with CCEMaT. We have worked with them before, and although this is a small project, I think it’s one of great significance,” he noted.

 

He said that Jamaica has a general problem-solving issue with mathematics, which he hopes the project will address.

 

“I think we do need to look at problem-solving as a whole and be quite specific by what we mean by it. We need to do mathematics as well as read and write. I do think you have some good teachers, because I’ve seen them and have been in their classrooms,” Professor Burghes said.

 

MEP will ensure that teachers’ subject knowledge in mathematics is fully developed before commencing the programme, and provide all participating teachers with continuing professional development to ensure that they are equipped with the requisite skills to effectively integrate the MEP resources in their mathematics lessons.

 

It will also provide each student with individualised MEP materials and resources and provide teachers with access to an online database furnished with supporting materials, suggested learning activities and lessons, to effectively integrate MEP in their classrooms.

 

CAPTION: Principal, The Mico University College, Dr. Asburn Pinnock, addresses a press briefing at the university in Kingston, to provide details about the Mathematics Enhancement Programme (MEP), being implemented by The Mico’s Caribbean Centre of Excellence in Mathematics Teaching (CCEMaT).

JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information is moving to transform its 11 youth information centres (YIC) across the island into innovation centres, as part of plans to foster entrepreneurship among young people in Jamaica.

 

State Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, tells JIS NEWS that the rebranding is being done through partnership with the Organization of American States (OAS) under its Democratizing Innovation in the Americas (DIA) Lab Project.

 

Launched in Jamaica in July 2017, the DIA Lab Project equips urban youth to be innovators by training them in cutting-edge technologies and giving them the tools necessary to transform their communities.

 

It targets young people, ages 16 to 30, particularly in vulnerable communities, with the hope of transforming them into critical, creative and innovative thinkers.

 

The YICs, which provide free access to the internet, serve as a focal point for the dissemination of information on youth issues and programmes including educational training opportunities.

 

Mr. Green notes that the DIA lab concept is well aligned with the Ministry’s vision for the youth centres.

 

“There are clearly similarities in what we want to do and what the OAS has been doing across the Americas in relation to their innovation labs, which has the same sort of focus on entrepreneurship and other things in terms of programming,” he says.

 

“It has the same outlook in terms of partnering with expert personnel to help train the young people so that they can do business plans and pitches, so that they can put together the documents that are needed to go out and seek funding,” he notes further.

 

“As such, we’ve started the discussion with the OAS to see how we can align what we have planned with what they have done, and benefit from their expertise to see how we can merge ideas and expand our concept,” he explains.

  

Mr. Green tells JIS NEWS that plans were already underway to launch a pilot in three centres across the parishes of St. James, Clarendon and St Catherine early this year.

 

The pilot phase will be used to test and develop the model that will be rolled out in the various centres.

 

Mr. Green notes that the rebranding will involve putting in additional personnel, such as persons with business training, who can help the young people, who have business ideas.

 

“It would call for additional human resource personnel in the space and also additional equipment to help our young people, who are interested in business,” he adds.

 

In terms of the next steps, the State Minister says the Ministry and the OAS will formalise a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will set out the different roles that each entity will play.

 

“This is especially in relation to see how we could jointly go out and source some funding… so we can have a more substantial expansion and probably, we can move the rest of the centres in a quicker time frame,” Mr. Green states.

 

He says the hope is that in the next two years “we will roll out into all centres and if we can get an even firmer relationship with the OAS, then we will be able to cut that time.”

 

YICs offer a wide range of services to young people. However, in the main, the services offered tend to be centred on career development, the promotion of healthy (sexual) lifestyles and personal empowerment.

 

Mr. Green tells JIS NEWS that the rebranding will include having a standardised programme for the YICs. He points out that the activities offered are largely set by the youth empowerment officers, who manage the facilities.

 

“One of the things we decided that we want to do was to standardise the programmes as far as possible to ensure that at least we could say that there is one flagship programme, which is offered across all the centres so that a person knows that if they are looking for ‘X’ they can find it in the youth centres,” he explains.

 

For more information about the project persons can contact the Ministry’s Youth Division at 922 – 1400.

 

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

JIS: The Early Childhood Commission (ECC) is reporting success with its ‘Read Pon Di Cawna’ and Read Across the Region initiatives. Hundreds of children, their parents and early-childhood stakeholders have participated in both projects since the series began in September 2017.

 

Read Pon Di Cawna is being hosted in designated communities, while Read Across the Region targets early-childhood institutions within the educational regions. Community Relations Manager at the ECC, Tanisha Miller, told JIS News that “both activities are geared towards encouraging ECC staff, early-childhood institutions, parents and stakeholders to participate in reading and parenting activities at the early-childhood level across the island”.

 

Read Pon Di Cawna has, so far, been held in St. Catherine, St. Mary and Clarendon, while Read Across the Region was held in Regions Six, Two and Five. According to Miss Miller, the Commission believes that reading plays a key role in lifelong learning. The intention, therefore, is to instil a love for reading at the early-childhood level.

 

“The ECC has been going on the corners and in our schools to engage these children in reading and to encourage them to read,” she said.

 

The series will continue in 2018, with a joint Read Pon Di Cawna and Read Across the Region scheduled for Thursday, January 25. This will be held on Ocean Boulevard, across from the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) building in downtown Kingston, between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

 

Miss Miller said more than 300 children are expected to attend, adding that Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, along with several prominent Jamaicans from the media faternity, the private sector and the entertainment industry, will be on hand to read and interact with the children.

 

CAPTION: Executive Director at the Early Childhood Commission (ECC), Karlene Degrasse- Deslandes (centre), interacts with children during one of the ECC’s ‘Read Pon Di Cawna’ sessions held on Guptar Lane, Annotto Bay, St. Mary, in 2017.

JIS: National Mathematics Coordinator, Dr. Tamika Benjamin, says discussions are under way towards increasing the number of scholarships offered to student-teachers who are pursuing science majors at the tertiary level.

 

She said the move is aimed at boosting student achievement in the science subjects, particularly chemistry and physics.

 

She pointed out that with the improved performance in mathematics, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information is looking to shift more resources into the sciences, where students are falling behind.

 

“Two years ago, the Ministry made a decision to invest $400 million per year for a period of four years to make scholarships available to persons interested in teaching maths and science. This year, in our discussions, we’re actually considering making a slight adjustment to the number of maths scholarships available, downwards, because we would have already exceeded our targets, and we are falling behind in some of the critical science areas,” she said.

 

“For me, it is encouraging that we can actually consider making that decision, because a few years ago, you would have been fighting to find people who would even want to teach [mathematics]. So to see that the maths programme is actually leaps and bounds ahead is encouraging,” she added.

 

Dr. Benjamin was addressing a press briefing on the implementation of the pilot of the Mathematics Enhancement Project (MEP) held on Wednesday (January 17), at The Mico University College in Kingston.

 

A total of 440 scholarships have been awarded to tertiary students under the Maths, Science and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (MS-TVET) Teacher Initiative for the 2017/18 academic year.

 

The support covers tuition, boarding, books and miscellaneous fees. Some students received an additional grant of $20,000 each.

 

Noting the improved performance in maths, Dr. Benjamin said that students are doing better in the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) and the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC).

 

“This year, we have 67 per cent mastery at the grade-four level, and that’s coming from our first sitting where we had 38 per cent mastery. When we look back at CSEC maths, we are currently at 52 per cent, and what is encouraging is that the actual sitting cohort is increasing in number. We are seeing an increase in the percentage of students passing, meaning that many more students are actually leaving our secondary schools with a pass in CSEC maths,” she explained.

 

She noted that what is especially heartening is that more children are thinking “outside the box”.

 

“Over the last two or three years, they’ve had to create multiple rubrics to mark the items, because our students, in increasing numbers, are inventing accurate strategies to answer the questions. So that is actually encouraging. It’s a sign that our students are going beyond the usual algorithms and finding methods and approaches to solve problems that are their own, but, most importantly, they are accurate,” she said.

 

Dr. Benjamin said the Ministry recognises that more work has to be done to improve reasoning and critical thinking.

 

“We will continue to work on improving teacher quality, but we must maintain at the forefront of our minds, that we build teachers’ capacity to support the development of the critical thinking skills of our students.”

 

The four-year MEP project (September 2017 to August 2020) is being implemented by The Mico University College, through the Caribbean Centre of Excellence in Mathematics Teaching (CCEMaT) located on the college campus.

 

It aims to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics at the primary level through innovative classroom strategies.

 

MEP will be piloted in five primary schools, namely, Allman Town, Clan Clarthy, and John Mills Infant, Primary and Junior High School in Kingston and St. Andrew; Devon, Manchester; and Mineral Heights, Clarendon.

 

MEP was developed by the Centre for Innovation in Mathematics Teaching (CiMT) at Plymouth University in the United Kingston, which will assist in its implementation locally.

 

CAPTION: National Mathematics Coordinator in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dr. Tamika Benjamin, addresses a press briefing at The Mico University College in Kingston on Wednesday, January 17.

JIS: Four schools in the parish of Clarendon are to receive additional funding from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information to undertake refurbishing and upgrading works.

 

They are Denbigh Primary, Denbigh High, Frankfield Primary and Infant, and Edwin Allen High.

 

Portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, said a commitment has been made to provide the resources over the next two budget cycles.

 

He was speaking to JIS News after a tour of the institutions on Tuesday (January 16).

 

The projects to be undertaken include the building of an auditorium at Denbigh High; roof repair at Frankfield Primary and Infant; a new classroom block at Edwin Allen High to ease overcrowding; and enclosure of classroom space at Denbigh Primary.

 

Senator Reid, who was accompanied by senior administrators and technical staff from the Ministry, said the tour was important to get a first-hand look at the institutions and the work to be done while the funds are being put together.

 

During his stop at Denbigh High, he commended the administration for transforming the school into a “fine institution”.

 

He said the Ministry is committed to help fund the auditorium project, adding that the institution “deserves the facility”. He advised the school leadership to begin the preparatory work for the hall.

 

Senator Reid said he was pleased to see the school’s upgraded kitchen in operation, and to hear from the principal and staff that the investment has resulted in greater efficiency in the preparation of meals.

 

He told the students that they have no excuse for not attending school, as the Government is providing the resources for meals and transformation through the Programme of Advancement

 

Through Health and Education (PATH).

 

Meanwhile, he informed that the Government will be offering a full university scholarship to student, Twyla-Haye Bent, who, at the age of 10, sat English Language in the 2017 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), scoring a grade two.

 

Stating that the achievement is exceptional, Minister Reid said “it is the type of success that must be used to show what the education system can do for personal and national growth. Education can empower people, and we want people to aspire for extraordinary things”.

 

The Education Minister also stopped at the Windsor School of Special Education, which serves students with intellectual disabilities between the ages of six and 18 years.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (right), conducts a mathematics class at the Frankfield Primary and Infant School in Clarendon, when he visited the institution on January 16.