JIS: The island’s tourism product has been boosted with the graduation of the first cohort of 150 certified hospitality workers from the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation (JCTI).

 

The JCTI, which was created to increase access to certification for recent graduates as well as workers in the industry, saw, for the first time, persons being accredited as Hospitality Supervisors and in Hospitality Industry Analytics. Individuals also received the American Culinary Federation certification.

 

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, said the JCTI is part of the five-pillar growth strategy of the Ministry to provide “new products, new markets, new partnerships, new investments and the renewal of human capital”.

 

“The strategy for realising the outcome from those pillars is training, building the human capacity (and) creating the energy and the innovation that is required to put Jamaica’s product at the highest level of appreciation,” he said.

 

He was speaking at the inaugural graduation ceremony, which took place at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in Rose Hall, St. James, on Sunday (April 8).

 

Mr. Bartlett noted that tourism is no longer a seasonal industry and “we are no longer talking about employing persons for three months and six months because the season comes and the season goes. We are now an all-year-round economic activity with a team of workers who must be fully certified with the capacity to produce at the highest level of competence 24/7”.

 

He told the graduates that they have been placed on a career path that will take them from certified supervisors to becoming “managers, managing directors, and eventually owners yourself of hotels across Jamaica”.

 

The Minister also announced that the JCTI will become a part of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) Department of Tourism Innovation.

 

This, he explained, will enhance the results of other initiatives, such as the Team Jamaica training course, which are all aimed at professionalising the industry.

 

Meanwhile, Minister Bartlett said a holistic approach will be taken to ensure that a new path is forged where training and competency building will begin at the high-school level.

 

In so doing, he said $10 million will be made available from the TEF in September to establish a curriculum in high schools for the certification of students in hospitality.

 

Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, in his remarks at the ceremony, hailed the partnership between the Tourism and Education Ministries to provide training and certification for workers in the hospitality sector.

 

He noted that the move is also in line with the Ministry’s goal to ensure that “by age 30, all Jamaicans should hold some form of certification”.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (8th left, front row) and Minister of Education, Youth, and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (12th left, front row), are with the first cohort of participants to be certified under the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation (JCTI) programme. The inaugural graduation ceremony took place at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, Rose Hall, St. James, on Sunday, April 8.

JIS: Three persons, including a ward of the State, are being considered for national honours for their acts of bravery during the fire at the Walker’s Place of Safety earlier this year that took the lives of two children and destroyed the Lyndhurst Crescent-based facility.

 

Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, made the disclosure at Monday’s (April 9) memorial service for Oneika McGrae and Anna Kaye Moreland, at the Faith Tabernacle Shiloh Apostolic Church on Lyndhurst Road.

 

He said that 18-year-old ward Selana Reid, along with a caregiver at the home, and a young man, who saw the fire and came to assist, have been recommended for the Award for Gallantry at this year’s National Honours and Awards Ceremony to be held at King’s House in October.

 

He noted that the three saved lives by waking up the children, who were asleep, and helping them to escape the blaze.

 

Scores of persons packed the church for the memorial service, including portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, who read the first lesson, representatives of childcare agencies, family, friends and well-wishers.

 

The State Minister, in expressing sorrow at the loss of lives, said he is heartened at the outpouring of love and support from the public in the wake of the tragedy.

 

He noted that $9 million has already been donated for the rebuilding of the home in addition to other support for the children.

 

Mr. Green urged Jamaicans to honour the lives of those who perished by doing more for children who are in need of care and protection.

 

Leader of the Opposition, Dr. Peter Phillips, who is Member of Parliament for East Central St. Andrew where the home is located, said “there is much goodness around us”, and this was evident in how the community came together to assist on the night of the fire.

 

“The best of them came out, and they did what they could do for those children,” Dr. Phillips said, while calling for additional public support for the reconstruction of the home.

 

Several other agencies and community persons addressed the function, including Director of Children and Family Programmes at the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), Audrey Budhi.

 

Pastor at the Greater Grace Temple churches, Bishop Dr. C.A. Holdsworth, who contributed $10,000 towards the rebuilding of the facility, charged the congregation to “seize this opportunity to do something positive” for the nation’s children.

 

CAPTION: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green (right), places a flower in honour of two wards of the State who perished in a fire earlier this year at the Walker’s Place of Safety in Kingston. Waiting to make a floral tribute is Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dean-Roy Bernard. Occasion was a memorial service held in honour of the children on Monday (April 9) at the Faith Tabernacle Shiloh Apostolic Church on Lyndhurst Road.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, has called on unattached youth living in Zones of Special Operations (ZOSOs) to register for skills-based programmes the Government is offering.

 

Speaking with young people during a tour of the ZOSO in Denham Town, Kingston, to “ascertain the ZOSO’s effect on children, students and youth in the area”, Mr. Reid said he wants to reach the unattached youth living in the community, especially those who need jobs and training.

 

“Some of the social problems that we have in our society is lack of access to education and training, and we are bringing training to them or taking them from where they are to where the training is,” Mr. Reid told JIS News in an interview.

 

“We are here for them. We’re going to take some training to them, and those we can take and place elsewhere, we’ll take [them],” he added.

 

He said the ZOSO aims to bring about transformation, especially in the lives of inner-city youth, in which the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information is playing a pivotal role.

 

“This is the beginning of a whole transformation for our inner-city communities, and we want to replicate this right across the country. The long-term development of Jamaica has to be built on training and education, access of quality education for all and meeting the needs of the people where they are,” Mr. Reid said.

 

“I have a schedule to tour the ZOSO, because the strategy is [to] clear, hold and build, and part of the long-term building plan is to make sure that the education and training systems are available to the young people and, indeed, all the people of these communities,” he explained.

 

One of the youth from Denham Town, whom Minister Reid said he was very concerned about, is former head boy of Vauxhall High School, Travis Morrison, who lives in Denham Town and is not enrolled in a programme or employed.

 

“We’ve been able to meet individuals like Travis Morrison, who has over 20 subjects [including CSEC and CAPE]. I’m happy to tell him that we will try and get him into the Caribbean Maritime University based on the programme that they have,” Mr. Reid told JIS News.

 

For his part, Travis said he was happy to meet the Minister and share his story with him.

 

“I feel good and I am looking forward to the programme the Minister will enrol me in. I feel good that he came to hear our concerns and will try to help us,” Travis told JIS News.

 

The Minister said skills-based programmes will not be forced on unattached youth; instead, members of the Ministry, along with other Government agencies such as HEART Trust/NTA, will be listening to the needs of the youth living in ZOSO areas, and enrolling them accordingly into programmes.

 

“We are going to do our due diligence and surveys within the community to find out exactly what are their training needs. We’re not going to just prescribe but [also] look at their abilities, interests and take them up to the level we require, [and] we are going to make sure that the training is available,” he said.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (left), speaks with children and a guardian during his tour of the Zone of Special Operations in Denham Town on Wednesday (April 4). At right is Assistant Superintendent Coleridge Minto, Director of the Safety and Security in Schools Programme in the Ministry.

JIS: The Hazard Skills Training Centre in Clarendon, which provides certification for residents in collaboration with the Heart Trust /NTA, now has a new, more spacious home on the compound of the McLaren Engineering Company in Palmers Cross in the parish.

 

McLaren Engineering, which is a family-operated establishment, offered the space for lease for 100 years at a cost of $1.

 

The announcement was made by Chairman of the company, Michael McLaren, at a function on Friday (April 6) to hand over the building, which has been named the Wesley E. McLaren Hazard Skills Training Centre in honour of its late founder.

 

State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, welcomed the move, noting that with the handover of the building, the company is making a valuable contribution to national development.

 

In a speech read by Senior Education Officer in the Ministry, Floyd Kelly, Mr. Green said this will help the Ministry in its thrust to assist more young persons to acquire readily employable skills for the world of work through technical and vocational education and training (TVET).

 

“Well-functioning TVET systems are best-placed to train the skilled workforce to address our socio-economic development challenges. The vision of Mr. Wesley McLaren for a skills training centre was well informed, and well intentioned. It is now up to all of us, working in partnership, to expand on the vision and work that has been started,” he said.

 

He called on other private businesses to fully support such training programmes through direct sponsorship, and allowing for apprenticeship-type attachments.

 

National TVET Director in the Education Ministry, Denworth Finnikin, who was the guest speaker at the event, commended the McLaren family for the initiative ,which he said is “worthy of emulation…where private sector and government can come together to ensure we build a prosperous nation”.

 

Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister and Member of Parliament for Central Clarendon, Hon. Michael Henry; Custos of Clarendon, William Shagoury; and Mayor of May Pen, Councillor Winston Maragh, also welcomed the initiative of the McLaren family.

 

The skills training centre, which was established in 1997, has trained over 2,000 persons in welding, cosmetology, electrical installation, food preparation, and hospitality service.

 

The partnership with the Heart Trust/NTA began in 2010, and since then, other partners have come on board, including the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), Citizen Security and Justice Programme (CSJP), Social Development Commission (SDC), Clarendon Crime Prevention Committee, Clarendon Parish Development Committee, Mac Rebuilders Limited and other private-sector partners.

 

CAPTION: Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister and Member of Parliament for Central Clarendon, Hon. Michael Henry (right), admires the work of welding students of the Wesley E. McLaren Hazard Skills Training Centre (from left) Dennis Morrison; and Chrissy Grant. Occasion was a handover ceremony for the Wesley E. McLaren Hazard Skills Training Centre on the grounds of the McLaren Engineering Company in Clarendon on Friday (April 6).

OBSERVER: THE 2017 report of the National Education Inspectorate (NEI) has revealed that there are improvements across all eight indicators of school effectiveness in the 189 institutions inspected.

 

According to the report, of the 189 schools inspected by NEI personnel during the last academic year, 147 were primary while 42 were secondary. Within these schools, the team observed 10,000 lessons, administered 12,000 questionnaires, conducted 1,200 interviews, and reviewed 2,800 documents. The schools are located across the six education regions.

 

The inspectorate indicators showed improvements in areas such as leadership and management, teaching in support of students’ learning, students’ progress, and curriculum and enhancement programmes.

 

Improvements were also seen in students’ performance; students’ personal and social development; use of human and material resources; and students’ safety, security, health and well-being.

 

Addressing a media briefing at the ministry’s Heroes Circle offices in Kingston yesterday, Minister of Education, Youth and Information Senator Ruel Reid said the ministry was very encouraged by the improvement that is taking place within public schools.

 

“We will continue to take on the recommendations made by the NEI and work with the other divisions, our boards and principals to correct breaches and implement the recommendations,” he said.

 

He added that already, the NEI process is linked to the school-improvement process, and each year, the schools use their inspection report to complete self-evaluation, which goes into the school-improvement plans.

“These plans are being monitored and supported by our education officers across the system,” Senator Reid said.

 

The minister noted that the report revealed that improved students’ performance overall is supplemented by steady progress in curricular standards.

 

Meanwhile, Senator Reid said more work will be undertaken with the institutions that are in need of immediate support to ensure that their standings can be improved.

 

He commended all the stakeholders, especially administrators and teachers, who are making the improvements on the ground.

 

“I want to commend the team at the NEI for the work that they have been doing to keep us on our toes, because we have to make sure that the education system performs and it is aligned to the imperatives of the labour market as we try to ensure that we have the labour force to achieve Jamaica’s desired goal of economic growth and prosperity,” he said.

 

Providing a breakdown of the findings, Senator Reid informed that the overall rating for leadership and management improved by 20 per cent, when compared to the previous inspection cycle.

 

He noted that for teaching in support of students’ learning, more schools have been rated satisfactory and above when compared to the previous inspection cycle.

 

“The ratings on this indicator have improved by 11 percentage points, reflecting improvements in all sub-indicators, including the teachers’ subject knowledge and how best to teach the subject, teaching methods, assessment and students’ learning,” he said.

 

The report further noted that the overall rating on students’ progress improved by 21 percentage points since the first cycle of inspections, with more schools rated satisfactory and above; the overall rating on curriculum and enhancement programmes improved by five percentage points since the previous inspection cycle, with a few more schools rated satisfactory and above; and more students are performing at or above the national proficiency levels in grades four and six.

 

It also pointed out that the number of students attaining passes at the CSEC level has increased for both mathematics and English; students’ personal and social development improved by three percentage points; the use of human and material resources improved by 14 percentage points since the previous inspection cycle, with more schools rated satisfactory and above; and students’ safety, security, health and well-being improved by 15 percentage points since the previous inspection cycle, with more schools rated satisfactory and above.

 

The NEI is the national education quality assurance agency operating independently of the Ministry of Education. It embraces transparency, integrity, honesty and accountability as the hallmarks and guiding principles of its operations, which it seeks to inculcate in the education system.

 

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

OBSERVER: Stacey Taylor of Hatfield Primary and Junior High School in Manchester is the 2018 National Mathematics Teacher of the Year.

 

The announcement was made at Mona Visitors’ Lodge in St Andrew, on Wednesday, March 28.

 

Taylor was chosen from a list of 17 regional finalists and five national finalists. A total of 63 primary and secondary school teachers from across the six education regions were nominated for the award.

 

“I am elated. There are no words to explain how I feel at this moment,” she declared following the awards ceremony. “This is a coveted award which so many persons competed in, therefore, it’s an amazing feeling to be announced as the winner.”

 

The Manchester native, who has been an educator for more than 18 years, said she believes she was born to teach.

 

“Being a teacher is my calling. My students’ learning is my main focus and passion. Through my guidance they are now able to understand that mathematics is not only about numbers, calculations and algorithms, but it is also about thinking, reasoning and understanding,” she said.

 

As part of the prize package, Taylor received a one-year membership in the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), which is the world’s largest organisation focused on mathematics education, and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, DC, in the United States of America to attend the 2018 NCTM Conference. She also received an iPad courtesy of the JN Bank, which sponsors the teachers’ competition.

 

Addressing the awards function Wednesday, Minister of Education, Youth and Information Ruel Reid said the teaching profession in Jamaica has come a far way. He noted that while the country is not yet where it should be in terms of all teaching outcomes, there is still much for which we should be proud.

 

“When I was president of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association, 2005 to 2006, only some 20 per cent of our teachers had a university degree. Today, those figures are reversed, and some 80 per cent of our teaching cohort has a first degree,” he stated.

 

Senator Reid outlined that the Ministry of Education continues to improve teacher training, as part of its efforts to create a solid foundation for learning.

 

Jacqueline Robotham, business relationship and sales manager at JN Bank, congratulated the education ministry and its Mathematics Unit for its work over the years to improve the teaching and learning of maths in Jamaica.

 

“Through the efforts of our maths teachers and the support systems of Dr Tamika Benjamin, national mathematics coordinator, and her team, much has been accomplished to raise the bar of competence in this subject,” Robotham said.

 

She also highlighted programmes implemented by the Jamaica National Group, such as the Centres of Excellence, in concert with the Victoria Mutual Building Society, and the JN iLead initiative, to focus on upgrading leadership and academic performance in rural and non-traditional schools.

 

“We understood from the inception of those programmes that it would take some time for us to see signs of improvement. Therefore, we are pleased that the green shoots are emerging as a result of the many years of teaching, leadership, coaching and capacity building,” the JN senior manager stated.

 

Robotham also encouraged teachers not to be satisfied with the two-and-a-half per cent improvement in maths passes in the past year, pointing out that “our students are still performing below the standards of many others around the world”.

 

“We must, therefore, keep the momentum going and make the subject of mathematics relatable and alive,” Robotham urged.

 

The National Mathematics Teacher of the Year Award is in its fifth year.

 

CAPTION: Stacey Taylor of Hatfield Primary School in Manchester is shocked on hearing the announcement that she is the 2018 National Mathematics Teacher of the Year. The award was presented at Mona Visitors’ Lodge in St Andrew on Wednesday. (Photo: Courtesy of JN) 

JIS: The Students’ Loan Bureau (SLB) no longer wants to be seen as the institution that provides loans for only needy students.

 

“We don’t want that stigma. We want to be known as the institution of choice that provides funding for tertiary-level studies,” Executive Director of the SLB, Monica Brown, tells JIS News.

 

She says that the 48-year-old institution’s mission is to provide affordable financing to all students pursuing tertiary education, thereby contributing to national development. For a long time, the issue of access to tertiary education has been of concern to administrations, but with the change in policy direction of the Bureau, it is being made much easier.

 

According to Ms. Brown, needy students will continue to get priority with special emphasis on those beneficiaries under the Programme of Advancement through Health and Education (PATH).

 

She notes that the Bureau has been moving decisively in the direction of ensuring that those who qualify to pursue tertiary education, but can least afford it, have access. The SLB is also mandated to take a broad-based approach to tertiary education, and is therefore partnering with organisations within the tertiary sector to ensure that the sector is aligned to the productive needs of Jamaica in relation to economic development. However, Ms. Brown tells JIS News that for the SLB to effectively meet the demand for loans, it is critical that borrowers repay their loans.

 

The SLB disburses funds from a revolving loan scheme, therefore its ability to sustain the fund is heavily dependent on the repayment of loans.

 

Several steps have been taken by the SLB to make loans more accessible, while encouraging loan repayment. The Pay As You Study (PAYS) is one step in that direction. PAYS targets undergraduate students and can be accessed by a parent or whoever is able to pay monthly by salary deductions, while the student is pursing studies.

 

Repayment on this loan attracts six per cent interest on the reducing balance. Persons may borrow up to $1 million with seven years to repay. Unlike the traditional loan type, application to access the PAYS loan can be submitted at any time.

 

There is also the income contingent approach to repayment of loans, which is to be formalised and fully implemented by the SLB. Under this loan repayment arrangement, the amount repaid by the borrower monthly will depend on his or her income. This approach to loan repayment will also be enhanced by loan tenure which has been extended from 10 to 15 or 20 years depending on the area of studies.

 

Ms. Brown says this makes it easier for persons to repay and more persons will be willing to repay their loans. “Our aim is to make repayment more manageable,” she says. Borrowers are advised to inform the SLB of their employment status when they have completed their course of studies.

 

The Executive Director laments that in most instances, they are not aware of the loan beneficiaries’ status, whether they are unemployed or is unable make the full monthly payment based on the loan agreement.

 

“If you are not in a position to make that full payment, come in and speak to us so we can put a structure in place based on your ability to pay. The system will now reflect that although you are paying less, you have expressed an intent to honour your obligation. When the SLB knows what is happening, we are now in a position to exercise some discretion. Our contingent approach to payment will be used to solve issues like these,” she says.

 

Policy Analyst at the Jamaica Tertiary Education Commission (J-TEC), Tracey-Ann Smith, who supports the SLB efforts, said that income contingent loan repayment is a popular mechanism used in many countries across the world. However, in order for income contingency regime to be effective, a sophisticated administration system is critical.

 

Mrs. Smith says that while the cost of tertiary education can seem overwhelming, achieving education at that level has a plethora of benefits. A highly educated society engenders better citizenry, greater health outcomes, increased productivity and a more robust democracy. The SLB is now accepting loan applications for the 2018-2019 academic year. The deadline for applications is Thursday, May 3, 2018.

 

CAPTION: Executive Director of the Students’ Loan Bureau (SLB), Monica Brown, addresses a recent JIS ‘Think Tank’.

JIS: Participants in the Universal Service Fund (USF) Technology Advancement Programme (TAP) will receive training from a well-rounded curriculum, inclusive of face-to-face, experiential and practical exercises.

 

Associate Vice-President for the Faculty of Advanced Skills and Professional Development at the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU), Dr. Cornell Brown, speaking at a recent JIS ‘Think Tank’, pointed out that there are nine modules to be taught for the duration of the TAP training.

 

“We start out with employability skills, as the trainees are going to be gainfully employed, so we believe it is meaningful to expose them to some of the fundamentals that must be attended to, in being an effective employee,” Dr. Brown said.

 

After that, module 2 training will focus on effective communications strategies, adding that module 3 to 8 will focus on types of data; data collection methods, digitisation and some aspects of data analysis.

 

Participants will also be trained in data collection and integrity, which relates to the security of the data, the responsible use of the Internet and responsible data collection.

 

Dr. Brown said that the training phase will culminate with a field experience exercise, which is module 9.

 

For this, the participants will be going out and collecting data, guided by the course instructors.

 

Meanwhile, Marketing and Public Relations Manager at the USF, Deleen Powell, pointed out that many of the participants would not have had any kind of experience with using personal computers, “so one of the key things will be basic word processing, and showing persons how to use a computer, because for many individuals their experience with the Internet has been with handheld devices, tablets and mobile phones.”

 

“While that [experience] is great, as that is the direction the world is moving in, when it comes to being in the workplace, you need to have these basic word-processing skills, and the basic understanding of the various components of a computer,” she said.

 

The training started in March with regional workshops held in various regions across Jamaica over a one-week period.

 

In the meantime, Dr. Brown pointed out that even with the structure of the training, participants will get the practice of a real workplace, as they will be required to attend the training five days per week, with six contact hours per day.

 

He said that in addition to the academic portion of the training, the youth will participate in extra-curricular activities.

 

The TAP, which aims to train and place young people, 18 to 35 years old, in organisations to conduct digitisation or to collect data in relation to the organisation’s specific field, will last for 12 months.

 

CAPTION: Associate Vice-President for the Faculty of Advanced Skills and Professional Development at the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU), Dr. Cornell Brown, speaks at a JIS ‘Think Tank’ recently.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, has applauded the grade-six teachers, the principals and administrators across the island, who have collectively assisted with making the 2018 sitting of the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) a success.

 

“For day one, by all reports received, everything went very well, and, again, I am very proud of the Ministry’s team. They have been experts at this. We have had seamless examinations over the last many years, and it is a full credit to the team at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information,” he said.

 

“I want to praise how committed these teachers have been,” he added.

 

He said that despite industrial action last week, the grade-six teachers facilitated the students in order to ensure that they were well prepared.

 

“From all the schools I have visited and interacted with the students, it’s clear that they were not affected, and full credit to the leaderships of our schools,” Senator Reid said.

 

He was speaking to JIS News at the Mountain View Primary School in Kingston this morning (March 23) where he offered words of encouragement and support to the GSAT students.

 

He also assured them that they will all be placed in a secondary school, and the onus was on them to aspire for greatness, no matter the school in which they will be placed.

 

“All students will find a place in high school, so we look forward to them continuing to do very well,” Mr. Reid said.

 

Vice Principal, Mountain View Primary, Michelle Robinson, said the visit was “quite encouraging for our grade-six students”.

 

“Seeing him in person gave them a little boost, and his words to them were quite encouraging as well as his prayer,” Ms. Robinson told JIS News.

 

A total of 39,093 students sat the two-day test in Communication Task, Social Studies, Science, Mathematics and English.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, praying for students at Mountain View Primary School on Friday (March 23) before they sat their Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT).

JIS: All students sitting the 2018 Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) will be placed in a full five-year secondary-level institution.

 

Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, said that for the first time in the country’s history, there will be no need to place students who take GSAT in a junior high school’s grade-seven class.

 

He said that given the reduction in Jamaica’s birth rate in recent years, coupled with expanded capacity at the secondary level, more space has been created for students to be placed directly in a high school.

 

Statistics from the Ministry of Health show a 22 per cent reduction in the number of live births in Jamaica for the period January to March 2017, when compared to the same period in 2016.

 

“The total number of students who have been registered this year (to do GSAT) is 39,093. There is still a trend in a lower and lower number of students sitting the GSAT over the last couple of years, because the birth rate has been falling,” Mr. Reid said.

 

He was addressing a press conference on Tuesday (March 20) at the Ministry’s National Heroes Circle offices in Kingston.

 

Meanwhile, the Minister said there are four schools that remain on shift, and the Government is working to transform them over the medium-term.

 

Students sat Mathematics and Social Studies on Thursday’s first day of GSAT and will sit Language Arts, Communication Task and Science on Friday (March 23).

 

The 2018 sitting of GSAT will be the last in Jamaica’s history. The Primary Exit Profile (PEP) will replace it as the national placement examination in the 2018/2019 academic year.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, addresses a Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) press conference at the Ministry in Kingston on Tuesday (March 20). Seated beside him is State Minister, Hon. Floyd Green.