JIS: Work is under way to retrofit all primary and secondary schools across the island with lifts and ramps to improve access by persons with disabilities.

 

The initiative is being undertaken at a cost of $50 million by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information in collaboration with the Digicel Foundation.

 

“It is in the budget for the next five years,” said portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid.

 

“The allocation will make sure that within the next five years, every single public education institution will have either lifts or ramps, so that our children with physical disabilities will have access to these institutions,” he added.

 

He was speaking during the launch of the Abilities Foundation Beauty Services Unit on November 28 at the entity’s Constant Spring Road address in Kingston.

 

Senator Reid reiterated the Government’s commitment to supporting State-owned and -aided special education schools and units across the island, in keeping with its mandate to strengthen services to children with special needs.

 

He called on mainstream schools to develop structures and practices that would allow them to respond fully to a diverse student population.

 

Senator Reid said emphasis is also being placed on integrating the special needs community into the Government’s thrust to develop a national information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure.

 

“We have been exploring how best to integrate persons with disabilities into a system that is increasingly dependent on ICT. Children with disabilities don’t all go to institutions specially designed for them. Sometimes, those with challenges are very much part of the general population, and we have to expand avenues of access for them as well,” he said.

 

CAPTION: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, speaking during the launch of the Abilities Foundation’s Beauty Services Unit on November 28 at the Abilities Foundation’s Constant Spring Road address in Kingston.

JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information intends to reduce the size of classes at the nation’s schools as part of measures to improve student achievement.

 

“I am working on a budget to do so,” said portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid.

 

He was speaking at the launch of a special curriculum for children with learning disabilities held on Tuesday (November 28) at the Randolph Lopez School of Hope in St. Andrew.

 

He said that there is agreement with stakeholders for the establishment of a student-teacher ratio of 1:25 for regular schools and even lower for institutions where there is a concentration of students with special needs.

 

“We have the intellectual knowledge as to what we must do to reach every one of our precious children,” Mr. Reid said, noting that “no one should be left behind”.

 

“Everyone should be treated special. There is an approach to reach every child, there is a customised approach, and that is where we are going,” he added.

 

Assistant Chief Education Officer in charge of the Special Education Unit, Dr. Sharon Anderson Morgan, said the new curriculum, developed in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), came out of a need to provide a syllabus for students with moderate to profound intellectual disabilities that would allow them to “progress at their own pace”.

 

She said the curriculum will foster a higher level of skills in areas such as functionality and academics, and practical areas, which will allow the children to interact appropriately with the wider society.

 

Dr. Anderson Morgan noted that with the new curriculum, students with disabilities will acquire a sense of self-determination, self-advocacy and self-worth.

 

“We are grateful to UNICEF for fueling this dream,” she said while lauding the contribution of other agencies as well as community-based organisations.

 

She invited other entities to partner with the Ministry “as we seek to offer quality special education across the system”.

 

CAPTION: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid. (FILE)

 

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says young people are at the heart of the Government’s economic development programme.

 

He noted that policies and programmes have been put in place to fully engage the youth and ensure that they have access to education and training, to take full advantage of opportunities in the country.

 

“We want to make sure that there is no more army of unattached youth,” the Minister said, while addressing Youth Conference 2017 on Monday (November 27) at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston.

 

He noted that Jamaica has the capacity, once the human potential is developed, to be one of the greatest countries in the world, “and that is the mission of the Administration”.

 

Meanwhile, he assured the young people gathered that there is no need for fear or panic from the introduction of the National Identification System (NIDS).

 

He explained that NIDS is intended to be a secure and reliable system to verify an individual’s identity and will have no negative impact.

 

“This is an advanced system of identification, which is what is likely to be replicated across the world… . We have passed a law, which is an intent into how we want an ID system to work,” the Minister said.

 

He noted that many of the concerns regarding implementation of the system have been addressed, and other matters will be dealt with as the regulations are developed.

 

“All the interest groups, including students; all the church groups; and all the persons who have concerns, you will be allowed to make representation,” he noted.

 

The forum was organised by the Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network (JYAN) and included presentations from several agencies and private groups that are working for the development of young people.

 

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

GLEANER: Jamaica may be currently faced with disturbing and alarming incidents of crime and mayhem, but a totally different picture has been painted in schools. A study done this year by the National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA) shows that there has been significant reduction in major incidents of violence in learning institutions.

 

Reporting on findings that emerged from the 2017 Global School Health Survey and Rapid Situation Assessment, Uki Atkinson, research analyst at NCDA, noted that there has been a drastic decrease in bullying in schools, down from 41 per cent in 2010 to 24 per cent this year. At the same time, physical attacks were at 27 per cent, down from 46 per cent in 2010, while students who reported being in physical fights accounted for 31 per cent, down from 51 per cent.

 

“In looking at the data, we see, for example, that 31 per cent reported being in physical fights and this is, in fact, a reduction when we look at previous years. I thought it would have been the reverse, based on what we are seeing in the society, but based on the data we are seeing, there has, in fact, been improvement,” Atkinson told the gathering at the NCDA’s youth situation forum ‘Protect our Youth, Protect our Future’, which was held at the Pegasus hotel in New Kingston yesterday.

 

“Based on the comparison, between 2010 and 2017 physical injuries and exposure to violence have been on the decline. This could be as a result of health-promotion activities, interventions and so on. Quite a few organisations are doing significant work in our schools.”

 

 MOST STUDENTS ARE NORMAL

 

A similar sentiment was expressed by Assistant Superintendent Coleridge Minto, director of safety in schools at the education ministry, who noted that only five per cent of students display chronic behavioural challenges.

 

“The data is showing that 80 per cent of our students are normal, about 10-15 per cent have some behavioural problems, while one to five per cent have chronic behavioural issues, and these children are the ones you find before the police or CDA (Child Development Agency) or a psychiatrist. Majority of our students are normal,” said Minto.

 

“Violence in schools is actually down. When we look at 2012, there were 915 fights; 2013, 786; and although we only had 16 schools reported for 2016 – I suspect all schools were not reporting as they should – but all the major categories show that we were actually having a decline.”

 

He added, “What has happened is that there will be a major fight in a school today, it is reported all over the media and it looks as if there is an increase, but all the data over the last three to five years has been showing a reduction.”

 

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READ Parenting crisis! – More than 50 per cent of parents know their children are using illegal substances and do nothing about it

 

CAPTION: Dr Michelle Harris (right), adviser on non-communicable disease and mental health PAHO-WHO representation in Jamaica, examines the 2017 Global School Health Survey and Rapid Situation Assessment with (from left) Michael Tucker, executive director of the National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA); Dr Myo Oo, senior medical officer of Bellevue Hospital; Dr Kevin Goulbourne, chairman of NCDA; and Uki Atkinson, research analyst, NCDA, at the council’s youth situation forum ‘Protect our Youth, Protect our Future’ at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, New Kingston, yesterday.

JIS: The National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC) is stepping up its efforts to empower parents with the knowledge and skills to effectively raise their children.

 

Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, in a statement in the Senate on Friday (Nov. 24), said the entity will roll out a campaign focused on the issue of abuse, beginning with a Public Service Announcement (PSA) to be aired early next week.

 

On December 1, the NPSC will launch its parenting education programme in Region 4, which comprises Westmoreland, Hanover, and St. James.

 

The Education Minister informed that parenting education interventions are now being rolled out to other regions.

 

The Minister’s statement to the Senate comes against the background of recent debate on corporal punishment coming out of videos posted on social media, which showed children being brutally beaten as a form of discipline.

 

The Minister said he was “deeply moved” by the videos, which he said represented “the negative manifestation of the breakdown in the family.”

 

He said that the society cannot condone acts of violence meted out against children in the name of discipline “not in the homes, not in schools and not in the wider society”.

 

“We cannot continue to grow our children this way and expect them to be emotionally well adjusted teenagers growing into mature adults,” he argued.

 

The Minister said the Government “takes these issues (of violence) seriously,” and has undertaken specific action in relation to the videos, offering support and guidance where necessary.

 

 

 

Highlighting the gravity of the matter, Mr. Reid cited statistics from the Office of the Children’s Registry, which show increased reports of physical abuse linked to corporal punishments.

 

A total of 3, 214 physical abuse reports were received in 2014 while 3,639 reports were received in 2015.

 

In addition, the Investigation Unit of the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) indicated that close to 2,000 of the matters investigated up to October 2017, were related to physical abuse.

 

The Minister said the lesson that must not be missed coming out of these incidents of abuse is that “our men are largely absent and mothers are often frustrated and stressed.”

 

“There is clear need for us to understand the factors that have driven and influenced parents to plan or not plan for their families’ lives. We cannot ignore the clear signs of danger. We must at this time effect critical interventions to change current and future parental practices for Jamaica,” he said.

 

The Education Minister said the Government has been working to enhance the support it provides to families through various interventions, citing the merger of the Child Development Agency (CDA) and the OCR to create the CPFSA as one such move.

 

The CPFSA gives practical support by offering advice and counselling with a view to improving children’s emotional health and behaviour as well as maintaining stability within families. The agency has an active counselling response team which reaches out to children, families and communities which that experienced trauma from sexual or other forms of violence, disaster or displacement.

 

The CPFSA also engages in community outreach and public education to raise awareness about child rights, child abuse and parenting.

 

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

JIS: Six youth leaders were presented with instruments of office to begin their two-year tenure as Youth Ambassadors for Jamaica, during an induction ceremony at King’s House on Thursday (November 23).

 

The Youth Ambassadors will serve from November 2017 to October 2019 in three portfolio areas – Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Commonwealth, and the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

 

Responsibilities of the office include promoting and advocating action on critical national and international issues, and bringing national youth matters to the attention of policymakers and planners.

 

Patron of the programme, Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, who presented the Ambassadors with their instruments of office, congratulated the youth leaders on their appointment and encouraged them to use the platform to advocate for youth interests.

 

“As Ambassadors to the United Nations, the Commonwealth and CARICOM, you have the opportunity to influence the decisions of important international councils. In each of those councils, Jamaica has had a respected voice for many years, and you can be assured that much is expected of you,” he said.

 

He pledged support to the youth leaders in helping them to make a positive impact on the lives of those they have been appointed to serve.

 

State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, the Hon. Floyd Green in his remarks challenged the new ambassadors to be active players in advancing Jamaica’s interests in the region and internationally.

 

“This programme is very important, as it carries Jamaica’s position on a number of issues to various regional and international bodies, and we want our young people to take that message forward.

 

Please ensure that you are aware of the issues and Jamaica’s position on those matters, whether they relate to youth development or general issues. We want the youth to push those positions to then influence the Heads of Government,” he noted.

 

Senior Director, Youth and Adolescents Policy Division in the Ministry, Michele Small Bartley, commended the young leaders for their commitment to service to the nation.

 

“These new ambassadors are already proving that they are highly motivated. I have met with them personally and have recognised their willingness to serve their peers. Commitment, enthusiasm and passion are the three salient characteristics I have noted. Execute your task with passion and compassion for those you will serve,” she encouraged.

 

The Youth Ambassadors are Sophia Brown and Nicholas Kee – Commonwealth portfolio; Odayne Haughton and Simone Townsend, CARICOM; and Santana Morris and Charles Young, UNGA.

 

The Jamaica Youth Ambassador Programme (JaYAP) was established to promote youth advocacy and facilitate the participation of young people in decision-making.

 

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

JIS: Sixty-seven youngsters in State care were awarded for their academic achievements in external examinations at a ceremony organised by the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA).

 

The youngsters qualified for the awards after obtaining four or more subjects in the recent sittings of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE).

 

They were presented with trophies, tablets, plaques and laptops at the function held at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in Kingston on November 22.

 

Addressing the ceremony, Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, saluted the students and teachers for their hard work and achievement, and the foster-parents for the love and attention given to the students.

 

The Minister wished continued success for them and urged them not to be distracted “by those who promise quick riches through the fast lane that never last”.

 

“Remember these wise words that ‘silver and gold will vanish away, but a good education will never decay’. Take your education seriously, and help others to do the same,” he told them.

 

The Minister assured those children involved in the children services programme, which include those in foster care and State facilities, that his Ministry is now in a better position to assist at all levels.

 

“We want to make sure that as a State, we take our responsibility very seriously. If our children find themselves in vulnerable circumstances, we as a State will step in and ensure that they do not face undue difficulties,” he said.

 

Meanwhile, State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, noted that young people must invest in themselves, especially their education, to become people of substance.

 

“You (the youngsters) are a testament that anything you put your minds to, despite your circumstances, can be achieved,” he said.

 

Mr. Green reminded those in attendance that the Ministry this year enabled students, especially wards of the State on the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), to sit more than four subjects, by paying for them.

 

“What you will see in the years to come is that more children (wards of the State) will sit more subjects,” he said.

 

Mr. Green also congratulated the youngsters on their achievement and challenged them to “expand their dreams and visions” of the future.

 

For her part, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the CPFSA, Rosalee Gage-Grey, said the agency will continue to provide these children with a “healthy environment to help them grow in every sphere”.

 

“We have given equal opportunities to our children, so that they realise their true potential and are ready to face the outside world once they complete their studies,” she said.

 

Mrs. Gage-Grey hailed the students for their achievement and urged them to continue focusing on their studies.

 

Attorney-at-law and former ward of the State, John Clarke, encouraged the students to create a personal plan for the future and write down what they want to achieve in 10 years.

 

The award for top male (CSEC) went to Ronaldo Latibeaudiere from the South East Region, and the top female award went to Valencia Parchment from the Western Region.

 

Top female for CAPE went to Davia Carney from the South East Region, while top male went to Nickorta Samuels from the same region.

 

CAPTION: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (second left), greets Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) awardee, Sanjay Carter (second right), at an awards ceremony for youngsters in State care organised by the agency, at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in Kingston on November 22. Others (from left) are State Minister in the Education, Youth and Information Ministry, Hon. Floyd Green; and Attorney-at-law, John Clarke.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says discussions are well advanced with a local digital broadcast company to facilitate the transmission of content in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to certain schools.

 

“We are way down the wicket in discussions with one of our digital broadcasters to pursue this, and we are anxiously waiting,” he noted.

 

The Education Minister was speaking to JIS News following the opening of the Commonwealth Digital Broadcasting Caribbean Forum 2017 at The Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston on November 21.

 

The two-day conference, organised by the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO), has as one of its focal points, the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting, which, Minister Reid noted, provides a number of benefits for Jamaicans.

 

“I think one of the classic ones is the quality of the broadcasts, particularly for those who do not have cable television. The picture quality isn’t very good (on analogue),” he pointed out.

 

“Certainly, in terms of spectrum, for the broadcaster, they can make it more efficient to broadcast several different programmes at the same time,” he added.

 

Secretary-General of the CTO, Shola Taylor, noted that the switch from analogue to digital allows for the development and broadcasting of local content.

 

“Too often, we look for content outside of the region to broadcast to our people…I want to ask people of the Caribbean to develop local content within their region and to export them. In the United Kingdom (UK), I do not find any Caribbean stations,” he said.

 

Meanwhile, Executive  Director of the Broadcasting Commission, Cordel Green noted that Jamaica has been on the journey to switch from analogue to digital broadcasting since 2003.

 

“We’re at a point now where we’ve definitively settled on the date and on the technical standards. Then there are some other issues having to do with funding and ensuring that it is an inclusive process and that no one is left behind,” he said.

 

Mr. Green informed that the Government is looking to make the switch “in the region of 2020 or possibly 2021, conceptually,” but noted that “it could be sooner rather than later because the broadcasters are keen on moving forward”.

 

Held under the theme ‘Reinventing broadcasting for a new generation,’ the forum is part of CTO’s efforts to help countries in the Caribbean region to make the switch to digital.

 

Over the two days, meaningful discussion will be facilitated on the transition, drawing on the experiences of diverse jurisdictions, including the UK, Suriname, United States, Samoa and Nigeria.

 

Presenters include Controller of Distribution Operations at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC); Stephen Baily; President of the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC), Mark Richer; and Chairman of Digiteam, Nigeria, Edward Idris Amana.

 

CAPTION: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, addresses the opening of the Commonwealth Digital Broadcasting Caribbean Forum 2017, at The Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston on November 21.

 

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, has committed to assisting the Alpha Institute, so that it can continue to provide training and other opportunities for the young men it serves.

 

Alpha Institute, a private institution registered with the Ministry, is operated by the Religious Sisters of Mercy and caters to the holistic development of young men aged 15 to 19, most of whom are from inner-city communities. Focus is placed on personal development and career advancement training, with the aim of empowering them with marketable skills.

 

The Institute has faced financial challenges over the years, and the Education Minister, during a visit and tour of the South Camp Road campus on Tuesday (November 21), said he has observed the areas of need and will help.

 

“Alpha Institute, over the years, has become an oasis for many of the vulnerable youngsters, particularly our boys, who, when we look at the problems that we have in Jamaica, represent much of the problem. Alpha has been one of those bastions that have been helping to rescue many of our youngsters,” he told JIS News.

 

He noted that while the population at Alpha has been reduced over time because of expanded capacity in the public system, “we’re trying to carve out a new opportunity with them, because there is still… a lot of our youngsters who are really in need. “Because of dysfunctional homes or their own personal circumstances, they need a more caring and nurturing environment, and we will be working with the Alpha Institute to expand their own capacity to rescue our boys,” he added.

 

Among the measures being looked at is for the Alpha Institute to serve as one of the proposed time-out facilities for children who display deviant behaviour. These students would be taken out of the regular school system and placed in these facilities.

 

He said that Alpha could also become a centre for the expanded Career Advancement Programme (CAP), where students could receive two additional years for secondary education.

 

“We want them to continue their education, so that they can be trained and transition into the workforce. We know that over 140,000 unattached youth across Jamaica would have exited the system without proper training and certification so that they can move into the world of work. So, we are also looking at that,” he said.

 

“As the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, we want to make sure that all youth find an opportunity at Alpha Institute or similar institutions… that we make sure we empower them, so they can become disciplined and productive Jamaicans,” he added.

 

Minister Reid said he wants the Alpha Institute to remain an oasis for male students who are not functioning in the mainstream education system and look to the institution for rescuing.

 

“I believe if we can replicate this [and] partner with the vulnerable homes, all our youngsters, particularly our boys, can get a very good education that allows them to remain on the straight and narrow path and become very productive and disciplined Jamaicans,” he told JIS News.

 

Ministry of Education Region One Director, Kasan Troupe, who was also on the tour, said she is pleased with the activities being undertaken at the Alpha Institute to generate funds, which includes the making of wooden gift items and creative screen-printing.

 

“I’m really encouraged by what I’ve seen and really anxious to support. I will champion the cause at my end, because I have seen value and we don’t have to necessarily see a massive structure to say something is going on, just the nature of the children; that’s an achievement in and of itself. When we hear of boys being calm and productive, it speaks to what we are putting out into our society. I’m seeing where you take the aspect of social responsibility very seriously,” she added.

 

Principal, Alpha Institute, Janet Grant, told JIS News that she was pleased with the visit and the expressions of support from the Education Minister.

 

“There is hope for expansion here and even to help us with our operations, so that things can run smoothly. Right now, we have many challenges, not all financial, but many of them need financial resources in order for us to just make life better for the boys,” she said.

 

Alpha Institute offers courses in woodwork, barbering, landscaping, music performance and music technology, among other areas. The programmes follow the HEART Trust/NTA curriculum and standards.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (second right), tries out a trombone during a tour of the Alpha Institute’s South Camp Road campus in Kingston on Tuesday (November 21). Sharing the moment (from left) are Ministry of Education Region One Director, Kasan Troupe; Principal, Alpha Institute, Janet Grant; and School Administrator, Margaret Little Wilson.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says the Government is committed to ensuring that higher education is attainable for every Jamaican regardless of their socio-economic background.

 

He noted that through the Students’ Loan Bureau (SLB) and other bursaries and programmes, students can access financial assistance to get into university.

 

“Our mantra is to get tertiary education to be the norm in Jamaica,” the Minister said, noting that the Government must “provide a pathway for the training and development of every young person in our country”.

 

“We are not into this thing about it being an elitist education system. I want the poorest of the poor to get an opportunity for tertiary education. We are doing all we can to give every student who wants to go to college, a foot in,” he added.

 

Senator Reid was speaking at the HEART Trust/NTA’s College of Hospitality Services/Western Hospitality Institute trade show at the Cardiff Hotel and Spa, Runaway Bay, St. Ann, on November 16.

 

The trade show displayed the work of students in the areas of food and beverage, and tourism and hospitality management.

 

This is under a programme being implemented, through a partnership between the HEART Trust/NTA and the Joint Committee for Tertiary Education (JCTE), for the training of students in areas targeted for economic growth, including business process outsourcing (BPO), agriculture, transportation and logistics, and hospitality services.

 

Senator Reid commended the students on the quality of work displayed and urged them to “continue on the pathway of a successful career as they contribute to the economic growth and development of Jamaica”.

 

He urged them to take advantage of opportunities in the tourism and agriculture sectors.

 

“With the growth in the tourism industry, with more rooms being built, there is an increasing need for skilled workers at all levels in the sector. You are, therefore, taking the right steps in be in the right place at the right time,” he pointed out.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator, the Hon. Ruel Reid, speaking at the HEART Trust/NTA’s College of Hospitality Services/Western Hospitality Institute trade show at the Cardiff Hotel and Spa, Runaway Bay, St. Ann, on November 16.