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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

REVOLUTIONARY APPROACH

  

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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).