JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information Ruel Reid has charged his ministry, the National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC) in particular, to rescue the country from the crime epidemic.

 

In his keynote address at the National Parent Month Media Launch at the Terra Nova All Suite Hotel in St Andrew yesterday, Reid indicated that no longer would the Ministry of National Security be central to the fight against crime, but instead, his ministry and the NPSC would be leading from the front to effect positive behaviour change.

 

“If Professor Herbert Gayle is indeed accurate – that a large part of the crime problem stems from an aspect of single parenting, more so vulnerable, single mothers who actually torture their boys because they themselves are stressed and they become hardened criminals and repeat murderers – I am giving charge to the chairman and CEO (chief executive officer) of the NPSC, along with the permanent secretary, to work together to ensure that we lead from the front and find every such parent or household that finds themselves so vulnerable,” Reid said.

 

While adding that positive parenting was an important aspect of the country’s social fabric, he endorsed the Parent Month theme, ‘Be The Influence’.

  

THREE-PRONGED APPROACH

  

To this end, CEO of the NPSC Kaysia Kerr outlined a three-pronged approach to position parents and guardians as good influencers in the lives of their children.

 

“The first is to get involved. Parents must pay attention to the day-to-day happenings in their children’s life. Get involved means initiating conversations, probing, listening actively, not with a view to ridiculing, but to giving guidance and support,” Kerr reasoned.

 

She further cautioned parents to lead by example, while encouraging their children’s dreams.

 

“There are many influencers out there who, based on their status and popularity, have managed to capitalise on the gaps in parenting and have become the example for our children. The NPSC is imploring parents at this time to be the example. Additionally, parents should not place boundaries on children’s ambitions,” Kerr added.

 

Activities planned for Parent Month include a church service on November 5 at the Calvary Baptist Church in Montego Bay, St James; a parent village hosted in Kingston at Hope Gardens, and in Montego Bay, Jarrett Park, on November 11 and 25, respectively. There will also be Primary Exit Profile sensitisation sessions for parents across the six regions.

 

CAPTION: Kaysia A. Kerr (centre), chief executive officer of the National Parenting Support Commission, chats with Mark Ellenthorpe (right), managing director of ATL Automotive Group, and Marigold Harding (second right), deputy chairman of the council, Institute of Jamaica, while students of Green Island High look on. The occasion was the launch of National Parent Month at the Terra Nova All Suite Hotel, St Andrew, yesterday.

JIS: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid,is encouraging parents to begin saving for their child’s tertiary education from early.

 

Speaking at the Malta Back to School Scratch and Win grand prize handover ceremony on October 31 at the St. Jude’s Primary School in Kingston, the Minister said this is important for the child to realise his or her future career aspirations.

 

Noting that the Ministry facilitates free education from early childhood up to the secondary-education level, Senator Reid encouraged parents to take advantage of this by saving for their child’s tertiary education.

 

“We are just at that point where we are able to provide quality education from early childhood to primary, so that every student will be able to go on to secondary and every student will be able to go up to grade 13, so you will leave with the minimum of an associate degree. That is the kind of education system that we are building,” the Minister said.

 

“The cost for training and certification very often becomes challenging. The Government itself, while we provide free education up to grade 13, will not be able to fund everybody at the higher level.

 

I am appealing to parents to begin to prepare for their child’s tertiary-education programme. You have to save,” he emphasised.

 

Senator Reid further reiterated the Government’s commitment to providing assistance to students pursuing studies in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), through its mathematics, science and technical vocational scholarships, and encouraged the young students to work hard in these subject areas.

 

Malta and Jamaica Money Market Brokers (JMMB) Limited have awarded grand prize winner of the Malta Back to School Scratch and Win promotion, grade-one student of St. Jude’s Primary School, Keshawn Stewart, with a $500,000 JMMB investment account.

 

Keshawn’s mother, Keisha White, who entered the competition on her son’s behalf, will be assigned Trustee for the JMMB investment facility. The funds will only be accessible to Keshawn when he turns 18 and will be used to finance his tertiary education.

 

Ms. White, who submitted several entries in the competition, expressed her appreciation of the initiative, which she said will assist her son in realizing his dream of becoming a pilot in the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF).

 

“I feel very excited. It means a lot to me for when he goes to college, because it isn’t easy to find money for college. My son won’t have to go through that, because I entered this competition. It’s a very nice feeling,” she said.

 

The initiative, which is spearheaded by beverage giant, Malta, in collaboration with JMMB and Kingston Bookshop, has, so far, awarded more than $2,000,000 in cash and prizes in its Back-to-School promotion, for which entries were opened in July.

 

Among the list of other prizes are $5,000 cash for offsetting back-to-school expenses for 40 winners; book vouchers valued at $15,000 each awarded to 20 winners; brand-new Samsung tablets given to 20 winners and $50,000 cash towards school fees for 20 winners.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (second left); Group Chief Marketing Officer for Jamaica Money Market Brokers (JMMB) Limited, Kerry-Ann Stimpson (left); and Assistant Brand Manager for Stouts and Malta, Nathan Nelts (right), hold cheques totalling $500,000 , which was presented to grand prize winner of the Malta Back to School Scratch and Win promotion, grade-one student of St. Jude’s Primary School, Keshawn Stewart (giving a thumbs up), during the handover ceremony on October 31 at the school in Kingston. Behind Keshawn is his mother, Keisha White.

JIS: More than 250 young people have received certification in various skill areas, having successfully completed training under the Alternative Livelihood Skills Development programme.

 

The programme is a component of the Jamaica Social Investment Fund’s (JSIF) US$42 million Integrated Community Development Project (ICDP).

 

Training for the graduates was facilitated through a number of entities namely the Pre-University School; Institute for Workforce Education and Development (IWED); Rakul Enterprise School of Education and Technology; Trench Town Polytechnic College; the University of the West Indies film project; and Internet Income Jamaica.

 

In his remarks at the graduation ceremony held at the Chinese Benevolent Association of Jamaica on Old Hope Road on Thursday (October 26), Managing Director of JSIF, Omar Sweeney, said young people across seven parishes benefited from the training.

 

These include 179 trained and certified Zika warriors and environmental warrens, who will be employed in communities as vector control aides, as well as assist in solid waste management efforts in various communities.

 

Meanwhile, for the Pre-university School, which prepares students to enter tertiary institutions or the job market, Mr. Sweeney informed that 39 out of 41 participants graduated, with over 25 per cent finding work less than three months post training.

 

For the IWED, which offers  certified courses in areas such as home management, customer service, landscaping, food handling, customer relations, office administration, housekeeping and hospitality, there was a 100 per cent completion rate with over 50 per cent of the participants now employed.

 

Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Fayval Williams, congratulated the graduates for completing the training programme.

  

“This is the beginning of something exciting and I want to encourage you not just to sit here with this initial training, but to continue to seek training wherever it is so that you have a diversified portfolio of skills that can serve you in whatever area in which you want to go,” she advised.

 

Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, in a speech read by Advisor, Brittany Singh-Williams, encouraged the graduates to use the skills gained to contribute to the development of Jamaica.

 

“Young people will play a big role in how our world adapt to challenges. With youth comes energy, innovation and optimism and you need supportive environments such as these and opportunities to launch out into the world,” Mr. Green said.

 

He added that it is important that the country continues to ensure that the youth are being prepared with the necessary tools and skills sets for the job market.

 

The ICDP, which is being funded by the World Bank, aims to promote public safety transformation through the provision of basic infrastructure and social services in 18 communities in the parishes of Kingston and St. Andrew, St. Catherine, Clarendon, St. James, St. Ann and Westmoreland.

 

The ICDP commenced in May 2014 and will continue until May, 2020.

 

CAPTION: National Coordinator of the Housing, Opportunities, Production and Employment (HOPE) Programme, Lieutenant Colonel Martin Rickman (left) presents Nickoy Davis with a trophy for being the Top Performing Male at the graduation ceremony for participants in the Alternative Livelihood Skills Development programme held at the Chinese Benevolent Association of Jamaica on Old Hope Road on Thursday (October 26). The training programme is a component of JSIF’s US$42 million Integrated Community Development Project (ICDP)

 

 

 

 

JIS: The country’s young people are being urged to focus on ‘Substance Ova Hype’ as the country celebrates Youth Month in November.

 

State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, said the theme is a call to action for all Jamaican youth to reflect on their own journeys and identify areas where they can each add more meaning to their personal, educational and socio-economic lives.

 

“Substance Ova Hype promotes a deeper understanding of self and an appreciation for long-term wins and not just a focus on immediate material rewards. In a culture where instant gratification appears natural for many youth, the mantra ‘Substance Ova Hype’ encourages Jamaican young people to not only consider immediate delights, but to also focus on the actions they are taking today, to ensure productive and sustainable livelihoods in years to come,” he noted.

 

“As such, I say to our youth, make yourself into somebody of value. Think about how often you can help your community, country and yourself to be better,” Mr. Green added.

 

He was speaking at the Youth Month launch at the Serengeti of Hope Zoo, St. Andrew on Thursday (October 26).

 

Mr. Green noted that the month of observance will highlight the abundance of opportunities that are now available for Jamaica’s young people.

 

“People often talk about the problems our young people face but let us now talk about opportunities that we can provide for our youth and the potential they have to transform Jamaica,” he said.

 

The Ministry, through the Youth Division and in collaboration with corporate Jamaica, will be providing various platforms to celebrate, encourage and showcase Jamaica’s young people.

  

Activities get underway with a church service and brunch at Church on the Rock, St. James on October 29.

 

A volunteer project launch will be held on November 1; Twitter town hall on November 2; pop up visits by Mr. Green on November 15, 17, 20 and 22 in Kingston, St. Andrew, Portland, St. James and Manchester, respectively; a Vision 2030 event on November 16; and the celebration of International Students’ Day, and a Facebook town hall on November 20.

 

On November 22, a Fi Wi Voice Youth Perspective Forum will be held; Youth Ambassadors Programme installation ceremony on November 23; National Youth Council Elections on November 25; a sports competition on November 26; and National Youth Parliament on November 27.

 

The Prime Minister’s Youth Awards for Excellence to recognise young people, who have excelled in various areas, will be held on December 3.

 

Youth Month celebrates the resilience and creativity of Jamaica’ young people. The primary objectives are to advance youth participation in the socio-political, economic, cultural and religious processes of society; and celebrate and highlight the outstanding contributions and achievements of Jamaican youth.

 

The observation also serves to showcase and display the best of youth talent in Jamaica, promote national pride and goodwill, as well as foster national, community and youth development.

 

The launch included a ‘Paint and Sip’ event, where the young people in attendance were encouraged to create their own keepsake paintings. The event climaxed with a party.

 

CAPTION: State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, the Hon. Floyd Green, observes young people creating works of art at the launch of Youth Month launch on Thursday, October 26 at the Serengeti, Hope Zoo in St. Andrew.

JIS: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says Jamaica can benefit from enormous economic possibilities for increased trade with non-English-speaking countries, if more persons become multilingual.

 

Citing the apprehension by some individuals about Jamaica engaging in trade with non-English-speaking countries, Senator Reid said significant expansion in the global space within which nations now operate has resulted in more persons broadening their skills to include the ability to communicate in different languages.

 

He was speaking at the Ministry’s ninth Foreign Languages Annual General Meeting, which was held at Shortwood Teachers’ College on October 27 under the theme ‘Unearthing the Kit for the 21st Century Foreign Language Learner’.

 

The Minister argued that based on the increased number of languages at which persons across the world are becoming adept, “the more we can empower Jamaicans… to be able to speak other languages (is the more) I think trade will become easier for Jamaica”.

 

Senator Reid said the Government, in recognition of the importance of foreign-language skills in the global economy and their relevance to virtually all career fields, has been taking steps to ensure that youngsters are so exposed at an early age.

 

The Minister noted that student competence in a foreign language is part of the goals of the Vision 2030 Jamaica – National Development Plan.

 

Additionally, he said the new National Standards Curriculum highlights the importance of teacher competence in delivering student-centred education as among the new trends in foreign-language teaching.

 

“We are driving that from very early… trying to make it mandatory that students are exposed to foreign languages, with particular emphasis on training of teachers to deliver Spanish at the primary level as well as professional development of all foreign-language teachers,” the Minister said.

 

“As a Caribbean region, if we can effectively integrate and relate to our non-English-speaking neighbours (through) foreign-language skills, that certainly would be a great asset,” he added.

 

CAPTION: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (left), is greeted by foreign language trainee teacher, Ryan Mullings, on arrival at Shortwood Teachers’ College in St. Andrew on Friday (October 27) for the Ministry’s ninth foreign languages annual general meeting. Others (from second left) are trainee teachers, Shamore Roberts, Justin Kerr, Tanra Wright and Desirée Walker.

JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information is now accepting nominations for the 2018 Mathematics Teacher of the Year Competition.

 

Chief Education Officer, Dr. Grace McLean, said the competition is designed to promote the meaningful learning of mathematics and celebrate primary and secondary teachers who consistently apply best practices in the classroom.

 

Teachers may be nominated by a principal, colleague, an education officer or a member of the National Mathematics Team.

 

The Mathematics Teacher of the Year Competition, which is in its fifth year, is sponsored by Jamaica National (JN).

 

Prizes for the winner include a two-year membership to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), which is the world’s largest organisation concerned with mathematics education; a trip to Washington DC in the United States for the 2018 NCTM Conference in April; and an Apple iPad.

 

Nomination forms can be downloaded at the Ministry’s website at www.moe.gov.jm, or persons may contact any of the six regional offices across the island.

 

Deadline for the submission of nomination forms is November 30, 2017.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (centre), presents teacher at the Crescent Primary School in St. Catherine, Neisha Grant Lawrence (right), with the Mathematics Teacher of the Year trophy in March. At left is Senior Manager, Learning Development Culture, Jamaica National Group, Dr. Renée Rattray.

JIS: Graduates of the Career Advancement Programme (CAP) levels two and three and the National Vocational Qualification of Jamaica (NVQ-J) level two, now have the opportunity to pursue an associate degree in occupational studies. Applications are now being accepted for the January 2018 semester from persons who wish to pursue studies under the two-year programme.

 

Areas of training include logistics, business process outsourcing (BPO), knowledge process outsourcing, manufacturing, agriculture, hospitality and renewable energy technology.

 

Persons may register at the Caribbean Maritime University, Excelsior Community College, College of Insurance & Professional Studies, Shortwood Teachers’ College, The Mico University,

 

University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC), and University of Technology (UTech) Academy in Kingston; Western Hospitality Institute, St. James; Brown’s Town Community College, St. Ann; College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE) in Portland; G.C. Foster College of Physical Education and Sport and Portmore Community College, St. Catherine; Northern Caribbean University (NCU), Manchester; Bethlehem Moravian College. St. Elizabeth; and the Vocational Training Development Institute (VTDI) in Kingston and Manchester.

 

The associate degree programme was developed under the direction of the Centre of Occupational Studies (COS) in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, and is in response to the demands of the workplace.

 

“We at the COS were charged to create and manage a structured and coordinated approach to occupational degree certification within the Jamaica context,” explained Director of the Centre of Occupational Studies (COS), Linda Stewart-Doman.

 

She was addressing a Think Tank held recently at the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) head office in Kingston.

 

She noted that the associate degree programme was launched in December 2016, with 457 students enrolling in the pilot course that started in January 2017.

 

Chairman of the Joint Committee of Tertiary Education (JCTE), Dr. Cecil Cornwall, said the programmme trains individuals for the workplace, providing industries with qualified persons with technical competencies.

 

He explained that it is a transfer degree that allows the participants to matriculate to a baccalaureate programme at a tertiary institution if they so desire.

 

For further information, individuals may contact the COS at 967-7802, Email: [email protected] or Twitter:@COS_ODs.

 

CAPTION: Director for the Centre of Occupational Studies in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Linda Stewart-Doman, addressing a JIS Think Tank recently.

JIS: The Education, Youth and Information Ministry, through its Safety and Security Unit, is focusing on increasing the number of uniformed groups in schools.

 

Region Six Community Relations Education Officer in the Ministry, Kereen Reid-Clarke, says involvement in these groups provides opportunities for the growth and development of students.

 

“We believe that uniformed groups, especially the Fire Wardens Club, will foster a sense of discipline and also provide an avenue for students to learn and practise appropriate disaster and safety measures,” she notes.

 

Mrs. Reid-Clarke was delivering remarks at the official launch of the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) Fire Wardens Club in schools, at the Greater Portmore Primary School in St. Catherine on October 26.

 

“The club will not only have an impact on the students but over time create a society which will be fully aware of how to manage, respond and recover from disasters,” she said.

 

Mrs. Reid-Clarke assured that the Ministry will continue to work with the JFB to ensure that the Fire Wardens Club initiative is available to all primary schools across the island.

 

Meanwhile, Region Six Safety and Security Coordinator in the Ministry, Carl Sterling, noted that focus is being placed on improving the safety and security committees in all high schools in Jamaica.

 

“The Ministry is committed to ensuring that we create an environment that is safe for our students to learn and for them to experience all that they can, so that they become productive members of society,” he said.

 

Deputy Superintendent of the JFB, James Lee, said the Fire Wardens Club represents a far-reaching initiative that seeks to engage and empower students and their parents in fire safety.

 

He said its launch is timely, as the JFB observes Fire Safety Awareness Week from October 22-28 under the theme ‘Empowering our People for a Fire-Safe Jamaica’.

 

“We are expecting other schools to come on board, so that the initiative can spread. We’re hoping that through it we can have prospective firemen and (fire)women,” he said.

 

Resident Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Kenji Tobita, said his agency, which is funding the Fire Wardens Club in schools initiative, has been helping Jamaica in the area of disaster risk reduction, as the island is prone to disasters just like Japan.

 

He said through cooperation, JICA has dispatched disaster risk-reduction personnel to provide training in this regard.

 

Born out of the Disaster Risk Reduction Education in Primary Schools, the Fire Wardens Club is the brainchild of District Officer of the JFB, Heather Williams.

 

It is an education-based extracurricular programme in primary schools with the purpose of empowering children with the right knowledge, skills and attitudes to prepare for, respond to and to recover from disasters.

 

The vision of the club is to develop a culture of disaster risk reduction in homes and communities towards building Jamaica’s resilience to natural disasters.

 

Clubs, which will require members to wear their JFB-designated uniforms, hold regular weekly meetings for an hour.

 

The children engage in discussions on certain topics such as natural hazards and disasters, rescue techniques, basic first aid, volunteerism, fire brigade knowledge and foot drills.

 

The launch was attended by several schools based in St. Catherine, including: McCook Primary, Marlie Mount Primary and Infant, Kensington Primary, Old Harbour Primary, Ensom City Primary, Independence City Primary and Crescent Primary.

 

Students from McCook Primary and Greater Portmore Primary participated in the display of accident rescue and the demonstration of the use of a fire extinguisher

 

CAPTION: Region Six Community Relations Education Officer in the Education, Youth and Information Ministry, Kereen Reid-Clarke (left), converses with Resident Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Kenji Tobita (right), during the launch of the Fire Wardens Club in schools at the Greater Portmore Primary School in St. Catherine on October 26. At centre is Region Six Safety and Security Coordinator in the Ministry, Carl Sterling.

JIS: As the parent of a hearing-impaired teenager, Marcia Hunter welcomes the Partnership for Literacy Enhancement for the Deaf Project, which, she says, will open up academic opportunities for her daughter and positively impact her future ambitions.

 

In an interview with JIS News, Ms. Hunter says her 18-year-old daughter, who attends the Lister Mair/Gilby High School for the Deaf, puts no limits on herself.

 

The talented teen, who is in Grade 12, already has a distinction in Visual Arts at the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) level, and is preparing to sit additional examinations in Mathematics, Accounts and Information Technology (IT) in 2018.

 

The proud mother who supports her ambitious daughter in her pursuit of a career as a teacher of the deaf in visual arts or mathematics, says the project is a positive step in the right direction to foster greater inclusion and opportunities for members of the deaf community.

 

For his part, State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, hails the initiative, which he says is in line with the Government’s national development agenda, which seeks to ensure that every member of society is included in the process.

 

“If we are to truly move Jamaica forward, it must be with an effective education system that leaves no child behind,” Mr. Green asserts.

 

Launched in September, the three-year project aims to realise five major objectives, including an increase in the number of deaf students functioning at age-appropriate levels for literacy development by 10 percentage points in all schools operated by the major service providers of deaf education in Jamaica.

 

These are the Danny Williams School for the Deaf; Lister Mair/Gilby High School for the Deaf; and Excelsior Primary School Integrated Unit for the Deaf, in Kingston; Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf – Kingston and Mandeville campuses; Jamaica Christian School for the Deaf, St. James; May Pen Unit for the Deaf, Clarendon; Port Antonio Unit for the Deaf, Portland and St. Christopher’s School for the Deaf, St. Ann.

 

Activities to be implemented to achieve this objective include diagnostic assessment of vulnerable students, specially designed reading competitions and workshops, reading boot camps and educational field trips.

 

The second objective is the development of a Jamaican Sign Language (JSL) curriculum to be incorporated in schools for the deaf by 2020.

 

It is expected that this will assist in developing students’ comprehension and critical thinking skills as well as act as a catalyst for students to access higher education.

 

Pointing out that deaf persons using JSL have difficulty communicating written thoughts, Ms. Hunter says that the project comes at an opportune time, as it will assist her daughter in her exam preparations.

 

“With the Literacy in English Language, it will improve her grammar and bring more awareness about language arts. It will also assist her in her exams and improve her ability to relate to a hearing person in terms of her writing,” she adds.

 

Two other significant goals of the project are to have a minimum of 75 per cent of all teachers advancing at least two levels of JSL Communicative Competence at the end of the project; and to empower parents of the deaf to effectively parent and communicate with their children.

 

To achieve this, the Jamaica Association for the Deaf (JAD) will be teaching parents sign language and effective parenting strategies. They will also be coached on how to read with their children using sign language, through the JAD’s Shared Reading Programme.

 

Ms. Hunter, who is attending sign language classes at JAD, says being able to communicate properly with her child is important as this is the only way she can nurture the critical parent-child relationship, and is encouraging all persons, particularly parents with hearing-impaired children, to learn this language.

 

“You have to find time for your child, especially if he or she has special needs. You need to be able to communicate with your child,” she says.

 

Meanwhile, Project Manager, Tisha Ewen-Smith, says that with more than 90 per cent of students across the island’s primary and secondary schools for the deaf functioning below the expected grade levels in reading comprehension, the project will equip these children with the necessary skills to advance to higher education and improve their outcomes as adults.

 

“The goal of the project is to increase the literacy level of deaf children in all schools operated by the major service providers of deaf education in Jamaica… and ensure equal access as clients, students and, most importantly, as citizens of Jamaica,” she says.

 

The programme will impact more than 400 deaf children and their families as well as 100 educators in nine participating schools for the deaf.

 

The Partnership for Literacy Enhancement for the Deaf Project is slated to run from April 2017 to April 2020, and is being implemented by the JAD, in partnership with international funding agency, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

 

CAPTION: State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green (right), spells his name in sign language during the launch of the Partnership for Literacy Enhancement for the Deaf Project at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in Kingston recently. The project aims to increase the literacy level of hearing-impaired children. It is being implemented by the Jamaica Association for the Deaf (JAD), in partnership with international funding agency, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Observing are Acting Mission Director for USAID, Rebecca Robinson (centre) and Chairman of the Executive Board of the Jamaica Association for the Deaf, Christopher Williams.

JIS: The University of the West Indies (UWI) has developed material designed to assist in improving media and information literacy in primary and secondary schools islandwide.

 

This was disclosed by Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Minister, Hon. Olivia Grange, who said the undertaking is a collaboration involving the United Nations, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Broadcasting Commission and the Joint Board of Teacher Education.

 

“I am pleased to learn that an outcome of this collaboration is that media literacy will be embedded into the curriculum of local teacher-training colleges,” she further disclosed.

 

The Minister was speaking at the opening ceremony for the global media and information literacy conference at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston on October 25.

 

Ms. Grange said it is essential that Jamaicans be able to deconstruct media products in order to evaluate their contents; assign social, cultural and/or economic value to the content; and leverage information and communication tools in their development goals.

 

“In short, our aim must be to develop the critical thinking skills of our citizens, especially our young citizens, whose upbringing and socialising are influenced by the media,” she said.

 

The Minister contended that in the existing digital age, persons should have the skills to critically analyse and use media and information.

 

“Concerns about the impact of media on society, particularly on young people, have resonated for as long as traditional media have existed. But things have to change dramatically,” she added.

 

Ms. Grange said, over time, consumers have become more active in terms of the media and information they receive.

 

This, she said, can be attributed to more access to information, more sources of information where mediated forms of communicated are the primary means of delivering information and knowledge, and where misinformation and fake news are unfortunate realities in today’s world.

 

Activities marking Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2017 are being held under the theme ‘Media and Information Literacy in Critical Times: Reimagining Ways of Learning and Information Environments’. The week runs from October 25 to November 1.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange (second left), shares pleasantries with (from left) President, International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, Gloria Pérez-Salmerón; Executive Director, Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica and Chairman for the Information Advisory Committee, Jamaica National Commission for UNESCO, Cordel Green; and Chair, International Conference on Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue, (MILID), Esther Hamburger, during the opening ceremony of the Global Media and Information Literacy conference at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston on October 25.