JIS: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, said the Government is committed to the free flow of information to the public and to provide channels for citizens to openly share their views and concerns.

 

“As a Government, we are the servants of the people. We want to make sure that what we are doing is in the best interest of the people of Jamaica. We are not hiding information; we want to be very transparent,” he said.

 

The Minister was addressing students and teachers at the launch of the Access to Information (ATI) Unit’s National High School Essay Competition at the Office of the Prime Minister in Kingston on September 25.

 

The competition, lunched in 2008, aims to help students to appreciate the value of the ATI Act as a research tool, and garner their interest in issues of national importance.

 

Senator Reid hailed the initiative, noting that it provides an avenue for young people to become activists and participate constructively in the “fashioning of a peaceful and prosperous Jamaica”.

 

He said the Government is focused on opening up avenues of progress for youth “who will take up the mantle of leadership in the country”.

 

“Our youth possess a wealth of knowledge, creativity and enthusiasm. That is why the Government views this cohort of the population as one that needs to be nurtured and instilled with the right skills and values to achieve their highest potential in order to be fully incorporated into national development plans,” he said.

 

Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Audrey Sewell, in her address noted that since the competition’s inception, it has “laid a solid foundation for youth involvement in national life”.

 

“It has allowed youngsters to join the conversation on topical issues in our society,” she pointed out.

 

She noted that the launch of the competition is timely, as this week (September 24- 29) is being celebrated as International Right to Know Week.

 

“The competition underscores our (ATI Unit) belief in nurturing the intellectual development of our youth and to encourage expansive and critical thinking. We want to inform you about your rights as a citizen and for you to inform others,” she said.

 

For her part, Public Education Manager at the ATI Unit, OPM, Prudence Barnes, informed that this year’s competition offers two questions, from which students can choose one.

 

This is a departure from last year when there was only one question.

 

“With these questions, we’re hoping to take students into the intricacies of the ATI Act and also to explore its provisions in more practical terms. We want these questions to be food for thought,” she said.

 

Students are required to write a 1,600 to 1,800-word essay on either of the following topics: ‘The ATI Law Balances Rights and Promotes Responsible Access to Information’, or ‘How can members of the public use the Access to Information Act to help bring about transformation in the society?’.

 

The deadline for submissions is January 31, 2018. Entries should be sent to the Access to Information Unit, 5-9 South Odeon Avenue, Kingston 10; email [email protected]; or fax 926-9491.

 

The winner will receive $50,000 plus an ATI trophy; with $30,000 and an ATI trophy for second place; and $20,000 and trophy for third place.

 

CAPTION: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (2nd left), and Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Audrey Sewell (3rd left), interact with students from Wolmer’s Boys, William Knibb High and the Immaculate Conception High schools. Occasion was the launch of the Access to Information (ATI) National High School Essay Competition at the OPM in Kingston on September 25. At left is Acting Director of the ATI Unit, Tomica Daley.

JIS: The National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC) is to use qualitative research to greatly improve the execution of its mandate to provide support and advocacy for the nation’s parents.

 

Speaking with JIS News, new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Kaysia Kerr, said that greater levels of research, along with anecdotal data, will help to come up with creative solutions in their tasks.

 

Miss Kerr also said there will be greater streamlining of activities of the NPSC to link with the overarching objectives of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information.

 

The Commission has already begun the process of deepening relations with schools in order to facilitate a more broad-based approach to public education and advocacy to achieve the desired outcome of stronger family units.

 

In the meantime, the NPSC Head said that children with special needs is an area of interest that will be pursued under her leadership, and that there is some room for increased support for parents of special needs children, who require particular skill sets and access to vital information to empower them to properly care for their children.

 

Another objective for the CEO is to increase human resource personnel at the NPSC, in order to significantly improve response time in situations of distress.

 

She explained that there are times when situations are unfolding and expert intervention is needed immediately but there may be delays, based on the available personnel.

 

“This is something that we would like to address in the short term, and discussions of that nature are now under way with the Ministry to facilitate this particular outcome,” she said.

 

Miss Kerr informed that one of the key strategies that will drive the kinds of improvements she hopes to achieve is a thrust towards increasing revenue streams, which can be done through the provision of research findings and consultancy services to different entities, locally and internationally, at a reasonable cost.

 

She commended her predecessor for the work that has already been done by the organisation, adding that she expects to build on that foundation.

 

Meanwhile, preparations are in high gear for activities in relation to Parent Month, which is to be observed in November. Among the activities to be undertaken are a church service, introduction of a parent mentorship programme, and a public forum entitled ‘Street Talk Live’.

 

CAPTION: Chief Executive Officer of the National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC), Kaysia Kerr, speaks with Parent Mentor, Trevor Edmondson.

JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information will be providing $6 million towards the repair and replacement of equipment in the industrial arts department at Wolmer’s Boys’ School in Kingston.

 

Portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, gave the commitment after observing the need during a visit to the school on Monday (September 25).

 

The Minister encouraged other institutions with areas of need to apply to the Ministry for funding.

 

“Our (fund for) special projects has been increased substantially and, therefore, we are able to give much greater support to our schools across the country. Once schools have special projects, they can apply to the Ministry and we’ll fund them,” he told JIS News in an interview.

 

“We have developed one of the most successful funding policies ever in the history of this country, by substantially improving the resources to all schools from primary to secondary, delivering the funds on time, and so, as we get special requests, we also assist with funding,” he added.

 

Wolmer’s Trust Chairman, Milton Samuda, thanked the Education Minister for the continuous support to the institution.

 

“The support from the Ministry of Education has been tremendous. The additional support pledged this morning… of $6 million towards a special project, is evidence of that.”

 

Improvement of the Industrial Arts Department is the next major project for Wolmer’s Boys’. Mr. Samuda informed that the old boys’ association is contributing $2 million towards the undertaking.

 

The school’s last major project was the construction of a state-of-the-art auditorium.

 

The facility, on which work started in August 2014, was completed in 2015 at a cost of $171 million, under the guidance of an alumni-led team.

 

The 11,840 square-foot auditorium accommodates 2,300 students standing and 1,800 seated and is available for use by Wolmer’s Girls’ and Wolmer’s Preparatory Schools.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (front centre), makes a point as he looks at equipment in the industrial arts department at Wolmer’s Boys’ School in Kingston during his visit to the institution on Monday, September 25. Listening keenly to Minister Reid are Wolmer’s Bursar, Eaton Facey (left), and Board Chairman, Lincoln McIntyre (right).

JIS: The Government will stand surety for tertiary-level students having difficulty identifying a guarantor for a loan from the Students’ Loan Bureau (SLB), under the condition that they are enrolled at a teacher-training institution and are willing to be bonded for five years.

 

This was disclosed by Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, while speaking at a reception in honour of G.C. Foster College athletes, at the institution in St. Catherine on September 21.

 

Mr. Reid noted that while the Government is unable to offer free education beyond grade 13, it is committed to assisting tertiary-level students with accessing funding for their studies.

 

“What we are guaranteeing is that through the SLB or other programmes, such as Jamaica Values and Attitude Project (JAMVAT), the support from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, and other donors in terms of bursaries and scholarships, that you are funded for your tertiary education,” he said.

 

In the meantime, the Minister congratulated the athletes being honoured during the ceremony. They had participated in the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships in London this year.

 

He noted that they are “outstanding ambassadors for Jamaica and G.C. Foster College”, pointing out that despite the challenges faced, they represented the country well “and we are very proud of all of you”.

 

Ten athletes from the G.C. Foster College/Sprintec Track Club were selected for the Jamaican team to the IAAF World Championships. The group formed the largest representation from any one institution in the country.

 

The group, dubbed the ‘Super 10’ by the college, was responsible for two of the four medals won by the Jamaica team at the championship. All 10 members made it through to at least the semi-final round of the event.

 

Ristananna Tracey got a bronze medal in the 400 m hurdles; while Jura Levy and Natasha Morrison formed part of the 4x100m women’s relay team that copped a bronze medal for Jamaica.

 

Other members of the team were Anastasia LeRoy, Anneisha McLaughlin-Whilby, Demish Gayle, Rasheed Dwyer, Ronda Whyte, Shashalee Forbes, and Yanique Thompson.

 

Another four personnel who accompanied the team were also honoured. They are Maurice Wilson Sean-Michael Samuels, Nathaneal Davis, and Romario Barrett.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (second left), raps with G.C. Foster College/Sprintec Track Club athletes during a reception held in their honour at the campus of the G.C. Foster College in St. Catherine on Thursday (September 21). The athletes (from left) are Anneisha McLaughlin-Whilby; Demish Gayle; and Anastasia Le-Roy. They were among 10 athletes who were presented with plaques in recognition of their performance during the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships in London this year.

JIS: Within the next three years, 42 schools will be taken off the shift system, says Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid.

 

Making his contribution to the State of the Nation Debate in the Senate on September 22, the Minister noted that 13 of these will be removed from the shift during this academic year.

 

He said during the past year, the Ministry moved to ensure that schools in most urgent need of repairs were assisted ahead of the start of the new academic year.

 

The Minister pointed out that 172 schools have been identified to benefit from the Schools Maintenance Project at just over $554.3 million. “Fifty schools are in contract at a value of $174.3 million,” he added.

 

In the meantime, Senator Reid said the Ministry has allocated $76 million in the 2017/18 budget for the removal of pit latrines from 35 schools.

 

The initiative falls under the Ministry’s Sanitation Programme. There are 42 schools that still utilise pit latrines as the only means of faecal disposal.

 

He said the remaining seven schools will be completed through partnership with Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) and the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund in the current financial year.

 

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

JIS: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, is urging school administrators to submit early the projection of furniture and other resources they will require for the reopening of school,  in order to facilitate timely procurement and delivery.

 

He noted that several schools experiencing shortfalls in furniture stock have waited until a few weeks before the start of the academic year to indicate their need.  He said that ideally, notice should be given in December of the previous year.

 

“It means that whatever (you) need for the new school year… (you) should be in a position to be articulating to the Ministry by the end of December each year and not wait until the last minute,” he pointed out.

 

Senator Reid was speaking at the Ministry’s Region Two town hall meeting held on Wednesday (September 20) at St. Theresa’s Roman Catholic Church in Annotto Bay, St. Mary.

 

He is also encouraging administrators to serve sufficient notice where they propose to increase student enrolment and need additional furniture to accommodate them.

 

He explained that the early notification is necessary to prevent disruptions in the procurement process and delays in the delivery of items by the manufacturers.

 

“We don’t want a situation where you have increased the population of the school and then say you are waiting on the Ministry for furniture… because we would have to redo the whole process to reorder, and it’s going to take some time for the manufacturer to deliver. So, let’s work together and make sure that whatever the needs are (you) get the information to the Ministry in good time,” he stressed.

 

Meanwhile, Senator Reid advised that the Ministry plans to establish a furniture-maintenance programme in schools.

 

He said the Ministry will be working closely with its regional offices each term to track and identify desks and chairs that can be fixed.

 

“We want to make sure that you always have adequate furniture and that you get them long before school reopens in September,” Senator Reid said.

 

The meeting culminated Senator Reid’s visit to several schools in St. Mary comprising the Ministry’s Region Two as part of his tour of institutions to mark the start of the 2017/18 academic year.

 

Among these were Devon Pen Primary School, St. Mary Technical High School; Annotto Bay High School, and Enfield Primary School.

 

CAPTION: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, looks on as five-year-old Devon Primary and Infant School students, Quewayne Davis (centre) and Jayquon McIntosh, demonstrate their writing skills. Occasion was a visit to the institution on Wednesday (September 20), during the Minister’s tour of institutions in St. Mary.

OBSERVER: NOTING the important role the Students’ Loan Bureau (SLB) plays in the service delivery of education to the country, Minister of Education Senator Ruel Reid has indicated that he intends to have a look at how his ministry can assist the work of the bureau.

 

He pointed out that currently the SLB does not fall under his remit as education, youth and information minister, but the partnership within the governance structure encourages that he work with the institution.

 

“Our point is that as the Ministry of Education and Youth we need to be integrally driving the policies that govern the operations and execution of the Students’ Loan Bureau to assist the beneficiaries, which are the students,” he said.

 

In responding to questions of the concerns of students regarding the ease of doing business with the bureau, the minister said: “I hope to have further dialogue — we’ve had preliminary meetings — to see how we can improve the service delivery [at the SLB]. People have this bad impression of the public sector that we’re not customer-centric or we’re not customer service- driven, and I am very high on customer service. So I’d love to see that as part of our transformation, and I believe in the context of the public sector transformation and reform, the Students’ Loan Bureau must be seen as that exemplar of that excellence in the service delivery.”

 

Last year April the Government, in a move to ease the burden on students, introduced a reducing balance calculation on repayment amounts. This was aimed at passing on significant savings for beneficiaries, compared to the previous add-on interest rate. The monthly amounts payable by beneficiaries under reduced balancing method will be reduced by approximately 28 per cent.

 

“We are largely funded by the taxpayers through the percentage taken off from the proceeds of the education tax, and I know they’re trying to pay off some of the debt they had before, and to that end we even want to accelerate that so as to streamline funding from the education tax,“ Reid said.

 

The minister acknowledged the hardships faced by students to access and fund tertiary education and spoke to the challenges that recent graduates experience.

 

“We had committed in the manifesto to extend the amortisation period and that’s one of the things we’d like to see done. But there was an ‘Obama prescription’, which, by the way, is now endorsed by UNESCO; their proposal is to cap the loan repayment at 15 per cent of gross salary when students begin work. That I believe would be music to ears of borrowers. As the minister of education that is my medium-term objective, to negotiate with my Government and SLB for that reform to make things manageable,” Reid said.

 

He went on to commiserate with students, citing his experience when he served on the appeals committee of the bureau, and singled out the nurses whose challenges he was familiar with.

 

Reid highlighted that the ministry has worked with central government to increase the funding to SLB as demands on its resources continue to increase.

 

In speaking to the achievements of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Reid highlighted that $200 million has been reassigned to the SLB from the HEART Trust/NTA. Admitting that more will be needed as more positive student outcomes are achieved, he said that this is an area in which he committed to see improvement.

 

CAPTION: REID… the Ministry of Education needs to be driving the policies that govern the operations and execution of the Students’ Loan Bureau 

JIS: Twenty-three retired educators from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Region Two, who have served between 18 and 43 years, were honoured during a Recognition Ceremony held on September 19 at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in Kingston.

 

The retirees, who worked at primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in the parishes of Portland, St. Thomas and St. Mary, were presented with citations in recognition of their sterling contributions to the education sector.

 

Portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, who delivered the keynote address, lauded the commitment of the honourees.

 

“It is my distinct pleasure to be here as we celebrate and honour our great principals, president and other distinguished educators who have served us so well… . You have been stalwarts of the teaching profession,” he said.

 

“We honour and recognise your outstanding service and professionalism and commitment to [the] education and training of students. The nation is proud of you,” he added.

 

President of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA), Georgia Waugh-Richards, who brought greetings, encouraged the retirees to continue to contribute to education by sharing the wisdom that has been garnered over decades with the younger generation of teachers.

 

“The Jamaican education system has need of you. Residing in you is a wealth of pedagogy that younger educators can benefit from. As your professional organisation, we encourage you to find a young teacher that you can mentor. Find a school that is in need of your skill and a community programme you can volunteer for and make lives better,” she said.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (right), greets retired Principal of Lyssons Primary in Morant Bay, Ena Barclay. Occasion was a Recognition Ceremony for 23 retired educators from the parishes of Portland, St. Thomas and St. Mary held on September 19 at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.

 

JIS: Starting next year, staff at residential childcare facilities will receive training and counselling services that will better enable them to address the needs of wards in their care.

 

Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Floyd Green, in making the disclosure yesterday, said that the Child Development Agency (CDA) is developing the modules for the training and counselling, which will be undertaken in private and State-run residential care facilities.

 

He said that the services are crucial for the caregivers and will place them in a better position to take care of the wards.

 

“We always speak about the welfare of our children, but we often don’t speak about the welfare of the staff in the homes and we have to start dealing with that…We speak about the mental well-being of our children, (but) we don’t often speak about when a staff member needs some counselling,” Green argued.

 

He noted that the CDA has a responsibility to provide consistent training for workers employed to the facilities. “Not only do we have to ensure that the people are well vetted but that they get continuous training,” he added.

 

The State Minister was speaking at a licensing sensitisation workshop for residential childcare facilities held on the grounds of the Alpha Institute in Kingston.

 

The event sought to provide guidance on the requirements to be met. Every three years, private and State-run residential childcare facilities are required to undergo a relicensing process as part of measures to improve the standards of the child protection sector.

 

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