JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says the Ministry will, as of 2018, be able to place all students who sit the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) in a high school.

 

Addressing the Rotary Club of Downtown Kingston meeting at the Hotel Four Seasons, Ruthven Road in Kingston, yesterday (September 27), Senator Reid reported that 99 per cent of the students who sat the GSAT this year have been placed in high schools, which is two percentage points higher than the 2016 figure.

 

“We have added four more full high schools this year, but we have 762 primary institutions. So, you have far more primary schools… (and) the demand is now at the secondary level,” he noted.

 

Meanwhile, the Education Minister pointed out that the Government is doing all that it can to provide free education to children, as there should be no barriers to learning.

 

“We are providing five days of lunches (under the Programme of Advancement through Health and Education – PATH), when they come to school. So, they don’t have to worry about meals,” Senator Reid said.

 

“We need to have them in school, and we need to empower them through education. They must attend school regularly, and they must be supported as we transform them with free education policies, so they can become useful and productive citizens,” the Minister said.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, addresses the Rotary Club of Downtown Kingston meeting at Hotel Four Seasons, Ruthven Road in Kingston, today (September 27)

JIS: Three hundred of the nation’s teachers recently benefited from a summer skills training programme, aimed at exposing them to international best practices and standards.

 

The training, undertaken both locally and internationally, was carried out in 14 skill areas for HEART Trust/NTA instructors and secondary-school teachers at a cost of $20.5 million.

 

Of the sum, the Ministry of Education provided $14.5 million, while the HEART Trust/NTA provided $6 million.

 

The skill sets included advanced culinary; advanced tour guiding; heavy-duty vehicle maintenance; tractor operator maintenance; international professional baking; wellness promotion; auto mechanics, motor vehicle repairs; auto mechanics, heavy duty equipment; allied healthcare; healthcare assistance; intermediate multimedia production; building construction and drafting.

 

The participants were presented with their higher-level certificates at The Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston, on September 26.

 

They received varying levels of International Licensure and International Culinary Certification from Liaison College in Canada and Hocking College in the United States.

 

Addressing the presentation ceremony, Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, charged the recipients to impart the knowledge they have received to their pupils and colleagues.

 

“I am anxious to see the ripple impact of this investment that has been made in all of you. I believe in investing in you, our people, who are our greatest asset. It is important that those of you who have received training give back 100-fold,” he said.

 

He encouraged them to use their talents and skills in transforming the education system to ensure that no one is left behind.

 

Chairman, Joint Committee for Tertiary Education (JCTE), Dr. Cecil Cornwall, informed that 100 teachers attended Hocking College and Liaison College in Canada under the supervision of the JCTE Coordinator, Michael Foster.

 

He further disclosed that persons were trained locally at various HEART Trust/NTA sites across the country, in partnership with Hocking College.

 

Dr. Cornwall said the training is to ensure that the teachers receive greater skills necessary to develop higher-level programmes.

 

Beneficiary of the programme, Home Economics Teacher, Pembroke Hall High School, Rohan Salmon, said the training has boosted his confidence in imparting information to his students.

 

Mr. Salmon, who received a certificate in International Baking Technology, said the initiative was a “good experience”, pointing out that he was exposed to the various aspects in doing pastry and cakes.

 

“I will be going back to the classroom to share what I learnt with my students. I am more confident in teaching my students certain skills, for example pastry. It’s a good topic, but, skillwise, I was not that confident, but now I am more confident in teaching them,” he explained.

 

The summer 2017 local and international skills training programme was administered by the Joint Committee for Tertiary Education under the umbrella of the upskilling and retooling project.

 

The objective was to provide Jamaican workers, trainers and educators with the opportunity to advance and upgrade their skills through professional development programme licensure locally and internationally, in order to adequately prepare students and meet the labour market required skill set as identified by the labour market research.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (left), greets President, Liaison College, Rudy Florio (right), during the presentation of certificates to teachers who benefited from a summer skills training programme. The ceremony was held at The Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston on September 26. Also sharing in the moment is 1st Vice-President, Corporate Affairs, Liaison College, Suzan Mikler. Three hundred of the nation’s teachers benefited from the summer skills training programme which exposed them to international best practices and standards. The training, undertaken both locally and internationally, was carried out in 14 skill areas for HEART Trust/NTA instructors and secondary-school teachers at a cost of $20.5 million.

JIS: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says that students who damage, lose or fail to return the texts provided under the Government’s secondary-school book rental scheme will be required to pay for them.

 

He said further access to the scheme will be denied until payments are made.

 

Senator Reid was speaking at the Ministry’s recent Region Two town hall meeting at St. Theresa’s Roman Catholic Church in Annotto Bay, St. Mary.

 

He noted that the Ministry replenishes the stock of books at institutions each year through a routine system of incremental replacements for those that have deteriorated and are deemed beyond further use.

 

“So, we try to provide schools with what we call a ‘top-up’, which is (about) 20 per cent (of the books) each year. So after five years, your whole stock would have been replaced,” he explained.

 

The Minister said it was “unfair” for persons accessing the benefit to take the books and either damage, lose or fail to return them.

 

“We can’t have a system where students (either) don’t return books (or) they are damaged and then the Government is required to replace them each year. This is one area, unfortunately, I will not support,” he added.

 

Senator Reid said the Ministry is prepared to give consideration to compensatory arrangements for parents unable to pay for damaged or lost books.

 

“There has to be some responsibility, or they (students) can’t access the rental for the next period,” he reiterated.

 

The meeting formed part of Senator Reid’s itinerary for his visit to St. Mary, during which he toured several schools comprising the Ministry’s Region Two 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 (right), addresses students of St. Mary Technical High School in Richmond, St. Mary, after touring the institution’s chemistry laboratory, which was renovated at a cost of approximately $1.8 million by State oil refinery, Petrojam. The school was one of several in St. Mary comprising the Ministry’s Region Two that were visited by Senator Reid as part of a tour of institutions to mark the start of the 2017/18 academic year.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says he is determined to have 100 per cent of primary-level students matriculating into secondary schools for a full five-year course of study.

 

Speaking to students from Wolmer’s Boys’ and Girls’ schools in Kingston during their devotion on September 25, the Minister said Jamaica is only one per cent away from achieving this target.

 

“For many years, over 70 per cent of students in Jamaica did not have access to education beyond grade nine. This year marks the first time in our history that we were able to place 99 per cent of our cohort into a full five-year high-school programme. Next year, hopefully, we’ll be able to place the full 100,” Senator Reid said.

 

“The message I share is about opportunity for all. There was a view that education was elitist. Today, the society is not going to be productive if only some have and the majority don’t have. We want a society where everyone gets equal opportunity for self-development and self-determination, aspiration for goodness and their own sense of self-worth and achievement,” the Minister added.

 

Senator Reid said he believes achieving the goal of getting 100 per cent of students enrolled at the secondary level up to fifth form and placed in a full five-year course of study will benefit the society in a major way in the long run.

 

“Currently, when you look on our workforce of 1.3 million persons, 15 per cent have tertiary education and training, 18 per cent have what we call technical certification from HEART Trust/National Training Agency (HEART/NTA) and City and Guilds, and then 67 per cent did not complete secondary education or any training – almost 800,000 Jamaicans,” he said.

 

The Minister said that through programmes being offered by the Government, such as Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), along with programmes from other organisations, the one per cent of students who were not placed in a full five-year course of study at the secondary level, can be reached.

 

“We have been pushing science, technology, engineering [and] mathematics largely because the world economy has changed rapidly. We’re now in the fourth industrial revolution where technology is taking over, and a lot of what we will do, how we’ll conduct business, produce goods and services, will be heavily impacted by technology,” he argued.

 

“When we talk about STEM, it is because this is the new economy, and so your education, your training have to be aligned to what is happening in the new economy and for the future. We can’t turn it back. We have to embrace it, prepare for it [and] equip ourselves,” the Minister emphasised.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth & Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (centre), listens to Principal, Wolmer’s Girls’ School, Colleen Montague, while on his visit to the school on September 25. At left is Region One Director, Ministry of Education, Capt. Kasan Troupe.

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.