JIS: Prime Minister the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the Government will be undertaking a review of tertiary education funding.

 

He said the objective is to ensure that more students will have access to higher learning.

 

“A part of the transformation in the way in which we fund tertiary education is to fund the students rather than the institutions. I think if you do that, you will see institutions becoming more efficient, because they now have to compete for the students and I think, that, in itself, will make tertiary education more accessible and more affordable,” he said.

 

The Prime Minister was speaking at the Northern Caribbean University’s (NCU) fundraising banquet held on Thursday (June 15) at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.

 

Mr. Holness said the new funding arrangement will include careful negotiations and public discourse.

 

He said while the Government does not have the resources to make tertiary education free, there are ways to restructure student loans and the resources being provided so that more students are able to complete their courses.

 

“Every year, the number of students who register but then are unable to complete their courses is increasing, and it amounts almost to a waste because, you start, you pay down then can’t finish, you drop out, and that money is gone,” he lamented.

 

He said the Government has heard the concerns regarding funding and is moving to make improvements.

 

“We know the difficulties that students face, which is why we have been very sympathetic and acted to support students who reached out to us at the University of the West Indies (UWI), to ensure that they could stay in school and complete their education. They are far more valuable to the society with a degree than without,” the Prime Minister pointed out.

 

The banquet was to commemorate the inauguration of the NCU’s 24th President, Dr. Lincoln P. Edwards.

 

During the function, awards were presented to several persons for institutional advancement.

 

They include Dr. and Mrs. Ethelred Carter; Mr. Victor Dixon (posthumously) and Bernice Dixon; Drs. Neville and Angela Gallimore; the Hon. Michael Lee-Chin; Dr. and Mrs. Milton Morris; the Most Hon. Percival James Patterson; Dr. and Mrs. Witford Reid; Dr. and Mrs. Herman Ricketts; Dr. and Mrs. Byron Robinson; Mr. and Mrs. Aston Tai; Dr. Herbert Thompson; Dr. Ouida Westney; and Dr. Lennox Westney (posthumously).

 

CAPTION: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (right) greets President, Northern Caribbean University (NCU), Dr. Lincoln Edwards (left), on his arrival at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on June 15 for the institution’s fundraising banquet in commemoration of the inauguration of the new president. Looking on is Chairman, NCU Board of Governors, Pastor Everett Brown.

GLEANER: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information will shortly roll out its policy guidelines on the grooming standards for students as it relates to styling of their hair, uniform, and general deportment, portfolio minister Ruel Reid disclosed yesterday. However, schools will still have the final word in its application.

 

This is in keeping with a commitment last year and drawing on the recommendations from islandwide consultations with students, parents, teachers, and school board chairmen conducted by the National Council on Education.

 

“We will provide our full position on that shortly. We are reviewing the recommendations so that we can sign off on the guidelines that we will issue to schools,” Reid told a Gleaner Editors’ Forum at the company’s North Street, Kingston, headquarters.

 

The final document, however, will not be quite as definitive as anticipated, especially in light of the recent incident at the Vauxhall High School in the Corporate Area, which resulted in three teachers being arrested and charged after they, reportedly, forcibly gave a male student a trim.

 

The long-overdue grooming policy will still give schools some leeway in making a final determination as to what is fit and proper in terms of hairstyle, accessories, and uniform. It was this latitude that led to the decision by a private preparatory school last year to bar a three-year-old based on his frizzy, Afro-centric hairstyle.

 

“The Vauxhall and the prep school are the same issue. The schools had no documentation that specified what the standard of the hair should be, but you are policing in the absence of a clear standard, and it becomes very subjective. We have to say to the schools now that we are in an environment now where we need clarity; where rules have to be very clear and specific, and the sanctions also have to be specified, which is also consistent with the regulations,” Reid declared, adding that the ministry would still need to offer guidance to educators.

 

 

 

LAW DOESN’T SPECIFY

 

 

He added, “If the law doesn’t specify, you can’t interpret that the law allows you to implement certain sanctions. So we also are going to guide the schools as to what is permissible under the law. The overwhelming position, I would say, is that the ministry should not prescribe what the hairstyles, or even the standards, should be, but give a framework, and the schools would be allowed, through the normal process with their boards, to sign off on what the standard is. Standard of grooming means standard of your hair, uniform, etc.

 

“What we are likely to say is that within the law and the Constitution, you’ll be mindful that whatever you do is non-discriminatory; that you can’t discriminate; that there has to be access; that the person can’t be barred without due process.”

 

Reid further said: “All I’m saying is that we are not going to say that the length of your hair must be X, Y, Z. The ministry is not going to say that. The ministry is going to give guidelines that you must go through a process that is legal and constitutional, and each school will have the flexibility to make the determination as to what the height of your hair should be, with due consultation with the parents, which is the general recommendation.

 

“However, once it has been so established, it becomes the rule of the school, and the sanctions are to be also explicit. Indeed, you are to be very clear … even providing graphical representation as to what the hairstyle is to be.”

 

[email protected]

 

CAPTION: Ruel Reid, Minister of Education, Youth and Information, at a Gleaner Editors’ Forum yesterday

 

GLEANER: A proposed formal policy for the zoning of secondary schools will not be in place for the 2019 implementation of the Primary Exit Profile (PEP), which is slated to replace the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), stated Ruel Reid, minister of education, youth and information.

 

“I want to definitively say that zoning is not being contemplated for 2019, and even if there’s going to be any such shift in policy, I’ve made it very clear it has to be a national consensus. The ministry by itself won’t implement such a radical change in approach,” declared Reid in the presence of a team from his ministry at a Gleaner Editors’ Forum at the media house’s North Street, Kingston, office, yesterday.

 

The proposed zoning system would see students being mandated to attend secondary schools within a particular geographic region, usually within proximity of their residence.

 

“There have been recommendations to that end and in terms of changing how we place students, but we’re not there yet. We would have to secure the full endorsement of the Opposition, the National Parent-Teacher Association, the Jamaica Teachers’ Association, Parliament, Cabinet, and the National Council on Education,” noted the education minister.

 

 

 

SHORT OF SCHOOLS

 

 

The lack of schools in some regions was also noted as an impediment to the zoning, along with Reid underscoring the need for the quality of education across all schools to be raised before any such shift becomes effective.

 

“We’re already short 17 schools, and if you’re going to do clustering and zoning, you have to ensure there is an adequate number of schools aligned to the needs of the particular population in each area. The ministry would also have to ensure that the quality of all schools is standardised,” he pointed out.

 

With regard to school placement, students will continue to have seven options for their preferred institutions.

 

In July 2015, then education minister Ronald Thwaites stated that while he was hopeful about the widespread implementation of zoning, it was too soon to consider a formal zoning policy.

 

Factors such as the additional transportation cost parents bear as a result of their children having to travel several miles to school and the impact the lengthy journey has on the learning ability of students was also highlighted by Thwaites.

 

Parents and other stakeholders have voiced their discontent with the zoning proposal, citing that it presents a barrier to higher-learning opportunities.

 

[email protected]

 

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

JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information is to allocate $1 billion in budgetary support to primary, all-age and junior high schools for the 2017-2018 academic year.

 

This is in line with the Ministry’s commitment to provide greater support to schools to improve the quality of education in Jamaica.

 

A bulletin issued by the Ministry states that all schools at the infant and primary levels will receive $2,500 per student, up from an average of $850.

 

All-age and junior high schools will get $19,000 per student, up from $1,100.

 

Schools will also continue to receive a maintenance grant of $50,000 and janitorial grant of $172,000 per school. The money will be disbursed in four tranches beginning this month (June).

 

The second and third tranches will be given in September and December, respectively, and the final tranche will be handed over in April 2018.

 

The Ministry will also provide additional teachers for schools that require special support, based on the nature of the students and special programmes being offered.

 

Selected schools will be fitted with additional classrooms, and some infrastructure upgraded.

 

Lighting systems in schools will also be upgraded. Beneficiaries under the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) at the all-age and junior high levels will be supplied with literature books, and $2,000 will be allocated to each student to cover the cost of identification and uniform-related items.

 

The Ministry will cover the cost of insurance for PATH beneficiaries and wards of the State.

 

School administrators are reminded that no fees are to be charged; however, schools should work with parent-teacher associations (PTAs) to determine the level of contribution that parents can afford to assist in the long-term development of the schools, or for special projects.

 

The bulletin says that for schools which may require additional support, their operating costs will be carefully reviewed and, if necessary, additional allocations will be made within one month of a request.

 

Meanwhile, schools that fall short of funds, during the course of the year, should write to the Permanent Secretary requesting consideration for additional support.

 

Schools will be required to submit annual comprehensive income and expenditure statements for all funds received from all sources, followed by an audited financial statement.

 

CAPTION: In this file photo, Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (right), adjusts the collar of a student at Spanish Town High School, during a tour of the institution.

JIS: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, says the new National Standards Curriculum (NSC) will improve methods of teaching, particularly for boys.

 

Mr. Reid was responding to a question on ways to improve the performance of boys in schools, during the Rotary Club of St. Andrew luncheon meeting at the Hotel Four Season in St. Andrew, on June 13.

 

“Part of the reform we are implementing is the National Standards Curriculum, which tries to customise and meet the needs of the different learners,” he said.

 

The goal of the NSC is to improve the general academic performance, attitude and behaviour of students, which should redound to the positive shaping of the national social and economic fabric.

 

Under the new system, emphasis will be placed on project-based and problem-solving learning, with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics/Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEM/STEAM) integrated at all levels.

 

The approaches will allow the learners to have hands-on experiences that are similar to real-world situations, making the learning experience less abstract and more concrete.

 

Senator Reid said educators should be more cognisant of the differences of each learner and incorporate teaching methods such as technology, which will assist in that regard.

 

In the meantime, he said the Ministry is exploring ways in which students are assessed. “For example in Maths, we are moving away from simply just finding the answers to the questions to the process, so you can demonstrate the pathways to achieve the particular objective,” he said.

 

This will form part of the strategies being pursued by the Government to transform the sector.

 

In September last year, the Ministry started implementing the NSC at Grades 1, 4, 7, and 9. The programme will be introduced at Grades 2, 3, 5, and 6 in September 2017.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (second left), in discussion with (from left), Past President, Rotary Club of St. Andrew, Dr. Lloyd Eubanks-Green; member of the Rotary Club of St. Andrew, Minna Israel; and President, Rotary Club of St. Andrew, Wayne Strachan. Occasion was the club’s luncheon meeting, held at the Hotel Four Seasons, in St. Andrew, on June 13.

JIS: Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, remains confident that the Ministry will meet the August 2017 timeline for the certification and registration of 100 early childhood institutions (ECIs).

 

He says 34 of these are already registered, having fulfilled the Early Childhood Commission’s (ECC) 12 stipulated certification Standards, adding that a number of the others are “not far away” in this regard.

 

The Minister was speaking at last week’s post-Cabinet media briefing at Jamaica House.

 

Noting that there are 2,734 ECIs islandwide, Senator Reid told journalists that while there have been compliance challenges, several of them are operating close to the level that will see them being registered and certified.

 

He said among the issues identified in their operations are shortfalls in proper governance/management arrangements incorporating the appointment of a Board; effective financial management systems; and the requisite infrastructure and environment conducive to the children’s learning.

 

“Sixty-four per cent of all the early childhood institutions are what we call basic schools and are privately owned. They are under-resourced, and that is why the Government is moving to rationalise the sector. We want to take over 64 per cent of the capacity of the early childhood sector and make sure (they) operate at the required standard,” the Minister indicated.

 

Senator Reid said he has also impressed upon the ECC the need to ensure that buildings designated for ECIs fulfil the requisite approval stipulations before operations can commence.

 

He pointed out that the Ministry is currently endeavouring to regulate and bring existing institutions to the stipulated standards, “but going forward, we have to make sure that those standards are (established) in the first instance.”

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, addresses journalists at a post-Cabinet press briefing on June 7

JIS: The Ministry of Education Youth and Information is reminding parents and guardians of students who sat the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) that the ‘no transfer’ policy remains in effect for 2017.

 

This is in keeping with the Procedure for Transfers dated June 16, 2014.

 

The Ministry noted, however, that it will accommodate cases where students could have otherwise been placed closer to where they live, or other extenuating circumstance that have resulted in a student having to travel long distances to school.

 

In a bulletin issued on June 9, the Ministry advised parents/guardians who are seeking transfers for children already placed in schools that it is their responsibility to contact an institution willing to accept their child/children.

 

The following transfer procedure should be upheld: the accepting school should provide the parent with an acceptance letter; the school where the child was originally placed must give the parent a release letter; and the parent or guardian is then required to write a letter addressed to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, requesting approval for transfer.

 

This letter must be accompanied by the acceptance and release letters and should be taken to the regional offices.

 

The Ministry will send approval letters to the accepting and releasing schools within three weeks from the date received.

 

The regional offices will provide the support to parents/guardians to assist in making this process as seamless as possible.

 

This year, the Ministry has provided an additional avenue through which parents/guardians can submit their queries/concerns once the GAST results are made available.

 

These queries/concerns can be emailed to [email protected] and will be dealt with by the relevant office/unit within the Ministry.

 

CAPTION: The Ministry of Education’s main office, 2 National Heroes Circle.

OBSERVER: LASCO/Ministry of Education Teacher of the Year 2016/17 Kerene Nelson has a vision in which primary schools across the island are assigned resident teachers of Spanish to give them the opportunity to learn Spanish as a second language.

 

The St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) teacher believes that adavnatage should be taken of primary school students’ eagerness to learn at that age.

 

“If their interest can be captured from early, this can help to reduce apathy at the secondary level as solid roots would have already been formed,” she said, adding that high interest in Spanish can have far-reaching benefits to the economy.

 

Recognising the financial constraints of implementing the strategy across the education sector, Nelson has gone ahead and used resources she’s received for copping the teacher of the year award to launch a project to train teachers in Spanish education at Schoolfield Primary and Infant in Malvern, St Elizabeth.

 

“I immediately decided that this is where I should be planted to help the growth process in Spanish,” Nelson told the Jamaica Observer.

 

Nelson has been training 11 teachers, including the principal of Schoolfield, since March, utilising power point presentations and online activities. She has also used songs, slates for group work, worksheets, and dialogues in Spanish.

 

To judge the teachers’ progress, they are individually assessed, are randomly questioned in Spanish in a WhatsApp group, and are randomly quizzed outside of the school setting.

 

“A student was seen in the supermarket and I asked her the time in Spanish. The time was 7:04 and she was able to correctly say, ‘Son las siete y cuatro’, though slowly as she was still learning the numbers,” Nelson shared.

 

Major sponsor of the Teacher of the Year award, LASCO Manufacturing, purchased two desktop computers for the computer laboratory at Schoolfield, costing $126,000.

 

“For the success of the programme, technology integration will be necessary,” Nelson said. “Teachers will be better equipped to integrate technology during instruction to make the teaching/learning process more engaging and meaningful.”

 

The donation will also benefit students who can use the computers to do research online, as well as to be creative, while showing mastery of content, she added.

 

Nelson has also leveraged her win to present her student teachers with gift baskets from LASCO on Teacher’s Day, and she gifted the student population with a candy-filled piñata for Career Day on May 26.

 

“The teachers have been so supportive, co-operative and adorable, thus, it was necessary to encourage them by showing my gratitude and appreciation,” she said.

 

Nelson reported that she is delighted to contribute to the development of Schoolfield, which has seen significant improvements in student performance over the past four years. Literacy among students moved from an average of 31 per cent to 78 per cent between 2013 and 2015.

 

What makes Schoolfield even more special to Nelson is that it is her foster son’s alma mater.

 

“It is undying passion to serve that motivated me to be a foster mom to a student at STETHS who had grave financial challenges, and I thought it best to extend my time and service to his alma mater,” Nelson explained.

 

Students from the Spanish club at STETHS are scheduled to visit Schoolfield to conduct devotion in Spanish as a means of building students’ interest in the language.

 

“I have developed a strong penchant for the subject and, coupled with my personality, I believe I am able to impart it effectively to my students,” Nelson said when asked about the reason behind the initiatives.

 

She added: “It also gives me the opportunity to participate in nation-building, the mere fact I am preparing students to be bilingual in a global society.”

 

Nelson has spent almost 20 years in the teaching profession. She has a master’s in education administration, a Certificate in Technology Integration in Secondary Schools, and a BDegree in Spanish. She has also been awarded Most Tech Savvy and Teacher of the Year from St Elizabeth Technical High School.

 

CAPTION: Lasco 2016/17 Teacher of the Year, Kerene Nelson.

OBSERVER: THE Ministry of Education says it is set to introduce the pilot phase of the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) — the test which is to replace the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) by 2019 — next school year.

 

“Based on our schedule, next year will be the last sitting of GSAT,” said Minister of Education Senator Ruel Reid yesterday.

 

“We will ensure that the children are very prepared and there has to be proper communication with the teachers, the leadership of the schools, parents, the students themselves, so they understand exactly what the assessment requirements are, but we are far advanced with the preparations,” he said.

 

PEP will change the nature of exams for those seeking to enter high schools from relying on memory to more critical thinking skills. The test, the ministry says, has the aim of alleviating the existing challenges associated with the long distances traversed by secondary students to get to school by introducing zoning — to place students in schools closer to their homes.

 

Senator Ruel Reid said, “We still have some details to iron out as it relates to PEP, but we are scheduled to do the changeover in 2019 and we will be very deliberate to make sure that we get it right.”

 

The PEP assessment is said to be closely aligned to the National Standards Curriculum, as it is set to focus more on higher-order thinking, so the students will get an opportunity to review, to synthesise, to evaluate, and to apply the knowledge that they would have learnt during the period.

 

The areas of assessment for the PEP test will, for the most part, remain the same as GSAT — which will see students being tested in areas of mathematics, language arts, science, social studies, and mental ability.

 

GSAT is the national exam that sees children transitioning to high school. It features tests based on mathematics, social studies, science, language arts, and communication task. The exam is generally sat in March and the results released by June. GSAT replaced the Common Entrance Examination in 1999.

 

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