JA delegation articulates youth priorities at Commonwealth Youth Ministers conference

A Jamaican delegation to the recently concluded Ninth Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting (CYMM) in Kampala, Uganda, headed by Floyd Green, Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information (MOEYI) has committed to keeping youth issues at the centre of public policy.

The Jamaican delegation comprised Minister Green, Senior Director Youth and Adolescents Policy at the MOEYI, Mrs. Michele Small Bartley, Mr. Gihon Mitchell, president, Jamaica Professional Youth Workers Association and Russell Barrett, Youth Advisory Council Member. In different sessions, outlined a range of programmes and activities that are being undertaken locally.

Under the theme of the conference “Resourcing and Financing Youth Development: Empowering Young People” discussions were centred on innovative ways to obtain funding and partnership for youth development within each country. Additionally, mechanisms used to strengthen youth development practices within each country were explored. 

In his presentation, Mr. Green emphasised that youth development was at the top of the Jamaican government’s agenda adding that concerted efforts were being made to enhance youth participation, establish and strengthen innovation hubs and “ensure youth mainstreaming across Ministries.”

He cited the input made by the newly formed Youth Advisory Council in the formulation of national policies and members input on various boards, as well as the re-establishment of the National Youth Parliament as examples of giving young people primacy of place in the national agenda. The Minister also emphasized the evidence-based approach to formulating policies related to youth. 

The Minister also referred to the support given to the professionalisation of youth work. “We have made significant strides in enabling the professionalisation of youth work. First, the establishment of an association that seeks to train and assist in the development and strengthening of the competences of those working with youth,” he told the delegates including ministers and senior officials from 32 countries. “Additionally, as a Ministry we have ensured that all our Youth Empowerment Officers are trained in youth work, as we know that youth are at a developmental stage that requires specific competence to treat with,” he said.  

In a separate session among senior officials, Mrs Small Bartley updated the meeting on Jamaica’s youth development strategies by providing information on the National Youth Policy, the strategic merger of HEART-Trust, NYS and JFLL as a means to further amplifying the youth reach in terms of employment and training. Information about the LEGS and HOPE programmes were also highlighted as avenues to entrepreneurship, training and building core skills. 

In the Stakeholders Forum Gihon Mitchell also presented on the professionalisation of youth work, its origin and its progress over the years. Russell Barrett passionately articulated the role of the Youth Advisory Council and the benefits it has brought to young people in being a part of the decision making at the national level. 

The conference ended with a communiqué that was supported by each country and commitments to support on-going programmes, while exploring new mechanisms for financing and resourcing youth development and the creation of an innovation hub within the Commonwealth Secretariat to lead empowerment of young people across countries.  

The Government of Jamaica has offered to host the 10th Commonwealth Youth Ministers’ Meeting in 2021.

 

GLEANER: Education Minister Senator Ruel Reid, yesterday, made a public apology to the nation’s teachers and school administrators for his reference to several learning institutions as extortionists.

 

“The satisfaction of teachers and effective administration of our schools run in my blood, having been a classroom teacher, master teacher,

 

JTA (Jamaica Teachers’ Association) president, now minister, and a parent,” a repentant Reid said yesterday, while addressing the 53rd annual conference of the JTA at the Hilton Rose Hall Resort and Spa in Montego Bay.

 

“It is also my desire that we are as satisfied as possible, so it is within this context and with respect to the wonderful relationship that we have had – the leadership of the JTA, the

 

principals’ association, and our boards – and so as a lay

 

preacher myself, I have to lead by example (and I remember, at times, Jesus Himself used some harsh words and He Himself had to reflect on it), and I have personally reached out and have withdrawn those statements, but I want to publicly apologise for any hurt that may have occurred in that regard.”

 

Held Hands, Prayed

 

After this act of contrition, the roomful of educators stood, held hands, and repeated the Lord’s Prayer.

 

Reid made the controversial comment at a post-Cabinet press briefing where he singled out several prominent high schools and accused them of corruption and extortion in charging auxiliary fees. This drew the ire of the JTA and other interest groups, which demanded that he withdraw the statement.

 

… Says teachers the biggest cost for education

Education Minister Ruel Reid and his team went to the Jamaica Teachers’ Association conference well prepared for a face-off one day after the 24,954 membership association rejected a three per cent wage increase offer from the Government.

 

“Just for the record, there has been a lot of discussion about education, and the biggest cost are us, the teachers,” Senator Reid said. “So there is no truth that any recent government has spent only $19,000 per capita per child.

 

“Certainly, at the secondary level, we are spending upward of $37 billion on secondary education alone, and so some schools will see a higher per capita of a $119,000 and some will see $176,000. Whatever has come our way, we have not withheld anything from you. We have even been creative and have given you more and above that which you have asked or thought about.”

  

Encourage Contributions

 

 Reid said that wherever there were persons willing to make contributions to education, the ministry would encourage it. “So I don’t want people to twist and misunderstand what I am saying.

 

“We do not have a mandatory-fee policy, but what we are saying is that Government must provide as much resources as is necessary – make sure we fund the core services, make sure we pay our teachers – and the parents should be so motivated that those who can, can make their contribution.”

 

The JTA conference is being held under the theme “Navigating the Education Landscape: Transforming, Engaging, Collaborating, Facilitating and Leading”.

 

CAPTION: Senator the Honourable Ruel Reid, Minister of Education 

GLEANER: As a mark of the achievement of 130 years of service to the people of Jamaica, The Overseas Examinations Commission (OEC) has announced its intention to invest $200-million in ICT equipment, inclusive of computers, software, UPS and security systems, to schools across the island over the next three years.

 

The first tranche is to be distributed in the first term of the new 2017/2018 school year to 30 schools across Jamaica, which will each receive 30 computers each.

 

This initiative comes in light of the stated intention of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) to move all Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate CSEC and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination CAPE examinations online and the recognition that most schools are not equipped with computers to begin to move from paper-based examinations to the online platform.

 

HAPPY TO PLAY A ROLE

 

OEC Chairman Brian Bennett-Easy noted that “although this will not satisfy the demand for computers in high schools in Jamaica either for exams or for the classroom needs, the commission is delighted to be able to play a role in bringing some schools and the students they serve closer to meeting the CXC implementation of the new examination conditions”.

 

He said over the next few months, the OEC will be finalising the short list, based on need, infrastructural capability and the satisfaction of the Government’s procurement guidelines before making the announcement of the final list of schools to benefit.

 

On November 10, OEC will celebrate its 130th anniversary. The commission is an agency of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information and acts as a proctoring (supervisory) body for many overseas examining boards for secondary- and tertiary-level education.

 

CAPTION: 

GLEANER: Increased cooperation with the police and a comprehensive bus system are two of the measures to be introduced by the Ministry of Education as it moves to increase the security of students when the new school year begins,

 

Education Minister Ruel Reid says he has already initiated discussions with various stakeholders to see how best to protect the nation’s students come September.

 

“In light of the increasing crime rate, it’s not entirely an activity that the ministry itself can do. We have to work with law enforcement. What we normally do is to have our regional officers meet with the principals, the police and other stakeholders in working out a plan,” said Reid.

 

“We have done that from time to time with west Kingston and so on, if you have flare-ups. In a sense, you speak with the community. As the community appreciates the value of education, they tend to ‘simmer down’ the level of violence, so to speak.

 

  

PROACTIVELY ENGAGED

 

 “We are already proactively engaged with the Police High Command to see how we can work together on the ground to see how we can ensure safe passage for our students to and from school,” added Reid.

 

In the meantime, Ronald Thwaites, the opposition spokesperson on education, is urging the security forces to provide adequate protection for students so that they can make it to classes.

 

“I’m advising everyone to brave whatever fears they have and go out. It’s such a tragedy to miss even a day in school, and looking at the statistics, there is about 20 per cent of our students who are absent every day. That’s almost unrecoverable,” said Thwaites.

 

“The general advice is to be brave and to go out to school every day. As far as intra-school violence is concerned, principals and teachers must partner with parents and they must take charge of their schools.

 

“There is no room for indiscipline or lack of discipline in any school,” added Thwaites.

 

[email protected]

 

CAPTION: Education Minister Ruel Reid

JIS: Improved pass rates were recorded for 18 of the 34 subjects sat in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examination this year.

 

Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, revealed the results of the exam during a press conference at his National Heroes Circle offices in Kingston, on August 18.

 

He noted that overall, the highest increase was in Economics, which recorded an improvement of 12.6 per cent.

 

“There were also increases in the average pass rates for Additional Mathematics (3 per cent); Agricultural Science Double and Single Awards (2.5 and 4.4 per cent); Principles of Accounts (8 per cent); Information Technology (7.3 per cent); Technical Drawing (7.2 per cent) and Theatre Arts (9.3 per cent),” he said.

 

However, there were declines in English B of 13.2 per cent, and Biology, 12 percent, compared with the previous year.

 

The Minister further informed that five subjects had average pass rates of over 90 per cent. These are: Agricultural Science Double Award (96.8 per cent); Agricultural Science Single Award (91.3 per cent); Principles of Business (91.4 per cent); Physical Education and Sport (96.2 per cent); and Food (92 per cent).

 

Turning to Mathematics and English Language, specifically, Mr. Reid noted that these subjects recorded passes of 50.2 and 70.8 per cent, respectively.

 

“When the average attainment rates for Mathematics and English Language were compared with 2016 results, there is a satisfactory movement of 2.5 per cent increase in Mathematics and a little marginal decline in English Language of 0.4 per cent,” he said.

 

A total of 33,799 students sat the exam of the 35,619 that were registered. Sixty seven per cent (22,556) obtained passes at grades 1 to 3. Some 307 more students were registered when compared to 2016.

 

There were 195,498 subject entries of which 188,307 were sat. Of the subjects that were sat, 69.1 per cent were awarded grades 1 to 3.

 

This was a 1.1 per cent increase compared to the previous year.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (left), highlights a point while addressing a press conference at his National Heroes Circle offices in Kingston on August 18. The conference was held to discuss the 2017 results of the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examination. Others (from second left) are: Permanent Secretary, Dean-Roy Bernard; and Chief Education Officer, Dr. Grace McLean

JIS: The performance by students in the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), improved by 3.2 per cent this year.

 

This was disclosed by Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, at a press conference held at his National Heroes Circle offices in Kingston, on August 18.

 

He informed that there was improved performance in 23 of the 36 subjects, when compared with 2016. The overall subjects included four new areas.

 

“There was a total of 59,740 subject entries for Units 1 and 2. Of this number, 56,468 (approximately 95 per cent) sat these examinations, with an average pass rate of 89.8 per cent, compared to 86.6 per cent last year when 59,394 subject entries were sat,” he said.

 

Providing a further breakdown of the results, Mr. Reid informed that Unit 1 had a total of 41,948 subject entries, of which 39,463 were sat with a pass rate of 88.9 per cent.

 

Of the 17,792 subject entries for Unit 2, a total of 17,005 were sat, with a pass rate of 91.8 per cent.

 

Turning to the performance of students in specific subject areas, the Minister informed that Electrical and Electronic Technology recorded an increase of 29.6 per cent, while Integrated Mathematics saw an increase of 28.8 per cent over the previous year.

 

However, Applied Mathematics and Pure Mathematics saw slight declines of 7.8 and 1.9 per cent respectively, when compared with 2016.

 

In the meantime, Mr. Reid informed that public schools accounted for 84.4 per cent (50,408) of the subject entries for Units 1 and 2. Of this number, 48,116 were sat, with an average pass rate of 91.3 per cent, which is an increase of 3.4 per cent over the previous year.

 

“Unit 1 had a total of 35,129 subject entries, of which 33,413 (95.1 per cent) were sat, with a pass rate of 90.6 per cent, representing a 2.4 percentage points increase from the previous year. Of the 15,279 subject entries for Unit 2, a total of 14,703 (96.2 percent) were sat, with a pass rate of 93 per cent, registering a 5.7 percentage points increase compared with 2016,” he said.

 

CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, responds to questions from journalists during a press conference at his National Heroes Circle offices in Kingston on August 18. The conference was held to discuss the 2017 results of the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examination.

OBSERVER: THE less traditional subjects have shown marked improvement in the May/June 2017 sitting of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE).

 

For public school CSEC entries, agricultural science single award recorded a pass rate of 91. 3 per cent, up from 86.8 per cent last year, while agricultural science double award recorded a 96.8 per cent pass rate, up from 94.3 per cent in 2016.

 

A total of 3,145 students sat agricultural science single award this year compared to 2940 last year. The number for agricultural science double award this year was 373, compared to 402 in 2016.

 

Technical drawing also showed improved performance this year, with 70. 2 per cent of the 3,664 candidates receiving a passing grade. The figure for 2016 was 63 per cent of 3,634 candidates.

 

There are also improvements in theatre arts — 88.1 per cent, up from 78.8 per cent in 2016; food and nutrition — 92 per cent, up from 89. 4 per cent last year; economics moved 12.8 percentage points up to 84.1 per cent; additional mathematics moved three percentage points to 65.3 per cent; while physical education and sport recorded 96. 2 per cent pass, up from from 96.0 per cent in 2016.

 

Further, the results showed that males achieved higher percentage passes than females in three subjects — biology, chemistry and electronic document preparation and management.

 

For CAPE, electrical and electronic technology saw a 29.6 percentage point increase this year, and integrated mathematics had a 28.8 percentage point increase over the previous year. However, applied mathematics and pure mathematics recorded a slight decline of 7.8 and 1.9 percentage points respectively when compared with 2016.

 

Unit 1 art and design, which had 84 candidaates, was the only subject with a 100 per cent pass rate.

 

For Unit 2, the subjects that recorded 100 passes were French, performing arts (cinematic arts), performing arts (dance) and performing arts (music).

 

The subjects with an average pass rate of over 90 per cent for unit 1 include biology, building and mechanical engineering drawing, Caribbean studies, chemistry, communication studies, digital media, electrical and electronic engineering technology, entrepreneurship, environmental science, food and nutrition, French, geography, green engineering, information technology, literatures in English, management of business, physical education and sport, physics and Spanish.

 

For Unit 2, the subjects with and average pass rate of over 90 per cent are art and design, biology, building and mechanical engineering, drawing, chemistry, computer science, economics, electrical and electronic engineering drawing option A and B, entrepreneurship, environmental science, food and nutrition, geography, information technology, law, literatures in English, physical education and sport, physics, sociology and tourism.

 

CAPTION: Education Minister Senator Ruel Reid speaks on Jamaica’s performance in the recent sitting of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), at a press conference held Friday at the Ministry of Education, Heroes’ Circle. To his right is permanent secretary in the ministry, Dean-Roy Bernard. (Photo: Joseph Wellington) 

GLEANER: Education is a human right and a key factor to reducing poverty. Education promotes both social development and economic growth.

 

Many people still fail, however, to see the link between education and the economy, since education is basically understood to be book learning rather than as an investment. The basic function of education is to create a society equipped to deal with the challenges that will present themselves. It is in this respect that the deficiencies of the education system should be recognised, certainly in Jamaica’s case.

 

In times past, education was seen as a scarce commodity in which the rich would have been in a position to offset the cost to send their loved ones to school, while the poor slaves were expected to carry out the manual work on the sugar cane plantations and estates. Sir John Peter Grant, in 1865, began to construct government primary schools with the intention to serve the poor.

 

Years later, a revolution in education started in the mid-1950s when the then government rolled out the expansion of places in secondary schools, but still, without the proper support in place that was already geared towards the privileged.

 

Edwin Allen changed the policy in 1965, which required 70 per cent of all places in secondary school to be allotted to students from the government-run primary schools. Although this was a step in the right direction, it did not create an education system for all. This also created a massive shortage of places. The World Bank then agreed to finance the construction of 60 new secondary schools, which saw even further expansion in the education system.

 

 

 

State-Paid Tuition

 

 

The policy of state-paid tuition was reintroduced in 2007, under the government led by Bruce Golding, with Andrew Holness (now prime minister) as education minister. Current Education Minister Senator Ruel Reid and I served as his special advisers, along with Alphansus Davis, Harold Malcolm and Dr Rebecca Tortello.

 

The current Jamaica Labour Party government led by Prime Minister Andrew Holness believes that a good education will lead to economic gain. We have embraced the mantra that “every child can learn and every child must learn” and moved it beyond slogan to fuller support. Hence the administration has taken steps to better fund the education system.

 

The JLP administration inherited a system in 2007 of $5,750 per capita and moved it to a 100% increase to $11,500. That figure remained unchanged throughout the life of the immediate past administration. The current administration has increased the allocation from $11,500 to $17,000, and $19,000 per capita up to sixth form.

 

Significantly, however, additional funding has been made available to institutions to assist with infrastructure, part-time staff, temporary staff, ICT, TVET, and CAP. Plans for the upcoming school year include the gardening programme that

 

I chair, which will be implemented this September in primary schools in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. This will provide produce for a more nutritional diet for our students. There is also the extension of the programme for PATH beneficiaries in obtaining a cooked meal five days a week compared to the previous three days.

 

The Ministry of Education has also started the early delivery of furniture to schools from the end of last month. We should also note the new school bus system and the book rental system at no expense to the individual schools – both are significant breakthroughs in the system.

 

 

 

Underfunded Schools

 

 

For years, primary schools remained underfunded. In the last administration, a total of $920 per capita was allocated for the school year. However, under the new arrangement, this amount will be increase to $2,500 per capita for the year and all-age schools will see an increase from $11,000 per capita to the same as secondary schools, which is $19,000 per capita for the year.

 

This administration has increased the funding for operational expenses of secondary schools from US$2.6 billion left by the current administration to US$5.3 billion 2016-2017 and moving it to US$7.2 billion for 2017-2018.

 

This is the first time in the history of the school system that so many administrators have adequate resources to fund their institutions. I spoke with a primary-school principal last week who noted that he could now prepare his plant for the upcoming school year and purchase a photocopying machine that he has wanted to do for some time but was crippled by a lack of resources.

 

I recall sitting in a meeting with the Jamaica Teachers’ Association and hearing a former president say of the current minister:

 

“Sir, I told you this before and I am saying it again: There is absolutely no doubt that the schools are being impacted in a positive way by your stewardship.”

 

Schools are being better funded. It may not be at the 100 per cent we would like, but it is much better, and they are in a much better situation than that to which they had become accustomed. School administrators should, therefore, abide by the fees policy outlined by the minister and, by extension, the ministry. There are systems and policies in place to address shortfalls.

 

Let us not deprive our students of a solid education or put a stigma on those who may be unable to meet specific requested additional fees. Let us not prevent them from entering the compound because they fail to pay. Let us adhere to the policy and give every child a fair chance in life. Let us be transformational leaders and not transactional leaders – a term I first heard from Prime Minister Holness.

 

Let us move from the slavery and post-slavery-era elitism in education. Let us give our children the support they need. Our future depends on it.

 

– Robert D. Miller is a consultant to the minister of education, youth and information. Email feedback to [email protected].

JIS: JAMAICA has recorded an increase in mathematics passes in the May/June 2017 sitting of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations, but there has been a drop in sciences and English Language passes, Education Minister Senator Ruel Reid has disclosed.

 

Of the 33,799 students from public schools who wrote the examinations, 22,566 attained grades one to three passes — 13,890 females and 8,666 males.

 

However, the total subject entries for males was 80,249, of which 76,045 sat the exam with 49,514 attaining grades one to three passes; while the total subject entries for females was 115, 249 of which 112, 262 sat the examinations and 80,530 received grades one to three passes.

 

Reid pointed out that 34 subjects were sat and 18 showed improved pass rates over 2016.

 

For public schools, while mathematics recorded a 50.2 percentage pass higher than last year’s 47.7 per cent pass, resulting in a 2.5 percentage point increase, English language recorded a 70.8 percentage pass, 0.4 percentage points down from last year’s 71.2 percentage pass.

 

However, in the islandwide performance English language had a 65.8 percentage pass, one percentage point up from last year, and mathematics had a 42. 0 percentage pass up from 41.0 last year.

 

The passes for English literature in public schools also decreased, moving 13. 2 percentage points down from a 68.5 per cent pass rate to 55.3 a per cent pass rate. For all schools, literature passes were 54. 2 per cent, down from 67. 5 per cent.

 

 On closer examination of the data sheet, all science subjects sat, except human and social biology, showed a percentage pass decrease, compared to last year.

 

Human and social biology moved from a 52.5 per cent pass rate in public schools to a 55.3 per cent pass rate, while islandwide 53.4 per cent passed, up from 51. 0 per cent in 2016.

 

For biology in public schools, of the 6,295 students who sat the examination 69.7 per cent passed, indicating a decrease from an 81.7 per cent pass rate last year from 6,098 students.

 

In chemistry, 54.1 per cent of the 5,518 public school students who sat the examination passed, down from a 57. 1 per cent from 5,305 students in 2016.

 

Integrated science saw 51.6 per cent of 5,910 students passing the examination, compared to 52.3 per cent of 5,782 students last year. Physics recorded a 58. 6 per cent pass from 5,415 students, down from a 63. 2 per cent pass from 5,141 students in 2016.

 

Overall, the science figures were no different as biology saw a 67.2 per cent pass, down from 79.1 per cent; chemistry recorded a 49.1 per cent pass, down from 51.4 per cent; integrated science had a 51.0 per cent pass, down from 52.0 per cent and physics showed a 54.8 per cent pass, down from 59.2 per cent.

 

To help improve this matter, Reid said the Ministry of Education has been aiming to strengthen teacher competence at earlier stages in the education system by bringing more technology and having labs within primary schools.

 

At the high school level, he said work is being done to change the approach of teachers and students to learning, as “all the questions for science are application, and not just recall”, explaining that some questions require practical knowledge of real-life situations which many students are not exposed to. As a result, teachers will have to look at a more hands-on approach to teaching and learning, he said.

 

Economics had the highest percentage increase, moving from a 71.7 per cent pass rate last year to 84.1 per cent.

 

There were also increases in the pass rate for additional mathematics, agricultural science (double and single awards), principles of accounts, information technology, technical drawing, and theatre arts.

 

Additionally, five subjects — agricultural science (double and single award), principles of business, physical education and sport as well as food and nutrition — had average pass rates of more than 90 per cent.

 

Meanwhile, the education minister disclosed that the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) saw an average pass rate of 89.8 per cent, compared with 86.6 per cent in 2016.

 

He further explained that Unit 1 had a total of 41,948 entries of which 39,463 were sat with a pass rate of 88.9 per cent; and Unit 2 had 17,792 entries, of which 17,005 were sat with a pass rate of 91. 8 per cent.

 

Reid added that for public schools Unit 1 one showed an increase of 2.4 percentage points over the previous year and Unit 2 registered a 5.7 percentage point increase, compared to 2016.

 

The minister said there were four new subject areas — financial services studies, green engineering, performing arts (cinematic arts) and performing arts (music).

 

Moreover, 23 subject areas for CAPE showed improved performance. Notable increases were shown in electrical and electronic technology and integrated mathematics of 29.6 and 28.8 percentage points respectively.

 

Applied and pure mathematics had a decline of 7.8 and 1.9 percentage points, compared to 2016.

 

CAPTION: Education Minister Senator Ruel Reid speaks on Jamaica’s performance in the recent sitting of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations at a press conference held Friday at the Ministry of Education MOE, Heroes’ Circle, Kingston. To his right is permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education, Dean-Roy Bernard. (Photo: Joseph Wellington)