JIS: The Government is streamlining services within the child protection sector with the launch of the Child Case Management System (CCMS), incorporating the Social and Health Management (SOHEMA) software.

 

Developed by Canadian software development company, Avocette, the software allows child-protection officers to upload and track cases of children who are registered in the child-protection system.

 

The software will enable users to digitally track, update and evaluate client information.

 

The software interface system will also facilitate real-time information-sharing among key child-protection agencies, including the family and children’s courts; the Office of the Children’s Registry (OCR); the Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse (CISOCA); the Office of the Children’s Advocate (OCA) and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information.

 

State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, who brought greetings at the launch held on August 16 at the CDA’s downtown Kingston headquarters, said the software will greatly enhance the CDA’s ability to track the needs of each child in the system and effectively monitor and manage cases.

 

“Part of our role and responsibility as a Government is to formulate a child protection sector that is effective and efficient, especially considering we are dealing with the most vulnerable members of our population,” Mr. Green said.

 

“To put it in context, we get about 13,000 child-abuse reports each year. That means we are treating with about 1,200 reports of child-abuse cases each month. Can you then imagine the difficulty our childcare officers had when all these cases were paper and files and were passed around to ensure that the work was being done. This will help us to rid ourselves of that system and the inefficiency that is inherent in that kind of (paper-based) system,” he added.

 

Meanwhile, Acting Mission Director for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Rebecca Robinson, said the agency remains committed to working with the Jamaican Government to improve the outcomes of youth in State care.

 

“Technology presents effective tools at our fingertips which can ease the process of enormous amounts of data that organisations such as the child-protection agencies are expected to maintain. We hope that the system will bolster the capacity of the CDA to respond to the needs of the wards of the State right from the time that they enter the child-protection system up until they exit care,” she said.

 

For her part, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the CDA, Rosalee Gage-Grey, noted that 150 CDA staff members have, so far, been trained in the use of the software, and expressed her enthusiasm for the use of technology-based solutions to advance the work of the child protection sector.

 

“We are excited to be able to reveal a product that will enable our officers to efficiently track clients and cases, so that our officers will dedicate their time to serving our children,” she said.

 

The SOHEMA Child Case Management System is developed and implemented under the USAID’s ‘Transitional Living Programme for Children in State Care’ project. The agency provided $16.4 million in funding for the development of the system.

 

CAPTION: State Minister for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green (seated left), navigating the newly developed Social and Health Management software (SOHEMA) – Child Case Management System (CCMS) during the launch on August 16 at the Child Development Agency (CDA) headquarters in downtown Kingston. Developed by Canadian software development company, Avocette, the software allows child-protection officers to upload and track cases of children who are registered in the child-protection system. Seated (from second left) are Acting Mission Director for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Rebecca Robinson, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Avocette, Scott Ross. In the background (from left) are System Administrator for the CDA, George Bowes; Project Integration Manager for Avocette, Cathy Deluca and Chief Executive Officer for the CDA, Rosalee Gage-Grey.

JIS: Some 120 mathematics coaches and specialists assigned to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information will participate in a training workshop from August 21 to 24, hosted by Book Merchant Limited at Shortwood Teachers’ College, in Kingston.

 

They will join 800 primary and early-childhood maths teachers who will be exposed to Best Practices in Mathematics at the workshop, dubbed: ‘Amazing Math Powers… PR1MED for Success’.

 

National Mathematics Coordinator at the Ministry, Dr. Tamika Benjamin, told JIS News that the Ministry fully supports the programme, which is certified by the Jamaica Teaching Council, the agency which is responsible for teacher-training and licensing. She lauded the consistent effort of Book Merchant Limited to support the work of the Ministry.

 

“Last year, they brought two scholastics from Singapore to train principals and teachers, and, this year, they continue to provide opportunities for our maths teachers to be trained,” Dr. Benjamin pointed out.

 

Book Merchant Limited has a long-standing history of investing in the capacity-building of teachers and teaching quality through the provision of professional-development resources and teacher-training programmes.

 

Training and Development Specialist at Book Merchant Limited, Joni Gocool, told JIS News that since 2014, some 2,000 mathematics teachers, coaches and specialists in Jamaica and the Caribbean have benefited from this training initiative.

 

She said the workshop falls under the Scholastic PRIME Mathematics Programme, which is based on a highly successful Singaporean model of teaching. Miss Gocool pointed out that Singapore is leading in both subjects, according to the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study.

 

Renowned Scholastic Professional Development Specialist and Lead PRIME Mathematics Specialist from Singapore, Kelly Lim Kai Ling, will lead a team of local and regional facilitators in the training sessions.

 

Meanwhile, Clinical Psychologist and Life Coach in Jamaica, Dr. Rose Johnson, will present on Emotional Intelligence. She will provide teachers with innovative strategies, which, when utilised, should bring about immediate behavioural change in students.

 

According to Miss Gocool, “a lot of changes are taking place in the education sector right now, as the traditional method of drill and practice is not working”.

 

“We are doing things differently this year, so instead of going into the different schools to conduct training, we brought all the teachers together over the course of four days.

 

We have also opened it up to anyone who is interested in this new method of teaching… they are invited to participate in the workshop,” she said.

 

At the end of the training, the participants will receive joint certification from the Jamaica Teaching Council and Shortwood Teachers’ College. Sponsors for the workshop include NCB Foundation, JN Bank, Maxie Department Store, National Housing Trust (NHT) and Shortwood Teachers’ College.

 

For further information, persons can contact Joni Gocool at 946-0926 or email: [email protected].

 

CAPTION: National Mathematics Coordinator at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dr. Tamika Benjamin

JIS: The Early Childhood Commission (ECC) has reported that an additional eight early-childhood institutions (ECIs) have met the ECC’s 12 operating standards and are now certified.

 

This brings to 55 the total number of ECIs that have attained certification to date.

 

Executive Director of the ECC, Karlene DeGrasse Deslandes, told JIS News that the achievement is timely, “as our nation is celebrating a momentous occasion – 55 years of Independence.

 

She emphasised that early childhood is the most critical period in a child’s life and must be taken seriously.

 

“Therefore, the ECC has embarked on a drive to ensure the provision of access to high-quality early-childhood programmes and services, recognising the importance of the first 1,000 days of a child’s life,” Mrs. DeGrasse Deslandes said.

 

While applauding the effort of all the institutions that attained certification recently, she is encouraging urgency among the other ECIs in ensuring that they strive to meet and exceed the operating standards to achieve certification.

 

She also emphasised the importance of public support of cash or kind to these institutions, as this is critical in assisting the community-based ECIs. Certified ECIs have the responsibility to maintain the standards of an effective learning environment. This includes appropriate and qualified staff, secure and stimulating settings, proper nutrition, and upholding the rights of the children.

 

The eight ECIs that were recently certified are Fern Grove and Mile End Basic Schools in St. Ann; Building Blocks Pre School, Kingston; Emerald Prep and Kindergarten, St. James; Barbara E. Lee Hing, Manchester; Mineral Heights Christian Kinder-Prep/Basic School in Clarendon; and Angie’s Early Childhood Centre, Portland.

 

The ECC is an agency of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information with a mandate to coordinate all activities, development plans and programmes within the early childhood sector.

 

The Commission has been promoting the certification of all early-childhood institutions as one of its mission-critical legislated requirements.

 

For more information, persons can contact the Early Childhood Commission at: [email protected].

 

CAPTION: Executive Director of the Early Childhood Commission (ECC), Karlene DeGrasse Deslandes (right), in discussion with Development Officer at the ECC, Region Six, Marvia Johnson Brown, at a Certification Fair held in Brown’s Town, St. Ann, recently.

JIS: Sixty students have been awarded scholarships and bursaries valued at approximately $4 million by the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) and Partners Co-operative Credit Union Limited.

 

Among them are 55 top performers in the 2017 Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), who will receive $12,500 per annum over five years.

 

Under the Credit Union’s ‘Adopt a School’ programme, bursaries valued at $12,500 were presented to three students from Central Branch All-Age School, who will be making the transition to the secondary system.

 

Grade-seven student from The Queen’s School, Satnereen Ducran, also received a $12,500 bursary as part of the Credit Union’s ‘School Savers’ programme, which aims to promote good financial habits.

 

The Albert ‘Bertie’ Morris Scholarship, named after one of the Credit Union’s founding fathers, was awarded to Jaidenn Williams, who will be entering the University of Technology’s architecture programme in September. He will receive $150,000 annually over three years.

 

Addressing the awards ceremony on August 10 at The Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston, Director of Regional Educational Services in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Captain Kasan Troupe, congratulated the scholars on their academic achievements.

 

“We recognise that you have done some good work, that you have sacrificed, that you have studied hard, and today we are celebrating you,” she said.

 

She encouraged them to continue to pursue excellence in their educational pursuits.

 

“You need to embrace lifelong learning. Embrace your education. Today, we are celebrating your success, but this is just the beginning. When you get to high school you will be exposed to more subjects… but learning does not stop at school. You are always learning and becoming better. You must remain motivated,” she said.

 

Now in its 19th year, the JPS and Partners Co-operative Credit Union Limited scholarship awards provides financial assistance to help children reach their academic goals.

 

Students are selected based on academic merit, work ethic, discipline and financial need.

 

CAPTION: Director of Regional Educational Services in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Captain Kasan Troupe (3d right), offers advice to scholarship recipients at the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) and Partners Co-operative Credit Union Limited’s 2017 Scholarship Awards ceremony held on August 10 at The Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston. Sharing the moment are President, JPS and Partners Co-operative Credit Union, Natalie Sparkes (right); and General Manager, Joydene Jarrett (2nd right). Sixty students were awarded scholarships and bursaries, valued at approximately $4 million, towards school expenses.

JIS: Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Donovan Stanberry says technical, vocational, education and training (TVET) will play a critical role in the economic advancement of the country.

 

He noted that with expanded TVET activities “particularly in agriculture” the economy will become more developed as currently “we are hard pressed to find the range of skills we need to develop the sector”.

 

The Permanent Secretary was addressing a Partner Appreciation Ceremony to recognise those organisations integral to the equipping and retrofitting of the Crooked River/ Brae Head Skills Training Centre in Clarendon, on August 11.

 

The organisations include: the European Union (EU), the Embassy of Japan and the Sugar Transformation Unit in the Ministry.

 

Mr. Stanberry added that finding persons with the skills set of livestock officer, veterinarian technician or agronomist is difficult, especially “when you go into our universities (and) half of the students are studying management and business and philosophy”.

 

 He informed that the skills offered by the training centre such as bartending, apiculture (beekeeping) and general beauty therapy all at HEART Trust/NTA level 2 certification, are not to be frowned upon especially when the need arises for such skills.

 

Meanwhile, Mr. Stanberry emphasised that agriculture, “must be a catalyst and stand at the centre of rural development”.

 

“We have not yet developed to a stage where we have found a replacement for agriculture as the main economic activity in places like Crooked River in Northern Clarendon and all over rural Jamaica,” he said.

 

Mr. Stanberry noted that there needs to be a renewed emphasis and focus on rural development.

 

Acting Executive Director of the HEART Trust/NTA, Jennifer Walker noted that the centre is part of the mandate of her agency in providing greater opportunity for all Jamaicans to access TVET.

 

Ms. Walker said that the centre will “positively impact the lives of the community and surrounding areas”.

 

Member of Parliament for Northern Clarendon, Horace Dalley, who is credited with bringing the training centre to fruition to address the social and economic needs of the community, hailed the HEART Trust, EU and the Japan Embassy for their contributions.

 

He also hailed the trainees for remaining committed to their area of study.

 

More than $10 million was spent by the Government of Japan through its Grant Assistance for Grassroots and Human Security Project to renovate and reconstruct the centre, which included the installation of bathroom fixtures, windows and door.

 

Japanese Ambassador to Jamaica, His Excellency Masanori Nakano said education plays the most important role in materializing the human security concept.

 

“I can say without doubt that Japan remains committed to help those self-motivated young people by supporting their basic human needs especially in training and education,” he said.

 

Mr. Nakano added that under the capable hands of the Executive Director of the HEART Trust/NTA, the Education, Youth and Information Ministry and other key stakeholders, the “foundation for the success and sustenance of the training facility will be laid and provided for”.

 

He further added that the Embassy stands ready to provide further support any way it can.  

 

For his part, Attaché and Programme Manager of the Rural Development and Environment Delegation of the European Union to Jamaica, Stefano Cilli said his organisation is looking forward to more collaboration with Jamaica.

 

He noted that the EU believes in people and their empowerment all over the world and that “like Jamaicans, the EU believes in the importance of skills training to improve their quality of life”.

 

The Sugar Transformation Unit of the Ministry provided $7million to equip and refurbish the centre.

 

CAPTION: Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Donovan Stanberry (second left) shares in a photo opportunity following the unveiling of a sign at the Partner Appreciation Ceremony of the Crooked River/Brae Head Skills Training Centre in Clarendon on August 11. Others from (left) are: Deputy Mayor of Clarendon, Clive Mundle; Manager of Community Training Interventions at the HEART Trust/NTA, Wayne Battiste; Project Manager of the Sugar Transformation Unit in the Ministry, Keleen Young Grandison; Attache and Programme Manager of the Rural Development and Environment Delegation of the European Union to Jamaica, Stefano Cilli; students of mixology, Antonnette Jackson Sharpe and Daryl Morrison; Member of Parliament for Northern Clarendon, Horace Dalley; Education Officer of Region 6 in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Olive Gardner Bygrave; and Acting Executive Director of the HEART Trust, Jennifer Walker.

JIS: The Supervised School Intervention Programme by the Dispute Resolution Foundation (DRF) was born out of concern for the wellbeing of youngsters who have been suspended from school and were often observed partaking in idle activities for the suspension period.

 

The initiative, brainchild of DRF Network Manager Sharon Young Palmer, was started at the Foundation’s Spanish Town Peace and Justice Centre in 2006 and later expanded to the peace and justice centres in St. James, Clarendon, St. Catherine and Kingston. 

 

“I conceptualized the Supervised School Intervention Programme because it was my observation that students were suspended from school and were sent home for a period, but they had no treatment for what led to the suspension and so the behavioural problems continued,” Mrs. Young Palmer said. 

 

“So I thought it would be good to have a programme that would assist the youths in understanding their responsibility as young citizens and as students. It was about us just helping them to understand their responsibilities better and to know what they need to do to become good and productive citizens,” she added.

 

She said that the initial stages of the programme highlighted the root cause of certain antisocial, maladaptive and disrespectful behaviour which usually leads to suspension of students. 

 

These included underlying challenges from circumstances such as loss of a parent, untreated trauma, parental separation, as well as academic and intellectual difficulties at school.

 

“It became necessary for us to solicit support from guidance counsellors in the schools. They would volunteer an hour or two and they would be matched with students from schools other than their own and gave great assistance in treating some of the conditions,” Mrs. Young Palmer said.

 

Students doing practicum in social work and guidance counselling were also engaged as a part of the programme to help to identify, treat with the challenges and make referrals.

 

She further noted that a component of the programme is geared at rapport building, achieved through techniques introduced in the playing of games such as chess and dominoes. 

 

“So you help them learn how to get along with each other, to have friendly rivalry, to learn how to lose…to understand that you don’t have to win all the time but you can be a good sport,” Mrs. Young Palmer said.

 

Art classes, done through support from volunteer teachers, is also used as a form of therapy to help the youngsters.

 

She said the programme also conducts parenting sessions to ensure parents have a clearer understanding of the experiences of their children and are prepared to provide support.

 

“One thing we do is say to the students that this is their place, their home away from home. They are always welcomed and are encouraged to come by after school, where they can socialize with each other,” the Network manager said, adding that during these visits, facilitators can interact with the students and assess progress.

 

One 13-year-old Windward Road Primary and Junior High School student who was suspended after getting into a fight hailed the programme for helping her deal with her anger problems, and teaching her ways to prevent conflict with her peers.

 

A 15-year-old Haile Selassie High student, who was twice suspended and became a part of the programme, further noted that the initiative helped her to manage peer pressure and make better decisions.

 

“When I came to the Foundation and I told them what happened, I think they were able to look at it in a different way and help me deal with it,” she said in an interview with JIS News.

 

Approximately 5000 students have been engaged in the programme at the all the centres combined.

 

“I am really feeling good. I am satisfied that we introduced this programme to the schools and the wider community…and it’s heart-warming and I am motivated to continue. When you have students coming in now who can say how good the programme was for them and how it helped them make the decision to change their behaviour, [that is very meaningful],” Mrs. Young Palmer said.

 

The Citizen Security and Justice Programme III (CSJPIII) provides support for the programme, including meals and transportation for participants.

 

CAPTION: Youngsters participate in a group discussion at a Dispute Resolution Foundation summer camp in Kingston in July.

JIS: Prime Minister, the Most. Hon. Andrew Holness, on Thursday (August 10) launched the National Youth Summer Employment Programme under which some 2,300 youths will be employed over a four-week period.

 

The young people, from across the island, will be engaged in the auditing of street lights and identifying vulnerable persons within communities who may require assistance during periods of natural disasters and other forms of emergency.

 

The exercise is being spearheaded by the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development and will run from August 14 to September 8.  Each participant will be paid $8,000 weekly.

 

Prime Minister Holness, in his remarks at the launch held at the Jamaica College compound, said the work to be carried out by the young people will provide critical information that will better enable the Government to serve the country.

 

He noted that the Government pays “a significant amount of money” for street lighting each year “and we have to know which street lights are working”.

 

“Some street lights are on, but the lights are so dim. They are burning up the electricity but not generating any light. We want to know which street lights are out so that we can better provide the service for the communities,” he said.

 

As it relates to the gathering of information about the vulnerable, he said that this will better enable the provision of emergency assistance and other support services to communities.

 

“For us to provide even better service, we want to know about the shut-ins, because a part of the remit of local government is to deal with some of the welfare issues in communities. (There) are thousands of Jamaicans poor and indigent… and a part of your job will be to go out and identify them and help us to create a database so that we can properly bring service to them,” Prime Minister Holness said.

 

He encouraged those persons who will not be in school or working when the programme finishes, to join the National Service Corps, under which young people will benefit from military, vocational, and life skills training over a one-year period.

 

Meanwhile, Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, informed that the teams will also be required to identify streets for which name signs are missing.

 

The findings will be recorded in a database that will provide information for the Ministry and the municipal corporations.

 

He informed that funds have been set aside for “a comprehensive drive across the country in putting up street signs”.

 

The youth employment programme is being implemented through the municipal corporations.

 

An orientation exercise is scheduled for Monday (August 14) to ensure that participants are fully apprised of their tasks. The session will allow for questions and clarifications.

 

The initiative falls under the Housing, Opportunity, Production and Employment (HOPE) programme, which provides educational and job opportunities for young people, aged 18 to 24, who are not employed or enrolled in a school or programme of training.

 

CAPTION: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (left) participates in the National Youth Summer Employment Programme, at the official launch of the initiative on August 10 at Jamaica College, St. Andrew

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information says it has noted several “inaccurate and misleading” statements in the media regarding its interaction with schools administrations on its funding policy.

 

As such, the ministry today issued a statement outlining the “facts” as follows (in full):

 

1. Several consultations and private meetings were held with key stakeholders including church and trust groups since early last year to discuss a non-mandatory auxiliary fee policy. Coming out of these meetings there was an agreement on a partnership on the policy. In addition a number of bulletins and media statements were issued on this policy.

 

2. It was observed however that there were major breaches in the agreed limits in registration packages and funding policy in the last academic year. After reminders and discussions, the ministry noted a major decline in breaches this year but had to intervene in some schools that came to our attention based on letters sent to parents.

 

3. With regard to outstanding arrears for locum tenens (i.e. substitute teachers), the MOEYI has cleared much of the outstanding payments for the period 2012-2016.

 

4. The MOEYI has been making payments to schools very early and in scheduled tranches thereby creating positive cash flow across the system. The ministry continues to honour its commitments.

 

5. It is not true that the ministry is providing only $ 17,000 to $19,000 per student to cover operational expenses. We have increased the areas of support since last year to include PATH students, ICT, TVET, STEM, temporary staffing, part-time teachers, and maintenance etc.

 

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6. It should be noted that there was no noticeable increase in the amount of support to schools during the 2012 -2016 period, which forced schools to be creative to survive. The ministry has been providing over 100% increase in resources to primary and secondary schools from where they were in 2015-2016. For secondary schools the support for high schools moved from $2.6 billion to $5.3 billion in 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 now increased to $7.2 billion.

 

7. The total request for support from parents does not average $50,000 per student but $12,500. The 2016-2017 requests for parents support contributions were only $2.1 billion and not $ 6 billion. Of that amount only $893 million was collected. The parent support contribution has been declining due to economic constraints over the period 2012 to 2016 moving from a high of 65% in 2010 to an average that is now below 50%.

 

8. Over 50% of children in the system are on the PATH programme or are very poor in need of support. They are not able to pay high fees plus for costly books and other related school expenses. The Government through the Ministries of Labour and Social Security and Education, Youth and Information has taken practical steps to care for the poor and is working to reduce their burden. Twenty per cent (20%) of children do not attend school regularly due to economic and related issues.

 

The Ministry’s policy is to provide free public tuition from early childhood to age 18. This is part of the agenda to train our youths for productive activities and build a better, peaceful, crime free, gang free, and prosperous country.

 

9. The MOEYI continues to improve infrastructure in schools and has budgeted $577 million at the primary level and $500 million at the high school level for this year. In addition, funds have been allocated for canteen upgrading and ICT in education programmes integrated with STEM.

 

10. The MOEYI continues to have a positive relationship with the Jamaica Teachers Association (JTA) and other stakeholders with frequent meetings and dialogue. These meetings will continue as part of the partnership for education.

JIS: The Government is looking to double enrollment of students in tertiary institutions over the next 13 years.

 

Education, Youth and Information Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, tells JIS NEWS that increasing the number of students benefiting from tertiary training is critical for the country to achieve development goals over the next 55 years and beyond.

 

He informs that the gross enrollment rate of the tertiary age cohort (18 – 24 years) is approximately 28.5 per cent, while only about 15 per cent of the workforce has tertiary training and certification.

 

He says the Government recognises that sustainable development goes hand in hand with higher education and, as such, will be providing increased opportunities for students to access tertiary studies at institutions across the island. This includes providing greater access to funding.

 

“We are doing all that we can to find a pathway solution to ensure that all our students, who are aspiring for the highest achievement in education, that they are so supported,” Minister Reid says.

 

Increased tertiary access is in keeping with the Education Sector Plan, which is part of the Vision 2030: National Development Plan.

 

It envisions an education and training system for Jamaica that produces well-rounded and qualified people, who are able to function as creative and productive individuals in all spheres of the society, and be competitive in a global context.

 

Under the plan, the average beneficiary of the education and training system is expected to: complete secondary level education; acquire a vocational skill; be proficient in  English language, a foreign language, mathematics, a science subject, and Information Communication Technology (ICT); participate in sports and the arts; be aware and proud of the local culture; and possess excellent interpersonal skills and workplace attitudes.

 

A major focus of the sector is to build capacities at crucial levels to ensure that training and certification meet industry needs locally and for the international market.

 

Minister Reid says the Career Advancement Programme (CAP) is a bold initiative to ensure that all students leaving secondary education have certification equivalent to an associate degree that they can build on at tertiary institutions.

 

The merger of the HEART Trust/NTA, Jamaican Foundation for Lifelong Learning (JFLL), and the National Youth Service (NYS) will ensure that more students can access training and certification through a centralised system.

 

“It is a human resource training institution and will be able to continue to improve and upgrade the skills of our workforce to ensure that they are cutting-edge to serve the Jamaican market as well as internationally,” Minister Reid says.

 

Looking at achievements in the sector over the last 55 years, Minister Reid says Jamaica has built a quality system that is providing full access from early childhood to secondary schools, and options for tertiary training.

 

At the dawn of Independence in 1962, education, which was largely regarded a privilege for a select few, become the right of every Jamaican.

 

Over the years, there have been major policy initiatives and significant investments to improve infrastructure, access and outcomes, and provide the highest quality training for all citizens.

 

 

Notable achievements include the development of standards to guide the delivery of early childhood education through the establishment of the Early Childhood Commission (ECC) and standardised textbooks and workbooks; universal primary education; tuition-free policy and implementation of a highly subsidised and accessible book rental scheme at the secondary level; and a subsidised lunch programme.

 

In addition, there has been significant building and expansion of schools; development of the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) to replace the Common Entrance Examination (CEE); development and the implementation of various educational policies.

 

Minister Reid notes that prior to Independence, the majority of persons living in Jamaica did not have access to elementary education.

 

He says that since then significant strides have been made by introducing early childhood education “which is now accessible to most children and the Government intends to…ensure that all children have universal access and participation at approved institutions.”

 

Senator Reid notes that while at the point of Independence there was “low” access at secondary institutions, additional schools have been built enabling universal access to a full five years of secondary schooling.

 

At least three indigenous degree-granting institutions have been established since Independence – the University of Technology (UTech), Northern Caribbean University (NCU), and Mico University College – as well as several other multi-disciplinary colleges.

 

With all the advances made in education, Minister Reid says he is “inspired by where we are as a people.”

 

“Looking back at the last 55 years we have been through our successes, we have been through our challenges. Our vision is to give them (children) free access up to age 18 and ensure they can gain degrees by age 30, and move seamlessly into the world of work,” he notes.

 

The Minister sees education as “very critical” in fighting crime, improving discipline in the society, and ensuring better governance.

 

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

JIS:  The Ministry of Education has budgeted just over $226.3 million for fiscal year 2017/ 2018 to six Corporate Area high schools and one in St Thomas in additional financial support outside of their monthly subventions.

 

The funding covers areas such as tuition, furniture supplies TVET equipment, ICT Support, Apprenticeship Programme, the Career Advancement Programme Support, part time, temporary and no-teaching staff, and PATH Feeding Programme in some of the schools.

 

Letters have been dispatched to the principals of these schools which were cited in complaints to the Education Ministry about their breaching the Government’s non-mandatory auxiliary fees policy.

 

According to Education Minister, Senator Ruel Reid, given these figures, there is no basis for claims that only $17,000 is being spent on each child.

In the meantime, the Minister has withdrawn his reference to school administrators cited as being in breach of the policy as evidence of “corruption and extortion”.

“I withdraw the reference. I am emphasising however that the schools must comply with the announced policy,” Senator Reid said.

 

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