JIS: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, says the Government is investing more resources in education for the 2018/19 academic year in a bid to further improve students’ academic and developmental outcomes.
Mr. Green said the Government is pleased with the notable improvements in students’ performance in this year’s Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) external examinations and Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), and anticipates that with increased funding and other resources, the 2018/19 outcomes will surpass those.
“Education moves generations and people forward. So we as (the) Government have to ensure that we’re doing all we can to create that excellence in education. That is why in the last two years, we have been putting significant resources into our education system,” the State Minister said.
He was speaking at Victoria Mutual Building Society’s (VMBS) 2018 scholarship awards presentation ceremony at The Knutsford Court Hotel, New Kingston, on Thursday (August 23).
Mr. Green said the Government has been meticulous and strategic in allocating significant resources at every level of the education system.
“For example, in our primary schools, we used to give $850 per child for school operation… we have moved that to $2,500 per child for every school. At the secondary level, we used to give $11,500 per child… we have moved that to $19,500,” he informed.
Additionally, the State Minister said funding for school-feeding programmes has also been increased so that needy students can be offered at least one meal daily.
“When we look at our school-feeding programme, we were only feeding children three times for the week. We put $2 billion into that system so that we could feed our children at least five times – every day of the week,” Mr. Green said.
He maintained that the Administration remains committed to “putting much more resources into education to try and (engender academic) excellence (in our students).”
Meanwhile, Mr. Green commended VMBS for, this year, awarding scholarships valued at $1.82 million to needy students and those saving with the institution.
Teacher from Little London, Westmoreland, Treshana Weise, was awarded the VM Foundation’s 2018 Master Plan Scholarship valued at $160,000, to pursue tertiary-level studies.
Tertiary students, Jevaughan Carty, Tashae Bowes, Ricardo Dyke and Nicholas Nelson were awarded Future Plan Scholarships valued at $130,000 each.
The top-performing Grade Six Achievement Test student for each of the counties, who are also VMBS Junior Plan savers, received the 2018 Junior Plan County Scholarships.
They are: Afiya Morris from Cornwall; Rishona Williamson – Middlesex; and Karla Daley – Surrey. Their scholarships are valued at $40,000 each.
Fifty-one other top-performing students from all parishes islandwide, who also save with VMBS, were awarded scholarships valued at $20,000 each.
CAPTION: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green (right), presents an award to Victoria Mutual Building Society (VMBS) tertiary level scholar, Tashae Bowes, during the institution’s scholarship awards presentation ceremony at The Knutsford Court Hotel, New Kingston, on Thursday (August 23).