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Service Clubs Urged to Help Basic Schools Meet Certification Standards

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JIS: Minister of State for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, is calling on service clubs to partner with early-childhood institutions to assist them in meeting the certification standards.

 

He said that of the more than 2,700 schools across the island, only 34 have been certified as meeting the Early Childhood Commission’s (ECC) stipulations. The first one was approved last year.

 

“With your network and your resources, you would be able to move schools to certification,” he contended.

 

Mr. Green was delivering the keynote address at a luncheon hosted by the Lions Club of Kingston on Wednesday (May 3) at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.

 

The 12 Standards for the Operation, Management and Administration of Early Childhood Institutions (ECIs) relate to nutrition; staffing; development and educational programmes; interactions and relationships with children; physical environment; indoor and outdoor equipment; health; safety; child rights, child protection and equality; parent and stakeholder participation; administration and finance.

 

Mr. Green noted that almost 90 per cent of early-childhood institutions are registered with the ECC, and urged the Lions Club members to contact the agency for information on how they can assist the schools to make the necessary improvements in order to meet the standards.

 

He further called on the service club to help in addressing child abuse in the communities that they serve.

 

He noted that more than 13,000 reports are made annually of children being ill-treated. He told the club members that while they face some hostility in their efforts, this should not be a deterrent in protecting the nation’s children.

 

“We still have to do the things that we know are right to protect our children; because (child abuse) affects all of us,” the Education State Minister said.

 

CAPTION: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green. (FILE)