Prime Minister’s Medal of Appreciation for Service to Education
Since 2005, educators have been awarded the Prime Minister’s Medal of Appreciation for Service to Education. These awardees have been selected based on their outstanding service through innovation and creativity, as well as, their active involvement in community development. Educators are eligible for awards with a minimum years of service of 15 years and maximum of 47 years.
See the link below for the 2019 awardees:
National Mathematics Teacher of the Year
The global environment in which Jamaica must compete has seen an increase in jobs that require mastery of basic and more complex mathematical concepts. It is not surprising therefore that reports submitted by PISA and TIMSS indicate a strong correlation between economic growth and development and student performance levels in mathematics. The Ministry of Education and Youth and other members of the public and private sectors continue to express concerns about the performance of our students in mathematics at all levels of the education system. The education system is therefore under pressure to evaluate the situation, identify, and implement strategies, which are aimed at not just improving performance levels but more importantly student mastery and utility of mathematics concepts. In light of this, in 2012 the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information embarked on the review of the National Strategic Plan for mathematics. The National Strategic Plan outlines initiatives to address factors that affect students’ performance in the subject area and to raise the profile of mathematics in educational institutions and society.
Research conducted locally and internationally indicate that there are several factors that may affect students’ performance. Foremost amongst these is the quality of instruction received. The Mathematics Teacher of the Year Award was launched during the Ministry’s first formal celebration of National Mathematics Week March 3-8, 2013. It was designed to select from among the pool of secondary and primary teachers, the individual deemed to be the mathematics teacher of the year. The ‘Mathematics Teacher of the Year’ is selected on the basis of his/her performance as a mathematics teacher, with special emphasis on his/her:
- mathematics initiatives
- consistent use of effective practices to deliver high quality mathematics instruction
- promotion of mathematics in his/her school in order to raise the profile of the subject
- proven ability to work with students performing at any level
- use of students’ performance data
- esteem of relevant stakeholders
Link for mathematics Teacher of the Year Nomination form.