JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information will, this year, be offering Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subsidies for an additional subject to wards of the State and students on the Programme of Advancement through Health and Education (PATH).
This was noted by Portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, at a post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House, today (October 12).
The Ministry will continue to offer subsidies, valued at $450 million, on four subjects – Mathematics, English Language, Information Technology, and a science subject. The additional subsidy is estimated to cost $50 million.
Senator Reid said subsidies are also being provided for three units for the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE), as well as for the Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ), the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) and the City and Guilds examinations.
Students are required to have an average of 55 per cent to qualify for subsidies.
The Minister also announced that the Ministry, through the Overseas Examinations Commission, will provide full payment for registration and examination fees for students sitting the City and Guilds Mathematics and English Language Stage Two and Three examinations.
This waiver of the fees is projected to cost some $23 million.
The Minister further reported that Jamaica Public Service (JPS) Foundation will be paying the CSEC fees for students sitting electrical and electronic technology subjects. Schools should have a pass rate of more than 60 per cent for the past two academic years in the subject areas to qualify.
Schools entering those subjects for the first time must have an overall CSEC sit rate of 90 per cent over the past two years. Individual students must also have an average of 60 per cent or higher.
The NCB Foundation will also continue to provide subsidy for Principles of Business and Principles of Accounts. The qualifying grade is 70 per cent.
Senator Reid said registration to sit the CSEC must be done through the Ministry’s regional offices for subsidies to apply.
Meanwhile, the Minister is reminding school administrators that all students in grades 11 are to be registered to sit examinations in keeping with their career pathways, interests and abilities. He said students entering fourth form should also be settled into a course of study leading up to their exams.
“Our focus at the Ministry is to ensure that all students exiting the secondary level must do so with at least five subjects, including Mathematics, English Language and a marketable Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) skill. This is to ensure that we have young people ready for viable and legitimate economic activity,” he said.
The Minister emphasised that starting next year, all students should leave secondary school with passes in those subject areas.
CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, addresses a post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House on October 12.