JEEP Teachers will Relieve Burden on Cap Administrators

The Education Ministry is moving to clarify its decision to replace the teachers involved with the Career Advancement Programme (CAP) with teachers selected under the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP).

Speaking with the JIS News during a recent interview, Education Minister, Rev. the Hon. Ronald Thwaites, said the decision was taken in order to relieve the CAP teachers from the double duty of teaching during regular school hours and conducting CAP classes after school.

"In many instances personnel, who are already employed within the school had been administering the CAP; there's nothing wrong with that. But where there are experienced teachers, who are not working and can be brought in to relieve the double engagement of those who have been there, then it is perfectly legitimate to do so," he said.

According to the Minister, the programme can only be strengthened by the introduction of teachers, who can dedicate all their time to the programme.

Minister Thwaites also said the schools and teachers will be given adequate notice about the introduction of the JEEP teachers.

CAP is being implemented in partnership with the HEART Trust/NTA, the National Youth Service (NYS), the Jamaica Foundation for Lifelong Learning (JFLL), and the National Transformation Programme, and is facilitated under the Compulsory Education Policy (CEP).

Its seeks to ensure that students leaving secondary school are literate and numerate, and have some form of technical and vocational qualification for post-secondary study or work. Students will receive certification from HEART on successfully completing their course of study.

JEEP is one of the strategies of the Government to respond to the chronic unemployment status of some Jamaicans, particularly those in the lower socio-economic strata, persons with special needs as well as those with low skill levels.