Sum Allocated to Improve Literacy and Numeracy in Selected Schools

The Expanding Education Horizons Project will, during the 2007/08 financial year, receive $24.6 million to continue to improve literacy and numeracy in targeted schools across the island.
The money, which has been set aside in the Estimates of Expenditure, will also assist with the project’s objective of enhancing the quality of interventions for out-of-school youth and increase stakeholder support.
For this year, specifically, the project will continue the implementation of programmes to improve literacy and numeracy in primary schools; complete Jamaica School Administration Software (JSAS) training in the selected schools; implement strategies to improve the education of a significant number of at-risk and out-of-school youth; and continue the strengthening of 12 non-governmental organisations in the delivery of literacy and remedial education.
The project, which began in December 2005, will last until September in 2009.
Among the targets attained up to February of this year were: the refurbishment of the staff Project Implementation Unit; completion of needs assessment and analysis for five schools; completion of project implementation plan and acquisition of relevant approvals; and the selection and training of resource specialist in support of literacy and numeracy activities. In addition, training was conducted in the JSAS at 71 primary schools, and each of these schools was provided with one lap top computer, one multimedia projector, one digital camera, and other technical equipment.