Education Ministry Working to Address Needs in East Central St. James

Education Minister, Hon. Rev. Ronald Thwaites, says the Ministry will continue to work with stakeholders in East Central St. James to address needs at the primary and secondary levels.

He was speaking after a tour of primary schools in the constituency on Monday, August 25, with Member of Parliament, Edmund Bartlett.

Minister Thwaites, said he is aware of the challenges faced, and would be working on solutions. Among the areas for consideration, he said, is the establishment of a school district, which would bring together the best resources and personnel to serve the entire area.

“We may need to bring together the best teachers…not have them separated…one at Goodwill…the other at Sudbury and the other at Adelphi. We may need to bring them together in a way that the children can have the best opportunity of the best teachers that are vested and available in a school district that comprises East Central St. James,” he stated.

“Every school should have a good library, but maybe it’s not possible to have five good libraries in a given area…if you have one good library to which everyone has access…it may not be possible to have six computer rooms if you have one or two where everybody can have access…then the possibilities are created and the arc of excellence in this constituency goes up,” Minister Thwaites argued.

The Education Minister said the dialogue with the stakeholders, including the Member of Parliament, the teachers, school administrators and the parents will continue.

He pointed out that “the MP and myself are talking and the teachers…administrators and parents will have to be involved. We will be thinking how to refigure what we have …not to change for change sake… but because we want to see things get better within our time and we believe if we have the will to add to the wit, then we are  going to be able to achieve excellence”.

The Education Minister, in the meantime, commended Mr. Bartlett on his various educational initiatives.

These include awarding scholarships to students at the secondary and tertiary levels, donating books for grade four literacy and numeracy and the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), and working with LIME to provide internet for schools.

The constituency of East Central St. James has 17 primary and 2 Government-run high schools.