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Minister of Housing, Transport, Water and Works, Robert Pickersgill, has said that governments in the region were committed to promoting open learning, noting that the process was "vital to positioning our people for international competitiveness". "In Jamaica, as elsewhere, laying the foundation for capitalising on the opportunities for open and distance learning, driven by new technology, has (made) significant strides...

The House of Representatives yesterday (Oct. 31) gave approval for Member of Parliament (MP) for Central Clarendon, Lester 'Mike' Henry to act as Chairman of the PAC in the place of North Eastern Manchester MP, Audley Shaw, for the duration of the examination by that Committee of the report on the investigation into the Sandals Whitehouse Project. Leader of Government...

Country Coordinator for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Miriam Maluwa, has said that the organisation's US$100,000 education and training project, which targets deaf women, was progressing well. "The project is doing extremely well. They've actually done further training of women in Mandeville, having conducted two workshops there. Last week, we had a workshop in Montego Bay and...

Sandals Whitehouse in Westmoreland will launch its 'Tourism Club in Schools' Programme at the New Hope Primary and Junior High School in mid-November. The initiative is aimed at ensuring the sustainability of tourism by getting students exposed and involved in the industry from an early age. Some 50 students are expected to be registered at the launch, with the project...

The National Library of Jamaica is hosting an islandwide exhibition dubbed 'Greetings from Jamaica,' which features 38 postcards taken from the library's collection. The collection showcases postcards that have been used to advertise Jamaica from as far back as 1902. First unveiled on World Tourism Day, September 27 at Devon House, the exhibition will be taken around the island to...

Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Honourable Professor Kenneth Hall on Saturday (Oct. 28) launched the Mico Alumni Education Foundation in Toronto, Canada. The ceremony took place at the Mico Alumni Association's (Toronto chapter) Annual Banquet and Scholarship Awards at the West River Event Centre. The Foundation consists of the Mico Teachers' College Alumni Education Fund, and the Mico Teachers' College...

Debate on a Bill to amend the Customs Act got underway in the House of Representatives yesterday (Oct. 31) but was suspended to accommodate further deliberations based on concerns raised by members of the Opposition in relation to certain provisions in the Bill. The legislation, which was piloted by Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. Omar Davies, seeks to extend...

Plans have moved into high gear for the staging of a number of activities in the parish of Manchester in commemoration of Parent Month, which is commemorated in November each year. Community Relations Education Officer for the Ministry of Education and Youth's Region Five, Charmaine Gooden-Monteith, told JIS News that the theme for the month would be 'Parents: Today you...

Group Managing Director of the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ), Dr. Ruth Potopsingh, has said that Jamaicans should explore the option of carpooling to reduce the national energy bill. "Fuel for transportation is 29 per cent of the energy used in Jamaica, and a saving of almost 3 per cent of our petroleum import bill, which last year was over...

The Jamaica Manufacturers Association's (JMA) 'Buy Jamaican Campaign' has been successful in influencing more Jamaicans to buy local products. JMA President, Doreen Frankson, said that a recent impact assessment of the campaign, conducted by Market Research Services, suggested that 80 per cent of the respondents had been exposed to the message, while another 79 per cent indicated that they were...

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Environment, Devon Rowe, has informed JIS News that a two-phased $37.7 million renovation project, which began at National Heroes Park in September, was well advanced. Mr. Rowe said that the project was currently in phase two, with bids for the erection of a perimeter fence recently put to tender. "We are...

As part of its focus on assisting and empowering teen and working mothers, the Women's Centre of Jamaica Foundation operated a number of day nurseries during the 2005/06 fiscal year. According to the Foundation's annual report for this period, which was tabled in the House of Representatives last week, 929 babies were accommodated in the nurseries for teen mothers. These...