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Fifty schools across the island received computers, on May 8, courtesy of the Bank of Nova Scotia’s charitable arm, Scotia Foundation. The institutions comprised a mix of basic, primary and all age and Junior high schools. Speaking at a ceremony to mark the donation, held at the Scotia Centre in downtown Kingston, Minister of Education, Rev. the Hon. Ronald Thwaites,...

As we observe Teachers’ Day, we are presented with the ideal opportunity to give due recognition to members of this noble profession, whose outstanding contribution to nation building is worthy of high praises. It is also an opportunity for many of us to reflect on our own lives and how much our past teachers have aided our journey to the...

It was a day of celebration, history and cultural extravagance at the Clan Carthy Primary School in Kingston, on Tuesday (May 8), as the institution hosted its Caribbean Cultural Exposition, aptly dubbed ‘Caribbean Explosion’. The Deanery Road School was alive with excitement and energy, as the students and teachers showcased aspects of the Caribbean’s cultural legacy through dance, music and...

I use this medium to laud all the stake holders of the education system, as we commemorate 2012. This year’s commemoration is of particular significance, as we celebrate the 50th year of our country’s independence. As we celebrate this milestone of our political independence, we are cognisant of the strides we have made in the education sector.  We are indebted...

In 1880, a young Roman Catholic woman, Jessie Ripoll, bought a 43-acre property, and transformed it into the Alpha Cottage, where she admitted a single orphan girl. Over the years, as the institution’s population grew, so too did its purpose and importance to the Kingston community, and in 1892, it was transformed into an elementary school with the assistance of...

Minster of Education, Hon. Rev. Ronald Thwaites is encouraging stakeholders within the education system not to fear the proposed legislation governing the establishment of the Jamaica Teaching Council (JTC). He said that the move to put the Council in place is not an attempt to cramp teachers’ rights, but rather “it is an important aspect to lift the lustre of...

Minister of Education, Hon. Rev. Ronald Thwaites, has invited the Independent Schools' Association (JISA) to have discussions towards devising “a saving mechanism” for privately-operated institutions that are on the verge of closing. “Jamaica can’t afford to lose one school place; we need more, not less, and if a private institution closes all that does is to put a further pressure...

The Ministry of Education has signed a $660 million contract with HDB Construction for the building of the Cedar Grove High School at Gregory Park, in Portmore, St. Catherine. The institution is the first to be built under the National Education Trust (NET) on behalf of the Ministry, and the Education System Transformation Programme (ESTP), and is a joint initiative...

Minister of Education, Rev. Hon. Ronald Thwaites, has welcomed the publication of National Scholarship Digest, noting that it will enable more students facing economic challenges to identify funding for higher education. “We are faced with lots and lots of students, who are capable...and able to matriculate into university but they can’t do so because of economic circumstances. We have a...

Youth leaders from the disabled community are clamoring for greater access to tertiary-level training and employment opportunities, as they struggle to gain equality with their able-bodied peers. The youths voiced their concerns to Minister of Youth and Culture, Hon. Lisa Hanna, and United States Ambassador to Jamaica, Her Excellency Pamela Bridgewater, among other stakeholders, during a roundtable discussion hosted at...

Minister of Education, Hon. Rev. Ronald Thwaites, says that while the government intends to continue to provide free education at the secondary level, parents will be required to make a greater input. “The policy of government subscribing to the basic tuition for secondary education will continue (but), there is no doubt that additional contribution is going to be required from...

Minister of Education, Hon. Rev. Ronald Thwaites, is appealing to Jamaican fathers to become more involved in the academic life of their children. He said that “too often, in our education system, the fathers turn up to take the little ones…to school, basic or infant, and then the next time you see him is at graduation from high school. That...