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Minister of Education, Hon. Ronald Thwaites, says the continued development of programmes to assist children with special needs is important in nation building. “These children deserve as much attention, in fact, even more than children without challenges... The Ministry would like to help more and more and to sensitize all schools, all parents and the nation in fact, so that...

Governor General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, has called for commitment from all stakeholders within the education system to rid schools of violence. “Each school must be a violence-free zone. We should not have violence in our schools, everyone must passionately commit to this effort. Parents, students, teachers, school boards, security forces, church, social workers, community leaders...

Four fully equipped after school centres are slated to be established this year under the GTECH After School Advantage Programme. GTECH’s Country Manager for Jamaica, Ann-Dawn Young Sang, made the announcement on May 17, at the opening of a centre at the Holy Trinity High School in Kingston. She said that in addition to the setting up and outfitting of...

A sum of $365 million has been earmarked in the Estimates of Expenditure for 2012/13, to enhance the University of Technology’s capacity to provide quality education, through expansion and upgrading of its facilities, development of staff, and improved financial sustainability. The funds will go towards completing 20 per cent of shared facilities (three  lecture theatres and 20 lecture rooms), and...

Some $37.3 million will go towards initiatives aimed at improving the operations of the School Feeding programme this fiscal year. As stated in the 2012/13 Estimates of Expenditure, the aim is to modernize and upgrade institutional capacity and organizational structure, and improve the nutritional quality and efficiency of the snack component of the programme. In achieving the objectives, a web-based...

The Government has set aside a total of $5 million for the continuation of the National ISO Quality Management System Certification Programme. This is outlined in the 2012/13 Estimates of Expenditure, tabled in the House of Representatives on May 10. The project, which is being implemented by the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, will be carried out throughout the...

Minister of Education, Rev. the Hon. Ronald Thwaites, says the Ministry has a clear policy against all forms of bullying and intimidation. He noted that the Ministry has a clear and solid guiding principle, which mandates that all schools must “provide a safe environment for persons of all sorts, of all different positions in life, to learn." Rev. Thwaites was...

An allocation of $20 million has been made in this year’s budget to repair and rehabilitate three secondary schools, and prepare bills of quantity and bid documents for three other sites. This is being done under a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) project, which will repair and rehabilitate a total of six secondary schools, which were damaged by...

The Jamaica Information Service (JIS) showcased its rich archive of cultural and heritage products to students of the Middleton Primary School in St. Thomas last week, at an Education Week activity staged by the institution. Director of Corporate Services at the JIS, Errol Gardner, who was the main presenter, discussed with the students and showed them various television features produced...

Some $60 million has been set aside in the national budget for the 2012/2013 fiscal year for initiatives to improve the quality of early childhood schools and care facilities, as well as to strengthen organisations and institutions delivering such services. These objectives will be met under the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development -funded Early Childhood Development Project. Up to...

Construction on the Foga Road Basic School in Clarendon and a teacher resource centre for the parish is expected to be completed this fiscal year. The work will be carried out under the Enhancement of Basic Schools Project, for which a sum of $137.8 million has been set aside in the 2012/2013 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of...

Some $118.5 million has been set aside in the 2012/2013 Estimates of Expenditure to increase reading fluency and foundation mathematics skills in Grades One to Three at selected schools, as well as improve school performance and strengthen public/private partnership. During the fiscal year, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Jamaica Basic Education project, being implemented by the Ministry of...