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Education Minister, Hon. Andrew Holness, concerned about low passes in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate's (CSEC) Mathematics and English Language, said that the Ministry has to take a "second look" at the examination. He informed that in 2009, only 42 per cent of Jamaican students, who took English Language, passed the exam, while the pass rate for Mathematics was 37...

Logos Hope, the floating book ship, makes its maiden trip to Jamaica from January 20 to March 23, 2010.The vessel replaces the Logos 11, which had many successful visits to the island over the years. Logos 11 was taken out of commission to allow for a larger vessel, which would offer a better quality of life for crew, as well...

Over 750 Early Childhood Institutions have satisfied the requirements for registration with the Early Childhood Commission (ECC). Speaking in an interview with JIS News, Communications Manager at the ECC, Marsha Grant, said the Commission is in the process of sending out certificates to these institutions. "Currently there are over 2,700 Early Childhood Institutions islandwide, and we have gotten applications from...

Educator, Dr. Jean Beaumont, is imploring parents to work with their children to develop their reading skills. "You parents ought to work with your children all the time...You have to work with your children all the way through," she stated at an awards ceremony held recently at the Green Park Primary and Junior High School in Sandy Bay, Clarendon. According...

The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is reporting that the increased presence of policemen on the nation's streets over the last six weeks has resulted in a decline in the number of traffic violations as well as incidences of petty theft. In an interview with JIS News, head of the Traffic and Highway Patrol Division, Superintendent Radcliffe Lewis, said the recent...

While a significant number of Jamaican youths are deprived of the benefits of a sound family structure, 12-year-old Richard Rose enjoys both the family support and the academic success that it can produce. The first of three children, all boys, Richard's success in the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) has been attributed to his keen and inquiring mind and general...

The Kitson Town Skills Training Centre, St. Catherine, which is affiliated to HEART/NTA, has been transforming and equipping persons from the area for a second chance in gaining lifelong skills, since 1998. Recent graduate and mother of four, Sonia Scott, a fine example of the work the centre has been doing willingly tells her story to JIS News. Miss Scott...

The Entrepreneurship Unit at the HEART Trust/NTA has launched a Graduate Assistance Programme (GAP) at the School of Cosmetology in Kingston. The 18-month programme will expose participants to business plan development and other key elements of starting a business. The format of delivery will be through seminars, coaching and mentorship. At present 80 young men and women are enrolled in...

As of next month, students in the agricultural sector will begin to benefit from a scholarship programme, courtesy of the Rio Tinto Alcan Inc. (formerly Alcan). The assistance is for students pursuing agricultural studies at the secondary and tertiary levels, through an agreement between Rio Tinto and the Jamaica 4-H Clubs. It is aimed at students in St. Ann, St....

Retired Principal of the May Day High School in Manchester, Mr. Stanley Skeene, was on Tuesday (December 15) honoured for more than 40 years of dedicated service to the field of education. At a special banquet held in his honour at Chaddiz Chateau in Spur Tree, Manchester, Senior Advisor to the Minister of Education, Alphansus Davis, described the honouree, who...

More than 250 workers displaced by the decline of the banana industry now have new career options, after completing the HEART Trust/ NTA Banana Sector Retraining Project. The project, funded by the European Union (EU), targeted communities in St. Catherine, St. Mary, St. Thomas, St. James, Portland and Clarendon. It gave some of the workers skills for transitioning to different...

Bustamante High School, Lionel Town, Clarendon has honoured 22 persons for long service to the institution. They were honoured on Wednesday (December 16) at a ceremony at the Juici Patties Banquet Hall, Clarendon Park, Clarendon, as part of the school's 40th Anniversary celebrations. The honourees served the school for between 15 and 37 years, in various areas including academics, administration...