The Ministry of Education and Youth, in collaboration with the Amber Group, continues the Train the Teachers Initiative, under the Coding in Schools Programme. Hundreds of Information Technology (IT) and Computer Science teachers are scheduled to participate in this phase, which begins August 22 and will last for five weeks. The course will be conducted using both synchronous and asynchronous...

Farm Heights and Canterbury in St. James have been provided with free, public Wi-Fi, under the Universal Service Fund (USF) Community Wi-Fi Programme. The secured hotspots were officially launched in the two communities on Monday (August 8). The Internet facilities have a range of 800 feet and will allow some 200 residents to simultaneously access high-speed service. This was done...

The United States (US) Government will be providing US$2 million in support of the creation of a Cyber Centre of Excellence in Jamaica, which will benefit the wider region. US Vice President, Kamala Harris, made the announcement during a call with Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, on August 8. A statement issued by the White House said that...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the Government remains resolute in preserving and protecting the country’s natural environment. He said institutions such as the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) and the Natural Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA) have been created to act in protection of the environment, while promoting sustainable development. Speaking at the recent joint meeting of...

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the Government is committed to resolving the issues surrounding the collection and management of waste. He said the Government has undertaken a comprehensive review of the public sanitation, garbage collection and waste-disposal system. “We now have a plan which will see greater private-sector participation in waste collection, the introduction of waste-to-energy conversion,...

The Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch (C-TOC) conducted 383 operations and 323 raids in 2021. These resulted in the arrest of 544 persons, of which 364 were charged, and a total of 57 firearms, 1,727 rounds of ammunition and 14 stolen motor vehicles were recovered. Details are provided in the Planning Institute of Jamaica’s (PIOJ) Economic and Social Survey...

The Community Safety and Security Branch (CSSB) of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) continued to foster improved relations between the police and the citizenry during 2021. Officers conducted community, farm and beach patrols/visits and participated in meetings of various community-level groups, including citizen associations, neighbourhood watch, Police Youth Club (PYC), farm watch and beach watch. The CSSB also participated in...