Approximately $134 million has been allocated by the Government for the ‘Partnership for Improved Safety and Security in Schools’ project for the 2019/20 fiscal year. Details are provided in the 2019/20 Estimates of Expenditure, which is now before the House of Representatives. Launched in 2017, the project, which involves collaboration between the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, United States...

Supreme Ventures Foundation is partnering with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information to improve fire safety and security at 30 children’s homes at a cost of $40 million. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the undertaking was signed on Wednesday (February 13) at the York Park Fire Station in Kingston. The project will be implemented over two years, with...

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, has extended condolences to those who lost loved ones in Cuba, following a tornado that hit the country on Sunday (January 27). “The Government and people of Jamaica express our deepest condolences to those who are mourning and wish a speedy recovery to the many who were...

The Minister of Education, Youth and Information will be expanding the number of expert mathematics teachers at the primary level under its ‘Specialist Model’. Portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, said that 39 schools are currently benefitting under the initiative, which was piloted at the start of the 2018/19 academic year in September. He said plans are in place...

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information is finalizing development of the proposed National School Nutrition Policy. Portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, said work to develop the Policy, which aims to promote healthy eating and physical activity in schools particularly among students, was initially slated for completion this month (January 2019). “But we still have some fine-tuning [to...

Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, is calling on more private sector companies to offer internships and apprenticeships for young people. “We need more employers on board. We have to continue to dialogue with our private sector to say ‘this is a critical plan to ensure that we drive down the number...

With a state-of-the-art resource centre now in operation at the Mocho Primary and Infant School in Clarendon, stakeholders are upbeat that special needs children in the area will be exposed to the best developmental tools. The facility, which is equipped with a library, sensory room used as therapy for children with limited communication skills, and electronic devices such as tablets,...

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, says more money will be spent to upgrade the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB), as the Government seeks to strengthen the Brigade’s capabilities to respond to emergencies. Speaking at a ceremony to officially open the Montego Bay Fireboat Station in St. James on December 28, the Minister said the Government is...

Director at the Access to Information Unit, Damian Cox, has emphasised the importance of the entity’s work and the Access to Information (ATI) Act in improving accountability and transparency in Jamaica by keeping citizens informed about national matters. “The Act is important because it [enables] citizens to know exactly what the Government is doing and to access official documents, verify...