Civics to be Reintroduced, Ministry to Revise School Book List

The subject of civics is to be re-introduced to the school curriculum at the start of the new academic term in September 2012.

This was disclosed by Minister of Education, Hon. Ronald Thwaites, during a statement on Tuesday (Jan. 31) in the House of Representatives.

He informed that the subject will not just comprise “dry facts” but will be geared towards “emphasising the duties of citizenship”.

Civics was previously taught from grades seven to nine in all-age schools and at first form in high schools. It educates students about citizenship, the structure and governance of the country, and other historical information.

The Education Minister also informed that the Ministry will be doing a comprehensive review to the school book list. “Children and parents are taxed to do all kind of book purchases, which very often they never use; we need to review that entirely,” he told the House.

He also informed that the Ministry will be employing “a new tone” in its dealings with the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA).

“There are gifted personnel working in the vineyard of education. There is no politics that is going to divide them and we are not going to denounce our teachers. We are setting a new tone with the JTA. We want to talk to them not only about the affairs and salaries of teachers, but we want to talk to them about the philosophy and practice of education because that is their common cause with all of us,” Mr. Thwaites noted.

The Education Minister, in the meantime, called on Members of Parliament (MPs) to recommend qualified persons to be appointed to school boards.

Opposition Spokesperson on Education, Marissa Dalrymple Philbert, in voicing her support for the measures announced by the Minister, said education “is too critical for us to deal with it in a partisan manner."

By Latonya Linton, JIS Reporter