Education Minister Announces $400M for Technical School Lab Upgrades

Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, has announced a $400-million allocation this year to upgrade labs in 14 technical high schools.

This is in addition to funding from the World Bank, through the Jamaica Educational Programme, aimed at further upgrading labs nationwide.

“We’re upgrading the labs into world-class [facilities]… that’s our goal for this year,” Senator Morris Dixon announced during a visit to Cedar Grove Academy in Portmore, St. Catherine, on May 8.

She made the disclosure after Head of the school’s Department for Human Ecology, Tameika Edman-Johnson, proposed the upgrading of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) labs with cutting-edge technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), to better prepare students for the evolving job market.

Minister Morris Dixon also disclosed that schools will soon receive additional assistance for students with special needs.

She indicated that the University of the West Indies (UWI), at the Ministry’s urging, has initiated programmes in speech therapy and more special needs-related areas such as diagnostics.

This was in response to a suggestion from Cedar Grove Academy’s Dean of Discipline, Antonio Baker, for the introduction of ‘timeout centres’ or day-school programmes that provide structured environments and consistent counselling for students with severe behavioural issues, rather than suspending them from school.

Meanwhile, Senator Morris Dixon acknowledged the need for specialised support within the education system.

To this end, she said “what we’re doing now is working with the universities to see how we can train more people to come in the schools and support”.

“We recognise that it’s a big problem and that you’re (teachers) having to deal with a whole lot of trauma,” the Minister added.

She also agreed with Mrs. Edman-Johnson’s suggestion that the Ministry should implement interim training programmes for teachers to better equip them to handle students’ behavioural and special needs until UWI-trained personnel enter schools.

“We want to better understand how students behave the way they do. And because we do not understand all the emotions within the classroom, we have a combative relationship as teachers and students,” Mrs. Edman-Johnson said.

Meanwhile, Head of Department for Physical Education and Sport at Cedar Grove Academy, Kennoy Douglas, highlighted the need for increased funding for sports programmes, emphasising their role in providing students with pathways to tertiary education through scholarships and grants.

Senator Morris Dixon acknowledged the funding constraints, noting that many schools rely on alumni associations to cover shortfalls and develop programmes for sports and music.

“But in many of our schools that don’t have any big alumni associations, you have to find the funding,” the Education Minister said.

Senator Morris Dixon suggested that Cedar Grove establish partnerships with physical education teachers at other institutions and collaborate with the Ministry on strategic funding allocation and programme improvements for schools in the area.

Meanwhile, Senator Morris Dixon praised Cedar Grove Academy as an excellent institution, highlighting its strong reputation among primary-school students as a preferred choice.

She also urged the students to see themselves as future problem-solvers, capable of tackling national and global issues such as climate change and healthcare challenges.

Senator Morris Dixon’s visit to Cedar Grove Academy was part of a tour of schools in the Ministry’s Region Six, which also included Gregory Park Primary, Naggo Head Infant, and Naggo Head Primary.

She was accompanied by Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, and Member of Parliament for St. Catherine East Central, Hon. Alando Terrelonge.