Education Minister Praises East Rural St Andrew Education Programme

MINISTER OF EDUCATION, Hon. Rev. Ronald Thwaites, has congratulated 32 young adults from East Rural St. Andrew on achieving Grades One and Two for Principles of Business (POB) in the June 2015 sitting of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination.

The students were participants in a night-school programme initiated last year by State Minister for Tourism and Entertainment and Member of Parliament, Hon.  Damion Crawford, for constituents who were interested in sitting at least one subject in the CSEC examination.

The classes were free of charge to students, who were required to attend evening classes once per week at institutions in East Rural St Andrew.

A total of 37 candidates were registered to sit the POB examination, 32 of whom passed, with one failing, while four were absent.

During the students’ recent courtesy call on Rev. Thwaites, at the Ministry, he indicated that he was proud of their achievements, which were attained despite varying challenging circumstances which they encounter, and encouraged them to continue to work hard, which guarantees that they will achieve their goals.

In acknowledging his constituents’ achievements, Mr Crawford noted that the programme has yielded tremendous success and gained credibility, and justifies his decision to channel allocations from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) into education initiatives.

Chief Education Officer, Dr. Grace McLean,who also congratulated the students, informed them of diverse pathways on which they can embark to achieve their career goals, and encouraged them to pursue these.

She also urged them to ensure that they acquire CSEC passes in the two basic subjects of Mathematics and English, which, she indicated, can be secured through the Career Advancement Programme (CAP) being offered at several high schools; HEART Trust/NTA academies, colleges, training centres and institutes; and selected private institutions.

Dr McLean further advised that the students can also choose to attend HEART Trust institutions, to pursue vocational training in skilled areas.  This is in addition to the option of enrolling in the Registered Apprenticeship Programme (RAP) where they have the opportunity to work and train simultaneously.

Additionally, there is the option for students to enroll in special sixth form classes that are offered by Community Colleges.

Two of the participants in the night school programme, Taneisha Burgher and Delmar Williams, were elated with their attainment of Grade One in POB.

Both attributed their success to hard work and dedication, and hailed their teacher for providing tremendous support during the 2014/15 academic year.

Ms. Burgher and Mr. Williams also encourage persons, who are afforded opportunities as they have, to “ensure that you make good use of it, and treat it as another hurdle to jump over.”