Education Ministry to Develop Respect Agenda

The Ministry of Education has collaborated with academia to develop a “respect agenda” aimed at addressing anti-social behaviour among students, and promote the importance of education.

This was disclosed by Portfolio Minister, Rev. the Hon. Ronald Thwaites last evening (December 12), at a thanksgiving dinner held at the Terra Nova All-Suites Hotel off Waterloo Road in honour of retirees of the Papine High School in St. Andrew.

He informed that the programme was being developed in collaboration with former Prime Minister, Most Hon. Edward Seaga and academics with expertise in this area.

He said the Ministry was cognizant of “the extremely frequent anti-social tendencies of students who…face a culture, which is very often counter-productive to wholesome behaviour and to educational outcomes,” hence the need for the initiative.

He informed that the respect agenda will form part of the training of principals and the continuing professional development of teachers “so they can utilise from the earliest stages, right through the educational system, the necessary measures to understand and to correct anti-social behaviour and to ensure that students recognise the importance of education”.

In the meantime, the Minister praised the four honourees for their “sterling service” to the school, which combined, amounts to more than 100 years.

He further opined that they “have set a remarkable example of faithfulness and dedication in the enterprise and cause of education at the Papine High School”.

“It is a sign of a mature school when, in fact, staff members stay and contribute in the continuing and faithful fashion to the upliftment of the institution,” he stated.

The honourees are former Principal, Cynthia Peart, who served for 36 years; former Vice-Principal, Rev. Dr. Ezekiel Curtis, 24 years; teacher Patrick Tulloch, 18 years; and teacher Sonia Davis, 41 years.