Education Ministry to Provide 100 Math and Science Scholarships

The Ministry of Education will be providing 100 scholarships and bursaries to teacher trainees specializing in Mathematics and Science subject areas.

This initiative is to address a shortage of qualified Mathematics and Science teachers in the education system, and is open to individuals pursuing a Bachelors Degree in Secondary Education in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

This was announced by Minister of Education, Hon. Rev. Ronald Thwaites, at a press conference on August 13, at the Ministry’s Heroes Circle head office in Kingston, to provide details of the 2015 results of the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC).

Rev. Thwaites said this move is significant, considering the decline in the percentage of passes in the Science subjects at the CSEC level, when compared to last year. For Biology, 69.4 per cent of those who sat the examination scored grade one to three passes. There was a 60.5 per cent pass rate for Chemistry; and 62.5 per cent for Physics.

“Science, after-all, is the prism through which employment and development is going to take place in the 21^st Century,” the Minister said.

Thirty scholarships will be offered to persons pursuing Science education degrees starting in September 2015, and 70 to those pursuing secondary education in Mathematics. Some of the scholarships will be awarded to students already enrolled in programmes.

“Successful candidates will be bonded to the Ministry of Education for five years after completing their degrees and will be required to sign an agreement with the Ministry, for deployment in schools which we identify as having a need for additional qualified teachers,” Rev. Thwaites said.