Education State Minister Urges Skilled Parents to Become Volunteers

Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, has called on parents with exceptional skills to become volunteers in their communities.

The State Minister said the skills are needed for better parenting, and the National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC) has embarked on an initiative to develop “model parents” through the various parent-teacher associations (PTAs) across the island.

Mr. Green, who was addressing the Jamaica Police Co-operative Credit Union (JPCCU) 2017 Scholarship Awards ceremony on August 24 at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown, Kingston, said there needs to be community involvement in the upbringing of children.

“We want to find model parents and help them to bring other parents along the journey. Some of the critical principles that you instilled, we want you to expand that to other people in your community,” the Minister told the gathering.

Approximately 29 students were awarded scholarships and bursaries worth more than $900,000.

Mr. Green urged the recipients to be “very careful that your friends align with your goals, your priority, your principles and your value system”.

Meanwhile, 2016 Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) scholarship recipient, Assana Thompson, told the gathering that for those going to high school, it is a new “journey of your life”, which carries with it a lot of responsibility as well as fun and excitement.

She implored parents to get to know the friends of their children. “Be their friends and be involved in their lives,” she said.

Assana added that the scholarship has helped her financially, and to be aware that at all times she must do her best, as failure has a huge price.

“It motivates me to work harder, and to maintain a high grade point average,” she told the audience.