Gov’t Seeking to Promote Child-Friendly Schools Concept

KINGSTON — The Government is moving swiftly to implement the safe schools policy, as it seeks to promote the child-friendly schools concept throughout the education system.

This was disclosed by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Audrey Sewell yesterday (October 19) at the 6th annual Caribbean Child Research Conference at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston. She informed that the draft policy was recently submitted to Cabinet for approval.

Ms. Sewell said the Ministry has been working with school administrators to ensure that all institutions embrace the concept of the child-friendly school by adhering to a framework that supports the development of quality in a number of areas.

“We are on our way to better aligning and supporting our schools as they begin to reflect the child-friendly schools principles. A situational analysis, which was recently undertaken of our school system, will inform where we will focus our efforts so that the overall goal of making our schools child-friendly is achieved,” she informed.

Ms. Sewell said that key persons in the education system, who are tasked with making schools child-friendly, have begun training sessions and will continue to benefit from professional development so that this goal is achieved.

 According to the Permanent Secretary, the Ministry’s concept of child-friendly schools is typified by inclusivity and equity, providing for and allowing every school-aged boy and girl, three to 18 years, a place in an educational setting; quality teaching and learning methods that is relevant and culturally appropriate; and sound leadership and governance at all levels.

She pointed out that the concept also involves stakeholder participation including parents, community, churches, governmental and non-governmental bodies involved in improving the school and its programmes. This is in addition to a wholesome environment typified by a sense of security where safety, good health, nutrition and sanitation are promoted, she said.

Ms. Sewell further noted that with the Education Minister, Hon. Andrew Holness recently named the “child-friendly champion” for the Caribbean and Latin America, “we must live up to and place greater emphasis on ensuring equity, safety, empathy within the sector, while always seeking to make our schools places where caring and support is reflected. It is only in this way that our schools can be safe places for learning and development”.

“We are committed to doing our part to ensuring that we live up to the mandate of making all our schools – rural, urban, early childhood, primary and secondary – that will reflect or exemplify a more child-friendly model,” she added.

The two-day conference, being held under the theme: ‘Promoting Child Rights with Equity: Our Children in Post-Independence Times’, sought to give children and adults researching children’s issues the opportunity to present their findings to the region.

Among the objectives are: to promote a culture of research among students in high schools in the Caribbean by facilitating the presentation by students of their research and awarding a prize to an outstanding child researcher; encourage research among teachers at the secondary and primary educational levels in Jamaica; recognise the work of child researchers in child-related areas and disseminate findings on such studies; and inform the policy formulation and implementation process in the Caribbean region, through the published research findings.

Adult researchers also present in their relevant findings on children’s issues during the forum.

The conference is being staged jointly by the University of the West Indies’ (UWI) Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES) in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Environmental Foundation (EFJ), the Ministry of Education, the Caribbean Child Development Centre (CCDC), the Early Childhood Commission (ECC), the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Office of the Children’s Advocate (OCA), the Office of the Children’s Registry (OCR), the JamaicaCoalition on the Rights of the Child (JCRC), the Jamaica Child Development Agency (CDA), Grace Kennedy Foundation of Jamaica and CARICOM.

By Alecia Smith, JIS Reporter