Holness Stresses Importance of Parental Input in Education

KINGSTON — Education Minister, Hon. Andrew Holness, is reiterating the importance of parental involvement in ensuring that students reach their full potential.

Speaking at yesterday's (July 21), awards ceremony for the 2011 Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) scholarship recipients at the Wyndham Hotel in Kingston, Minister Holness said that while students are able to excel through their own hard work, parental support can go a far way in helping them to achieve even more.

"Those students that we are awarding today, I would say all of them have the benefit of involved parents… If only we could get all our parents to be involved in the education life of their children we would solve so many problems in our schools and… once we solve problems in our school, we are solving problems in our society," he stated.

He noted that even parents, who are illiterate, have a role to play.  "They (should) make it a point of duty to ask, did you get homework? Why am I not seeing you do your homework? Do you have a problem with the homework? Let me get help for you with the problem," he suggested.

The Ministry, he said, is moving to strengthen parental involvement in education through the establishment of a National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC). "We have legislation coming to Parliament very soon and that will be established. The idea is to integrate education and the family, with that link of course, being parenting," Minister Holness stated.

The NPSC will strengthen the institutional framework around parenting and offer increased access to parenting information and support services.

It will also raise awareness of parenting issues by mounting a national parenting education campaign; better co-ordinate existing parenting programmes; develop standards for programme content; and leverage support for new initiatives based on identified needs.

A total of 34 students received scholarships based on their excellent performance in this year's GSAT. There were four recipients of named Government scholarships; 28 recipients of non-named Government scholarships; and the Scotia Bank Foundation Shining Star Excellence (Top Girl and Boy) scholars.

A total of 43,479 students were registered to sit GSAT on March 24 and 25 in 1,004 schools, including 797 public and 207 private institutions. The number included 11 children, who were home schooled. Of the total registered, 1,833 students were absent from the examinations.
Approximately 71 per cent of the students were placed based on their preferences.

By Chris Patterson, JIS Reporter