Jamaica Lauded for Achieving MDG of Universal Primary Education

With a net primary school enrollment rate of over 90 per cent, Jamaica has already achieved the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of universal primary education.

United Nations Resident Coordinator, Dr. Arun Kayshup, has congratulated the Ministry of Education on “meeting this important achievement”, which is the second of eight Millennium Development Goals to be achieved by 2015.

The others are: to eradicate poverty and hunger; promote gender equality and empower women; reduce child mortality; improve maternal health; combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability; and develop a global partnership for development.

According to a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report, in 2011, 57 million children of primary school age were out of school, down from 102 million in 2000. The report noted that more than half of these out-of-school children live in sub-Saharan Africa. It also stated that globally, 123 million youth, between the ages of 15 and 24, lack basic reading and writing skills, 61 per cent of whom are young women.

Dr. Kayshup pointed out that under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the right to education, which shall be free at least in the elementary and fundamental stages.

The UN Resident Coordinator was speaking at a Reading Day ceremony, held at  Allman Town Primary School in Central Kingston on April 8, where he also read to some of the students.

The activity was part of the I-PLEDGE (I Promise to Lend Encouragement to Develop Growth in Education) programme, which was established by GraceKennedy Money Services, through the Western Union brand and endorsed by the Ministry of Education.  It was designed to support community development with an emphasis on primary education.

“Both at the United Nations and personal level, we support the premise of I PLEDGE,” Dr. Kayshup said, as he congratulated GraceKennedy Money Services for sustaining the reading initiative.

He pointed out that, given its contribution to the knowledge, values, creativity, skills, human capital and civic sensibility of citizens, it is not surprising that education and educational attainment are critical components of the United Nations Development Index and Gross National Happiness Index, both of which measure a country’s progress, going beyond measuring solely economic goals.

“At the UN we are committed to partnering with the Government of Jamaica and Jamaicans to strengthen education and contribute to the progress, including through reading, towards achieving Vision 2030 Jamaica,” he said.

Vision 2030 Jamaica is the country’s first long-term national development plan, which aims at enabling Jamaica to achieve developed country status by 2030.  It is based on a comprehensive vision:  “Jamaica, the place of choice  to live, work, raise families and do business.”