National Budget Secondary School Tour Goes to Glenmuir High on April 8

The Ministry of Finance and the Public Service is to roll out another impactful leg of its National Budget Secondary School Tour on April 8.

The tour focuses on bringing financial literacy and budgetary awareness to secondary-school students across the nation’s schools.

This year’s tour will begin at Glenmuir High School in Clarendon, with students from Denbigh High also participating in the opening ceremony.

Speaking with JIS News, Acting Director of the Corporate Communication and Public Relations Branch at the Ministry, Shakiel Rochester Shorter, indicated that the school tour is designed to engage students in meaningful conversations about the National Budget.

“Students can expect excitement, interactive discussions with our technocrats and interactions with the Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Fayval Williams. We are geared at sensitising secondary-school students about the National Budget, demonstrating how they are affected by it, dispelling common misconceptions about the budget and highlighting the role of the Ministry,” she said.

Beyond knowledge-sharing, students can look forward to an exciting experience filled with prizes and surprises.

Finance and the Public Service Minister, Hon. Fayval Williams and Education, Skills, Youth and Information Minister, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, will participate in the event at Glenmuir High as well as school administrators.

A special highlight of the launch will be a live outside broadcast (OB) on Irie FM.

“For the tour, our chief information material will be the 2025/2026 Citizens’ Guide to the Budget. However, we will do lots of giveaways, which come with prizes and surprises. One thing I can tell our students is that they must be prepared to have fun, win prizes and learn about the country’s Budget. We will be dissecting it,’’ Mrs. Rochester Shorter said.

Since its inception in 2023, the National Budget School Tour has made a significant impact, reaching 4,301 students across 23 schools in Kingston, St. Andrew, and St. Catherine.

With the extension of the tour to Clarendon, the Ministry expects to engage even more students, expanding budget conversations and fostering financial awareness among Jamaica’s youth.

The tour is being done under the theme ‘The National Budget is Everybody’s Business’, and will crisscross Clarendon, coming to an end on Friday, May 2, at Alphansus Davis High in Spaldings.

Other schools to be visited are Central High and Foga Road High on April 10, Bustamante High and Vere Technical High on April 11, Kemps Hill High and Garvey Maceo High on April 15, Clarendon College and Thompson Town High on April 29, Lennon High on April 30, and Vauxhall High on May 1.

The school tour forms part of the Ministry’s public education campaign surrounding the National Budget.

The Ministry of Finance and the Public Service remains committed to ensuring that secondary-school students are well informed about the National Budget and its role in shaping the country’s future.

With an emphasis on education, interaction, and fun, this year’s tour promises to be an unforgettable experience for all participants.