New JFLL Head Aims to Increase Public Support for Programmes

Newly appointed Executive Director of the Jamaican Foundation for Lifelong Learning (JFLL), Merris Murray says the entity will continue to provide educational opportunities for all Jamaicans, as part of efforts to advance the country’s human development capacity beyond the 21st century.

“We have an awesome responsibility, a responsibility to lead the literacy renaissance. We know that literacy is the foundation on which higher order thinking skills are developed and we have to take this mandate quite seriously,” she said.

Ms. Murray was speaking at a reception to formally introduce her appointment at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston on September 11.

She noted that with the assistance of the “energetic” team already in place at the organisation, creative ways will be used to improve outreach; increase enrolment; and increase learner retention.

“We need to explore strategies to pool and co-ordinate educational and other resources to improve efficiency and the overall effectiveness of the organisation. We need to ensure that there is indeed curricula improvement so that we can meaningfully engage and prepare persons for work, leisure, family and citizenship in a new technologically driven society,” she said.

Pointing to areas, which will be improved, she noted that communication with the public is key in ensuring that “we can secure support for our programmes, we can support buy-ins and ultimately increase uptake for our programmes.”

“We really need to explore the strategies to drive national productivity improvements through our workplace programmes and in advancing the general state of readiness of the Jamaican workforce. The prospects of establishing a logistics hub in Jamaica underscores the critical importance of the foundation’s work in being the driver for lifelong learning in this country,” she said.

Mrs. Murray noted that collaboration with stakeholder is a critical component in achieving the goals of the foundation.

“I am indeed confident that myself along with the team are ready to rise to the challenge, we are ready to listen to you, we are willing to talk with you, we are willing to have meaningful engagement in the coming years and months so that we can create lifelong opportunities for lifelong learning. Let us continue the conversation,” she added.

The JFLL began as JAMAL Foundation in 1973. It operates 29 Adult Education Centres (AEC) with 100 volunteer AECs across Jamaica, and partners with other agencies and programmes to change lives by offering educational opportunities for all persons of all ages.

The JFLL’s mission is to provide in partnership with other organisations, adult education programmes, which will establish a culture of lifelong learning that empowers individuals and contribute to national development. It offers programmes of study ranging from basic literacy and numeracy up to the level of CSEC subjects in a variety of disciplines and courses in computer applications usage.