NPSC to Stage Information Fairs in Portland and St. Ann

The National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC) will be equipping parents to deal with school transition for their children, at two Parenting Information Fairs to be staged in Portland and St. Ann.

One fair will be held on August 24, at the Port Antonio High School, in Portland, beginning at 12 noon, and the other at the St. Hilda’s High School, in Brown’s Town, St. Ann, on August 27, at 12 noon.

Executive Director of the Commission, Dr. Patrice Charles-Freeman, told JIS News that parents will receive crucial information to help their children in the secondary school system, and children will be coached into adhering to responsible high school life, as well as given free school supplies.

“We will be having presentations from professionals on issues such as managing a successful transition from primary to secondary level, helping teenagers to adjust to secondary school, and fathers in the education process. We really want to engage fathers in the education process with their children,” she said.

“We are asking parents to come out and support the fairs, and to bring their children. We will be doing free back-to-school medicals, and  present back-to- school supplies. In addition, the parents can get the information and the skills needed to help their children who are entering high school,” the Executive Director said.

The first fair was held on August 11, at Jamaica College, in St. Andrew. Dr. Charles-Freeman said it was insightful, and parents got the chance to share their experiences with each other. She informed that come next year, there will be six fairs, one for each Region of the Ministry of Education.

Meanwhile, in endorsing the fairs, President of the National Parenting-Teacher Association (NPTA), Everton Hannam, said members participated in the earlier fair, and the information provided was important.

“It showed how children can be accommodated, and steps to take to ensure that children are fully integrated into the secondary school programme,” he said.

The NPSC was established by the Government as the co-ordinating agency for all Government activities relating to parenting and parenting support. The Commission is an agency of the Ministry of Education, and works under the Education System Transformation Programme (ESTP).