Senator Morris Dixon Hails British Council’s Support for Education in Jamaica

Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon, has hailed the British Council for the “transformative impact” it continues to have on Jamaica’s education sector through scholarships and collaborations with the Ministry.

In May 2023, the entities inked a five-year partnership aimed at enhancing cooperation in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM).

“These efforts are helping Jamaica’s young minds develop the skills and creativity needed to succeed in an increasingly technological and innovative world. The partnership has been essential in ensuring that our education keeps pace with the demands of the 21st century,” the Minister said.

She was delivering remarks at the British Council Caribbean’s 90th anniversary celebration on Monday (December 2), at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in Kingston.

Highlighting the history of cooperation in education between Jamaica and the British Council, she mentioned the entity’s support for the establishment of the Jamaica Library Service (JLS) in 1947 to promote reading.

“Today, we understand that if we’re going to get to the future that we want, we’re going to have to emphasise Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and there is British Council again, all these decades later, supporting Jamaica as we work through what that future looks like,” Senator Morris Dixon noted.

She noted further that programmes like Boys in Education Week, which ran from 2017 to 2020; Boys Can Mentoring Programme in 2019; and the Tri-lateral Champions Project from 2015 to 2020, have been key initiatives that have provided well-needed support to vulnerable Jamaican boys.

These programmes delivered training and mentorship across 15 schools to improve emotional intelligence, leadership, conflict management and problem-solving skills.

Senator Morris Dixon noted that the British Council’s contribution to Jamaica also spans across the areas of community development, violence prevention and the arts.

The Minister noted that partnerships are key to achieving success in critical areas, and the British Council has always been a partner of the Government of Jamaica.

“I look forward to the continued partnership between Jamaica and the United Kingdom more broadly and, of course, with the British Council. I pray that you will have 90 more years of success in helping people around the world to reach their potential, especially in the education area,” she stated.