Washington state Dems reject national education standards known as Common Core

SEATTLE –  Leaders of the state Democratic Party have passed a resolution condemning the national education standards known as the Common Core, nearly five years after the state adopted the new learning goals.

At a party meeting in Olympia on Saturday, the Democrats approved a resolution saying the state was unfairly pressured into adopting the new standards.

They are asking the Legislature and Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn to back away from the Common Core and return to a similar list of education goals created in Washington state.

Dorn said Tuesday that he continues to support the Common Core and wonders why Democrats are taking this stand now. He said national standards make sense because mobile families, including those in the military, should get a similar education for their children no matter where they move.

“I do not believe that most people understand what this is about. It’s become a political propaganda issue,” Dorn said. “This wasn’t just done overnight. This was done over a long period of time with a lot of input from teachers and administrators, and top education researchers.”

The Common Core is a list of math and English learning goals for every grade level. For example, the standards say when students should learn how to work with fractions. The new standards were adopted in Washington state in 2010, and some school districts have been using them for more than two years.

The state Democratic Party says the new standards give too much power to federal interests. The Democrats’ resolution says the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association were influenced by millions of dollars from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other groups to support the Common Core.

The resolution says the U.S. Department of Education improperly pressured state legislatures into adopting the Common Core.

The resolution approved by the Democrats is similar to a resolution passed by Washington Republicans a year ago. The resolution mentions the new tests to gauge how much children are learning under the new standards, but the tests are a separate issue.

Dorn said he’s been pushing for national education standards for more than 20 years and believes the Common Core is beneficial to school children everywhere.

“This levels the playing field,” he said.

He said the new national standards are similar to Washington state’s previous standards but more challenging than standards in some states.

View the original article here

Washington state Dems reject national education standards known as Common Core

Opposition calls for equal access to education loans

Tuesday, February 03, 2015 | 5:58 PM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Opposition spokesperson on Education and Youth, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith is calling on Minister of Education Ronald Thwaites to clarify the Government’s position on the treatment of Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) applicants by the Students’ Loan Bureau (SLB).

Senator Johnson Smith said, “While we are all aware of the need to reform the funding of tertiary education, as a country we must ensure that there is equity and access for our young people. If the Government, through the Ministry of Education, is mandating limited access to funding for certain disciplines we would be concerned because in a democratic society, the government’s policy should not be to exclude students because of their interests.”

“There is a better way,” she insisted.??According to the Opposition spokesperson on education, the Students’ Loan Bureau should introduce a loan framework which balances national development with freedom of choice. 

“This could be done by introducing different interest rates, bonding arrangements and repayment periods combined in different ways, depending on the course of study to be pursued,” said Senator Johnson Smith.?”Aligning better interest rates, bonding arrangements and repayment periods with areas important for national development would balance choice and market needs, but would not completely exclude young people without interest or ability in STEM areas for example, who need financial support for tertiary education,” she continued.??In a news release on Tuesday, Senator Johnson Smith explained that the Jamaica Labour Party’s policy direction first announced in 2009 was that the SLB should offer incentives to young people to encourage them to take up studies in areas important to national development – and that these would certainly include STEM subjects. The intention however, was not to exclude or bar young people from getting loans to study in areas of interest to them.

Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserver

Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

View the original article here

Opposition calls for equal access to education loans

Education minister pays tribute to late educator Eric Frater

Saturday, October 04, 2014 | 11:00 AM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Education Ronald Thwaites has joined the educational fraternity in paying tribute to veteran educator Eric Frater, who passed away on Friday, October 3.

The minister noted in a release that Frater’s dedication to uplifting young people was exemplified by his presence at the University of Technology’s Council meeting last Monday.

Frater taught at several secondary schools and also at the University of the West Indies. He also served with distinction as Principal of Rusea’s High School in Hanover.

“Eric’s penetrating intellect and his unfailing graciousness gave him valuable skills in educational administration,” Thwaites said. “We celebrate the long life of a good and loyal Jamaican. May his soul rest in peace.”?

Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserver

Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

View the original article here

Education minister pays tribute to late educator Eric Frater

Report released on controversial sex education at Jamaican private homes

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Friday June 27, 2014, CMC – The human rights group Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) had made a monetary contribution to six privately operated homes where a sex education programme had been implemented, according to an interim report released here.

Youth and Culture Minister Lisa Hanna released the report by the Child Development Agency (CDA) that had been asked to probe the matter.

The controversy over the sex education programme has already led to the resignation of former JFJ executive director Dr Carolyn Gomes from the board of directors. Gomes was executive director when the programme was implemented.

Hanna had instructed the CDA, which has responsibility for the regulation of children’s homes and places of safety, to explain the circumstances which led to the programme being implemented for eight or nine months without the agency’s knowledge as well as the suitability of the material for the children.

Click here to receive free news bulletins via email from Caribbean360. (View sample)

Hanna said she was “concerned about the breaches, particularly since the homes acknowledged that they did not advise the CDA about the programme although visited by monitoring officers of the CDA.”

The minister said she would take appropriate action after receiving the responses from the administrators of the homes.

In its interim report, the CDA found that the programme, titled “Realising Sexual and Reproductive Health Responsibly: JFJ’s Pilot Intervention in Children’s Homes” had been implemented in both boys and girls homes and that the six facilities had indicated that they were contacted directly by representatives of Jamaicans for Justice via telephone and later by email and letter.

“The administrators of facilities gave approval to the JFJ for the implementation of the sexual education programme through MOUs,” the report said, noting that “it was confirmed that the six homes each received a monetary contribution from the JFJ for use of their premises for the training.

The report noted that a review of the content of the material “found that parts of the training material were inappropriate for the age cohort and a departure from that approved by the Ministry of Education for use in public schools and legal advice will have to be sought to determine if its presentation contravened any existing laws.”

The report noted that the children received training in the areas relating to homosexuality and anal sex and that the “training schedule was not noticeably displayed at the home in contravention of the regulations.”

Earlier this month, the JFJ defended the programme saying it got the go ahead from administrators of the homes.

JFJ executive director Kay Osbourne said the administrators did not indicate there was a requirement involving the CDA.

View the original article here

Report released on controversial sex education at Jamaican private homes

Increased crocodile public education campaign

Sunday, February 02, 2014 | 9:26 PM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica – The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) will be heightening its public awareness campaign aimed at discouraging crocodile consumption, which is illegal in Jamaica.

Manager for NEPA’s Ecosystems Management Branch, Andrea Donaldson says it is intended to have media features as well town meetings to sensitize persons about how crocodiles should be treated, in and out of their habitat.

“(This) is to get them to recognise that (crocodiles are) important to the (eco) system, and (that the animal is) important to them, (as) people earn income from crocodiles, as an ecotourism activity,” Donaldson said.

Information gleaned on crocodiles indicates that they contribute significantly to maintaining pollution-free waters and clean habitats for themselves and other wildlife by consuming dying animals as well as the carcasses of lifeless ones.

Additionally, their burrows, when unoccupied, often serve as refuge from threats as well as sources of water during periods of drought, for other animals.

In some parts of Jamaica, crocodiles serve as eco-tourism attractions in special sanctuaries created for them, thereby generating foreign exchange for the economy.

In October 2013, reports surfaced that crocodiles were being hunted and slaughtered for their meat in nine communities spanning four parishes, along Jamaica’s south coast.

These are: Springfield, Westmoreland; Parrottee, Font Hill, and Black River in    St. Elizabeth; Salt River, Lionel Town, and Milk River in Clarendon; and Portmore and Amity Hall in St. Catherine. NEPA also received reports of crocodile meat being sold at eateries in Kingston and St. Andrew, Westmoreland, Clarendon, and St Elizabeth.

Hunting and slaughtering constitute offences as, since 1971, crocodiles have been protected by law under the Wildlife Protection Act. Therefore, no crocodile should be hunted, captured, killed or, in any way, harassed.

The penalty for capturing the animal, harming one, or having any part of same in one’s possession, living or dead, is $100,000 and/or a prison term of up to two years.

Jamaica’s crocodile continues to encounter threats to their existence based on illicit human activity, deliberate or inadvertent. This development has rendered it endangered based on the current number in existence.

The population is understood to have declined to less than 1000 since the last survey of the animal was conducted in 2004.  A new survey is to be undertaken during 2014/15 in selected areas to determine the current population level.

Miss Donaldson points to the pattern of behaviour exhibited by crocodiles, which she says persons need to be cognizant of. 

“While they live in freshwater systems, they do walk. The females nest in the sand and on gravel mounds. So they will walk from their water habitat to the mounds to nest and walk back. So, in a lot of instances, people see that and they get scared,” she states.

It is recommended that if a crocodile is sighted, persons remain calm as chances are, it will go away. However, it advisable to stay clear of areas, such as rivers and swamps, if these are known habitats, especially during the breeding season, which runs from March to August.

Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserver

Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

View the original article here

Increased crocodile public education campaign

Principal suspended - Education officer to oversee Hanover school

BY HG HELPS Editor-at-Large helpsh@jamaicaobserver.com

Sunday, January 05, 2014    

THE new school term at Hanover’s Hopewell High will begin tomorrow without the presence of Principal Joyce Irving.

The veteran educator has been suspended by the school’s board of governors after it launched a probe into what a senior education official described as “major irregularities” at the seven-year-old school.

Officials said that Irving had been asked to step aside while the probe is conducted, but declined to do so, resulting in her being suspended by the board.

Education Minister Ronald Thwaites confirmed to the Jamaica Observer yesterday that the action had been taken against the woman who has been principal of the institution since it opened its doors to students from within the parish and nearby communities in September 2006.

“I have been made aware of it,” Thwaites said. “The board has acted within its competence, according to the regulations, and the regional office in Montego Bay which governs Hanover is assisting with the inquiries and I trust that they will be done quickly and the

matter resolved.

“In the meanwhile, an education officer has been assigned to supervise the school,” Thwaites told the Sunday Observer.

According to the minister, the education officer will effectively act as principal of the co-educational school which, by education ministry count, has a student population of approximately 1,200.

The school, located on the outskirts of the bustling Eastern Hanover town of Hopewell, on the way further west to another growing town, Sandy Bay, has not had an official opening by the Ministry of Education since classes began there. However, an education ministry source said that efforts were being made to have the function “by this January

or February”.

“Whatever needs to be done, the purpose of the school is student achievement, and even if there are administrative and governance difficulties, we would like to settle these quickly without prejudice to anybody and to get ahead with the task of running a good school,” Thwaites said.

Regarding the finer details of the investigation, Thwaites said that he was not privy to all the details.

“I don’t know much. I just know that there have been these allegations and it is appropriate for the school board to conduct the required investigation and to seek help from the regional office and other personnel who can assist,” he said.

There are allegations of financial irregularities and misconduct at the school, but officials have said that the finger of blame had not been solely pointed in Irving’s direction. However, they maintained that there were grounds for the probe, following complaints made to the school board over the years, and to the Ministry of Education about certain occurrences.

The Sunday Observer also received correspondence sent to the school board by a former teacher on the school’s staff, in which he accused Irving of not delivering on an agreement, which will not be published by this newspaper at this time, as the claims cannot

be substantiated.

Efforts to contact Hervin Stennett, a pastor and retired policeman who heads the school’s board of governors, were unsuccessful.

Irving taught home economics at Mannings High School for several years before serving as principal of Bethel Primary and Junior High School in Hopewell, the feeder school to Hopewell High.

Irving could also not be reached for a comment, but the educator of over 30 years told a prize-giving function at the school last September that she remained confident that the relatively new institution would shake off its tag of being ranked at the bottom of the six high schools in the parish, by the Ministry of Education, based upon Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) results.

“I am burdened like one of the prophets of old. I am burdened about the care of our children and regardless of how many CSECs we are measured by. I am learning now that of the six high schools in Hanover, we are at the bottom, and there are some remarks that we are less likely to succeed. But we burn that lie,” Irving said then.

“Success, for me, is to be able to move a child from zero to 10. We have had persons whom we have placed in rehab who have come out with over nine subjects, inclusive of Physics and maths,” she added.

The school, whose motto is Pioneers for Excellence, has had its share of disciplinary challenges, with students being the main perpetrators, but Irving in an earlier interview with the Observer, said that since the establishment of the school’s turnaround movement, called the Renegades, there had been an improvement in discipline among students.

The Renegades, she said, comprised a group of male teachers who would, like police personnel, conduct regular “spot checks” at various locations on the school compound.

Hopewell High was thrown into controversy on July 26, 2010 when a man who sought full-time employment as a teacher on the school’s staff, following a period of internship, was shot dead by a gunman, whom police said had gone there to attack Irving.

Irving had to lock herself inside her office, and reinforce the door with furniture when the gunman came after her.

The deceased man, a young pastor, was shot while he attempted to telephone police about the incident.

View the original article here

Principal suspended - Education officer to oversee Hanover school

Enid Reece was dedicated to education

BY AINSWORTH MORRIS Life Tributes writer

Sunday, January 26, 2014    

THE time allotted for the reading of tributes for Enid Lucille Reece, retired principal of the Tulloch Primary School in Bog Walk, St Catherine, was too short for the four mourners to deliver.

Lynden Nugent, son-in-law; Lascelles Dixon, past student; Reverend Richard Anderson, and a representative of Soroptomist International Mid-Eastern Jamaica all agreed that the life, work and investment of Reece, who also served as a grade five teacher for nearly 40 years at the institution, could not have been crammed within an hour.

According to Nugent, the profession of teaching made Reece into the loving, kind, compassionate, and honest woman she was.

“Her stint at Tulloch was an engaging one as she had a real passion for teaching. It was her teaching career that allowed her to touch hundreds, possibly thousands, of individuals. It was not uncommon for her to be told by her past students, both here and overseas, how much they appreciated her guidance and positive impact on their lives,” Nugent said.

The service was held at St Thomas Ye-Vale Anglican Church in Bog Walk, St Catherine, the church she attended since her childhood days.

“Nearly all of us here this morning have been touched in some way by her life,” Nugent added.

He said Reece was a thoughtful teacher who thought about the needs and demands of her students for their success.

“The United States of America adopted ‘No Child Left Behind’ concept. Enid had made that her ralliying cry as a guiding principle when doing her job. One of her students remembers her philosophy that every child must learn and was capable of being taught regardless of their circumstances,” he said.

Before Nugent spoke, Lascelles Dixon, who was taught by Reece decades ago at Tulloch Primary, offered a tribute on behalf of the alumni of past students.

“I stand here today to pay tribute on behalf of Tulloch to this outstanding teacher par excellence. More importantly, we are here to recognise the tremendous contribution that she has made to education of literally hundreds of young people from this and surrounding communities,” Dixon said.

Dixon said Reece was one of the teachers of the 1970s whose primary objective was to ensure that her students learn, despite their socio-economic circumstances.

“Her formal teaching career began in 1941. She served for 42 years as a teacher of Tulloch School. She retired in 1982 and was asked by the Ministry of Education to serve as principal as she was an appropriate person to serve as principal of the school,” he said.

Reece received her formal training at Moneague Teachers College.

Reece also served as a president of the Soroptomist International Mid-Eastern Jamaica club.

She was among 35 professional women who were inducted then. She served as president between 1982 and 1983.

Reece was buried on in the churchyard.

View the original article here

Enid Reece was dedicated to education

Simon Clarke to lead education consultations

BY GARFIELD MYERS Edititor-at-Large, South/Central Bureau myersg@jamaicaobserver.com

MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Chairman of the National Council on Education, Dr Simon Clarke, is to oversee consultations with “stakeholder groups” and the public regarding the proposed review of the education regulations of 1980, Education Minister Ronnie Thwaites has announced.Clarke, a retired educator, is a former UNESCO Caribbean director and education advisor for the region.Describing the review as the “core of many of the intended improvements in the education system”, Thwaites told a Manchester Chamber of Commerce forum last Thursday that the consultations will “begin this month and we hope to complete them by early next year”.Thwaites said the timetable was to have the amended regulations approved by Parliament during the legislative year.According to Thwaites, the regulations that require review “have to do with the governance of schools, responsibilities and procedures of school boards. It also has to do with rewarding and disciplining of students.Thwaites that social dynamics had rendered the disciplinining of students in schools more complex than had been the case in the past and there was need to provide guidance for teachers.“The fact is that the social fabric in many parts of Jamaica in many schools is not what it was in many parts of Jamaica a generation or two ago and many teachers and school principals are completely at a disadvantage now because what they can do in relation to student behaviour and student conduct is completely inadequate given the social inadequacies of many students,” the minister said.In apparent reference to the Ministry of Education’s ban on corporal punishment, the minister said: “We will not go back to the brutality of a previous era but we must find creative and constructive ways in order to insist that our students recognise that school is not any romping shop; that teachers cannot spend 15 minutes of the class creating order before you can begin to teach the lesson and that this is a pearl of too great price for us to waste on deviant behaviour.”Regarding revision of regulations affecting school boards, Thwaites told the Observer that the “regulations and procedures that govern them are in my view unhelpfully complicated and it is that aspect that will have to be revised.”The minister said he expects that amended regulations will make it easier for school boards and principals “to do their jobs and place more authority in their hands.”The revised regulations would also require greater accountability from educators, he told the Chamber of Commerce.“Our teachers for whom we have the greatest respect need to be accountable in new ways for their conduct and performance,” he said. “This is not to be seen as onerous but there is no job in the world where strong standards of accountability are absent, and therefore the regulations need to be looked at with a new vigour,” said Thwaites.Thwaites said that a companion measure to revising the education regulations “will be the eneactment of the Jamaica Teaching Council Bill which will over see the professionalisation of teachers and their functioning”.He told Manchester business leaders that the “piece of legislation” had been inherited in draft form from the previous Jamaica Labour Party Administration and will be carried to completion after one year and more of consultations with teachers’ representatives, parents and churches who were the “sponsoring agencies of many schools”.CLARKE… served as director of UNESCO Caribbean and education advisor for the region

View the original article here

Simon Clarke to lead education consultations

Hug up education, Ferguson urges parents and scholarship winners

MINISTER of Health, Dr Fenton Ferguson has underlined the importance of education in nation- building, and urged parents to invest heavily in their children’s future.

Dr Ferguson, who is also member of Parliament for St Thomas East, told an audience at the West Rural St Andrew Education Awards held at the Country Style Restaurant in Stony Hill, St Andrew last Thursday night, that even as they get assistance from those who care for them, they should never shut the door on the hand that fed them.“I am fanatic about education,” Dr Ferguson said. “I say to parents, the best investment you can make in your children is education. It’s better than land, car, house, or even wigs. It is important that you continue to make the sacrifice to buy the books and continue to make this investment in education,” he told a full house.“Education is the key to liberation and we have been liberated, but we sometimes tend to forget where we are coming from. One of the greatest sins of mankind is ingratitude. When some get through, they forget mommy and forget daddy.“No matter how bright you are today, there is nothing in life like a good attitude. One of the lessons I learned as a practitioner is as long as you are compassionate, you will make it,” the minister said.Dr Ferguson said that even before he became an MP, he had a scholarship programme in place, realising the importance of educating the people.He praised the work of member of Parliament for the area, Paul Buchanan, describing him as having a sense of mission.He urged scholarship recipients to demonstrate good core values, be honest, show dedication and respect to everyone.“Do not take the education assistance for granted. Education is preparation for eating. There is no job for life anymore. There was a time when long service awards were 35 and 40 years. Now, long service awards come after five years.“So prepare yourself, become multi-skilled, because when you are well-qualified, people want you. You also need to be competitive, because for every one that gets through, 99 do not get through,” he said.Dr Ferguson, who piloted and implemented a recent move to ban smoking in public places, also underlined the importance of young people staying away from tobacco use.“It is the young people who tobacco always entices. Nicotine is one of the most dangerous substances affecting mankind. I am a pro-health crusader, because tobacco causes every type of cancer. If we cut down on smoking, you will see less heart attacks, less strokes and fewer other diseases.“It is my mandate to protect the health of Jamaica,” Dr Ferguson said.Buchanan, who allocated $3.8 million from his portion of the Constituency Development Fund to assist the education thrust, also underscored the need for continuous learning.“This evening is a watershed occasion for West Rural St Andrew. The only way forward to stability and growth for our country is through education,” he said, arguing that the awarding of scholarships and book grants were done in a non-partisan manner.“We love party politics too much in this country. It is time we put education at the forefront, instead of politics,” he stressed.Touting information technology as the way forward, Buchanan urged the gathering to embrace what he described as the progressive way forward.“The past is gone, we can’t wait any longer. The logistics hub is coming and we don’t have the skills in place. We must go on the software programme and next month we will be going into our IT programme, “Buchanan said.Project manager of the CDF Moveta Munroe also urged recipients to make the best use of opportunities available and grasp them so that “together we will build a better Jamaica”.Hundreds of students received scholarships and book grants to various tertiary institutions, including the University of the West Indies, the University of Technology and the MICO University College.Assistance was also given to students about to enter high schools.Member of Parliament for West Rural St Andrew Paul Buchanan addresses scholarship winners.A section of the audience follows the programme with keen interest.Top student at Padmore Primary Joshua Hyman does a cultural act. In background are Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson (left), MP Paul Buchanan, and Moveta Munroe, head of the Constituency Development Fund Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister.Board members, chairpersons of school boards, and principals pay close attention.Guest speaker Dr Fenton Ferguson (right) presents Oberlin High School vice principal, Khafre Israel with a financial commitment to the institution.Scholarship awardee and UWI medical student Delores Coombs of Mount Cheerful, King Weston, gives the vote of thanks. (PHOTOS: MICHAEL GORDON)

View the original article here

Hug up education, Ferguson urges parents and scholarship winners

Holness labels Government"s education policy as "poison"

OPPOSITION Leader Andrew Holness said Wednesday that the Government’s educational policies were poisoning the system and impeding the sector’s contribution to growth and development.

“I want to send a clear message that the Jamaica Labour Party had a different strategy from the strategy being employed in education today. What is being employed in education today is poison. It will kill the education system in Jamaica,” Holness told JLP members and guests at the party’s Scholarship Awards Luncheon at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston.Three young tertiary students — Ava-Gaye Chutkhan, who is training to become a maritime engineer at the Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI); Kadian Francis from St Thomas, who is studying public sector management at the University of the West Indies (UWI); and Stevie-Ann Simmonds, who is pursuing a degree in mass communications at the UWI — received scholarships under which the party has guaranteed to meet their full educational costs.The awards were made to the students and their parents, excepting Chutkhan, who was unable to attend because she is currently undergoing training on a vessel at sea. She was represented by her parents.Holness, who was the guest speaker at the function, used the opportunity to severely criticise the Minister of Education Ronald Thwaites and the Government for their policy on education. He was cheered on by the guests.“I think the Government needs to take a whole different approach to education. What they are doing is poison. What we were doing was administering the medicine to make the system better, and we were seeing results right away,” Holness said.Holness argued that the JLP’s policy was never to take away the teachers’ benefits, but to help them utilise those benefits to become more efficient.“The teachers need their leave to study, but (the question is) how do you make the study leave more efficient, so that it justifies the expenditure?” he argued.He said that there was no structured use of study leave as teachers could take the leave to study anything they wished.“The JLP would have sought to guide the teachers into using the study leave to increase their knowledge in areas of the greatest national use,” the Opposition leader explained.He said that the JLP never considered taking away “long, hard fought” benefits from the teachers, as its policy was based on accountability.“Our policy was to get the teachers to use what they had in a more efficient and productive way. In that way it is rewarding to the nation and it is also rewarding to them.So, I am emphasising this point to the minister of education, that he needs to start talking more about accountability and less about taking away the teachers’ emoluments and other benefits,” he stated.Holness also criticised the Government’s position that it will not be hiring new teachers this year.“What will happen to all the teachers and potential teachers who are already in the system training? I think the minister needs to rethink his policy and quickly because, as I said before, without an expansion in education all the big investments that we hear about (will not be achieved),” he added.He said whatever the JLP did in education was not always popular, but there were positive results and, for example, “every single year the CXC results improved in Math and English”.He said that during the JLP’s years in power, the number of students who matriculated into university with four or more subjects moved from approximately 6,500 to the approximately 14,000 students when he left the Ministry of Education.He said that G-SAT and Grade 4 literacy test results improved significantly every year under the JLP.“It was the JLP that brought the whole business of literacy to national attention and I am watching very closely, because I want to see that emphasis on the development of literacy in our nation continued,” he said.He said that the JLP had set a goal that by 2015, every child leaving primary school should be literate and numerate.“I am watching to see whether or not this Government is going to continue that thrust in education,” he stated.The function was chaired by Senator Alexander Williams, chairman of the JLP’s scholarship committee. Other speakers included Dr Horace Chang, general secretary; as well as Marisa Dalrymple Philibert and Olivia “Babsy” Grange, spokespersons on education and youth and culture, respectively.Opposition and Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Leader Andrew Holness presenting a scholarship to Stevie-Ann Simmonds, one of three recipients of JLP scholarships, at Wednesday’s awards luncheon at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston. Simmonds is pursuing a degree course in mass communications at the University of the West Indies.Kadian Francis, who is pursuing a degree in public sector management at the University of the West Indies, collects his scholarship award from former Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) member of Parliament Enid Bennett. (PHOTOS: MICHAEL GORDON)

View the original article here

Holness labels Government"s education policy as "poison"

CSEC results improved this year, Education Ministry says

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Overall performance in the 2013 May/June Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination improved when compared to results of 2012, the Education Ministry has reported. 

According to the CSEC Public Information Officer, Cleveland Sam, 65 per cent of subject entries achieved acceptable grades – Grades I – III, compared with 62 per cent in 2012.“This year, performance improved on 21 of the 35 subjects offered, including the two English and two Mathematics subjects. English A saw a 10 per cent improvement in performance with 57 per cent of entries achieving Grades I – III compared with 47 per cent last year; while for English B there was a five per cent improvement with 73 per cent achieving acceptable grades compared with 68 per cent last year,” he said.Additional Mathematics, which was offered for the first time last year saw improved performance at its second sitting this year – 70 per cent of the entries achieved Grades I-III, compared with 58 per cent at the first sitting. While there was a slight improvement on Mathematics over last year, performance however, remained below average with 35 per cent of entries achieving acceptable grades compared to 33 per cent last year.  “The work produced by the majority of the candidates on Paper 02 was unsatisfactory,” the Subject Awards Committee reported. The Committee noted that more than 13, 000 candidates were unable to measure and state the length of a given line and determine the measure of an angle on one question.Of the three natural science subjects, performance improved on Biology and Chemistry and declined on Physics. For Biology, there was a marginal improvement – 73 per cent of acceptable grades this year compared with 72 per cent last year. Sixty-two per cent of entries achieved acceptable grades on Chemistry compared with 58 per cent in 2012.  For Physics there was a 10-point decline – 66 per cent of entries achieved acceptable grades this year compared with 76 per cent last year.Performance on Human and Social Biology also improved with 63 per cent of entries achieving acceptable grades compared with 56 per cent last year. In Agricultural Science (Double Award) performance improved from 91 per cent last year to 96 per cent this year; while Agricultural Science (Single Award) remained fairly steady. This year 93 per cent of entries achieved acceptable grades compared with 92 per cent last year.Principles of Accounts was the most outstanding performer in the business subject cluster, showing the most significantly improved performance. Seventy-five per cent of the 23, 000 entries who took POA achieved acceptable grades compared with 56 per cent last year.Performance on Economics also improved significantly this year, with 81 per cent of entries achieving acceptable grades compared with 65 per cent last year. POB and Office Administration saw a three per cent and one per cent decline respectively. Performance in foreign languages, French and Spanish, improved by three percentage points this year when compared with 2012. For French 77 per cent of entries achieved acceptable grades compared with 2012, and for Spanish 70 per cent achieved similar grades this year compared with 67 per cent last year.There was a marginal one per cent improvement on Caribbean History with 71 per cent of entries achieving acceptable grades compared with 70 per cent in 2012. For Social Studies there was a marginal decline in performance with 66 per cent of entries achieving acceptable grades compared with 70 per cent last year.The subjects in the expressive arts cluster performed very well overall. Ninety-three per cent of entries for Theatre Arts achieved acceptable grades compared with 90 per cent in 2012. Visual Arts saw an eight-per cent improvement in performance with 76 per cent achieving acceptable grades compared with 68 per cent last year.Performance on Music improved with 70 per cent of entries for Music achieving acceptable grades this year compared with 65 per cent last year.Physical Education and Sport returned the highest percentage of acceptable grades – 96 per cent, even though performance was down slightly when compared with 2012 when 98 per cent of the entries achieved similar grades.Both candidate entries and subject entries declined this year when compared with 2012. This year 149,311 candidates registered for CSEC examinations, compared with 156,970 candidates in 2012.Subject entries fell by just over 19,000 when compared with last year – 616,346 subject entries were submitted this year, compared with 635,498 last year.Mathematics continues to be the largest subject entry with 102,124 entries this year, down from 105,849 entries last year.English A is the second largest subject with 98,063 entries, down from 101,022 entries last year; it is followed by Social Studies–52,772; Principles of Business– 35,430; and Human and Social Biology–32,280.Additional Mathematics was the subject with the largest increase of entries; this year, 3,151 subject entries were submitted, up from 1,861 when the subject was first offered last year.The 19-year-old and over age group constituted 33 per cent of the candidate population this year; the 17-year age group made up 28 per cent; candidates 16-years old accounted for 19 per cent and those 18-years old constituted 15 per cent of the candidates, and candidates at 15-year-old represented just over three per cent of the entries.Patrick FLike our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

HOUSE RULES

1. We welcome reader comments on the top stories of the day. Some comments may be republished on the website or in the newspaper – email addresses will not be published.

2. Please understand that comments are moderated and it is not always possible to publish all that have been submitted. We will, however, try to publish comments that are representative of all received.

3. We ask that comments are civil and free of libellous or hateful material. Also please stick to the topic under discussion.

4. Please do not write in block capitals since this makes your comment hard to read.

5. Please don’t use the comments to advertise. However, our advertising department can be more than accommodating if emailed:mailto:advertising@jamaicaobserver.com.

6. If readers wish to report offensive comments, suggest a correction or share a story then please email: community@jamaicaobserver.com.

7. Lastly, read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

comments powered by

View the original article here

CSEC results improved this year, Education Ministry says

Ministry of Education in discussion with partners to build schools

News

Friday, August 09, 2013

THE Ministry of Education is currently in discussion with several local and international partners regarding investment opportunities, which can be created within the education sector.This was disclosed by portfolio minister Ronald Thwaites at a meeting of the Rotary Club of Downtown Kingston, held at the Hotel Four Seasons in Kingston, on Wednesday.“We have a number of unsolicited proposals from financial houses here and abroad, which are anxious to invest in education and we are prepared, under the aegis of the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) and in consultation with the World Bank and the Ministry of Finance, to engage in such processes, so that we can use private capital prudently…to build out the many thousands of places that are required to improve our quality,” he said.The minister further noted that with these partnerships, new schools can be constructed, while existing ones will be expanded which will ultimately lead to the elimination of the shift system in schools across the island.He pointed out that these partners were looking to invest millions within the sector, adding that partnerships with the Government will only redound to the benefit of the country.“There is one proposing to build seven schools… and there are others with different size and different emphasis. We are meeting with the Ministry of Finance, the DBJ and (other) representatives to discuss how it can be done,” he said, adding that the proposals have been put forward for several months now.In the meantime, the education minister used the opportunity to encourage members of the service club to continue investing in the sector as part of efforts to upgrade the education system.The minister said that the club has played an important role in garnering support for education, through charitable donations in terms of awarding scholarships and providing schools with needed equipment.— JISMinister of Education Ronald Thwaites (second left) shares a light moment with scholarship awardee Kia Cole (right), during the NCB Employees Co-operative Credit Union Limited’s 2013 Treasure Chest Solid Goal Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) scholarship award ceremony, held at the Hotel Four Seasons in Kingston on Wednesday. Other awardees (from left) are: Angel Baker and Jonathan Scott. Also pictured (at second right) is president of the credit union, Josephine Bennett-Darmand.

View the original article here

Ministry of Education in discussion with partners to build schools

Education minister urges parents to pay auxiliary fees

Latest News

Thursday, August 08, 2013 | 9:10 AM

KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Minister of Education, Ronald Thwaites is reminding parents that the auxiliary fee charged by schools is mandatory and required for the upkeep of the school.“The auxiliary fees are not optional. They are absolutely essential for everyone…(It) is each family’s or household’s direct contribution towards the cost of the school delivering education to your child,” Thwaites said.He was addressing the NCB Employees Co-operative Credit Union’s 2013 Treasure Chest Solid Goal Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) awards ceremony, held at the Hotel Four Seasons in Kingston on Thursday August 7.Thwaites pointed out that while the Government provides $11,500 for every student for tuition, pays all the salaries, and gives various grants to the schools, it costs well over $120,000 for the State and the school to offer a year’s education at the high school level, which varies depending on the school.He said that while schools did better last year than before, “we are still missing about one third of the auxiliary fees that schools expect to collect and must collect in order to meet their regular expenses.”“So, I’m really asking for people to take this even more seriously this year and we ask schools to be considerate, that if it can’t be paid all at one time, to give time to pay. This is an obligation which should be given priority in the household budget,” the education minister emphasised.He urged parents who are having difficulties paying their auxiliary fees at one time, to visit the school and set up a payment system with the Principal or the Bursar and stick to their commitment.“Parents, if you go to a school to set up a payment arrangement, and you are disregarded or you are hassled, you can tell me and tell the Ministry of Education, but parents must pay their child’s auxiliary fee at school or under the payment arrangements that they have agreed with,” Thwaites said.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

View the original article here

Education minister urges parents to pay auxiliary fees

Education Ministry focuses on prevention in addressing teen pregnancies

Latest News

Friday, June 28, 2013 | 9:46 AM

KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Permanent Secretary in the Education Ministry, Elaine Foster Allen, says that focus will be placed on prevention in reducing teen pregnancies in Jamaica.She said that the Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) programme will be bolstered to reflect this focus, with a strong prevention message that seeks to identify and address the factors contributing to teen pregnancy.“It is important that the message is about prevention rather than cure, and that is why we need to strengthen the HFLE programme. We have to make it common sense not to get pregnant as a teenager,” she stated.She was addressing a meeting at the Ministry on Wednesday (June 26)  with the visiting delegation from Burkina Faso, held by the First Lady of the West African country, Her Excellency Chantal Compaoré.The strengthening of the HFLE programme, is one of several strategies being undertaken by the administration as part of its National Policy on Reintegrating School-aged Mothers into the Formal School System. The policy, which becomes effective September this year, aims to ensure that all adolescent mothers are able to complete their formal education.The HFLE aims to mentally and physically prepare the nation’s youth for various changes and challenges they may experience on the journey to adulthood. The programme seeks to aid students in developing the skills required to make healthy life choices and to maintain the behaviours that make for their good health and support a better society.Prevention messages will be integrated in school-based and national Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) and HFLE programmes. Men and boys, who father the children of student mothers will also be targeted through the programmes of the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation (WCJF) and their ongoing partnerships with the security and justice sectors, the Permanent Secretary, said.According to data from the Registrar General’s Department (RGD) approximately 3,000 girls, 17 years and under, account for 18 per cent of all live births per year.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

HOUSE RULES

1. We welcome reader comments on the top stories of the day. Some comments may be republished on the website or in the newspaper – email addresses will not be published.

2. Please understand that comments are moderated and it is not always possible to publish all that have been submitted. We will, however, try to publish comments that are representative of all received.

3. We ask that comments are civil and free of libellous or hateful material. Also please stick to the topic under discussion.

4. Please do not write in block capitals since this makes your comment hard to read.

5. Please don’t use the comments to advertise. However, our advertising department can be more than accommodating if emailed:mailto:advertising@jamaicaobserver.com.

6. If readers wish to report offensive comments, suggest a correction or share a story then please email: community@jamaicaobserver.com.

7. Lastly, read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

comments powered by

View the original article here

Education Ministry focuses on prevention in addressing teen pregnancies