17 early-childhood institutions get certificate of registration

After years of trying to fulfil certain requirements, 17 of Jamaica's approximately 2,700 early-childhood institutions received their certificate of registration on Thursday at a ceremony at Riu Hotel in Mammee Bay, St Ann.

Seven of the schools are in St James, six in St Andrew, two in Westmoreland, and one each in Hanover and St Ann.

Floyd Green, state minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, said only the early-childhood sector is required to meet specific standards, noting that it is time to extend these requirements across the education system.

"I know that when the standards came out, people said we'll never be able to reach these standards, that some of the requirements are unreasonable. It is supposed to be difficult because you are treating with the most vulnerable among our children," Green said.

Persons working in the early-childhood sector are required to submit a police record, among other things.