Letter of the Day | Make early childhood education a priority

THE EDITOR, Madam:

I strongly believe that we have adequate, competent, credible men and women who can run the administrative functions of this country.

The selected persons, be it in the Upper or Lower House, should concentrate on policy direction and should also have ample time to do their private business. In other words, when they meet, they should be restructuring laws and/or guidelines for the seamless growth and advancement of this country and its people.

For us to achieve these aims and/or objectives, we must make early childhood education a national priority whereby we seek and get help from our neighbour Cuba, which has a very successful early childhood programme that bears a variety of good fruits give it one of the better harvests of this region. This is done by training all early childhood teachers to the level of at least a first degree. No basic school should be manned by only one trained teacher. The student ratio to teacher should not exceed 20 students.

I am sure the private sector will come on board in its fullness to make its contribution, which would enable a transformation that would bring civility to the country. Simultaneously, we need more access to tertiary education. The State has no choice but to initiate this transformation. These places of learning should offer an amalgamated training module in each parish. This would minimise the burdensome cost of boarding and of costly long-distance travelling.

UNDIVIDED ATTENTION

There are many Jamaicans who have qualified themselves – from the instructors, lecturers to the professors, you name it – who would be more than willing to come and assist with the programme to undertake this urgently needed rescue mission to save this country and its people from the fallout that is happening in other places across the world.

This call needs the full and undivided attention of, participation in, and a collective approach by our parliamentarians, the private sector, and those mentioned earlier who live in the diaspora.

HENRY C. MORANT