MOE extends helping hand through QEC outreach

WESTERN BUREAU:

STAKEHOLDERS IN the Ministry of Education continue to work outside the classrooms in facilitating the learning and overall growth of students in sections of Montego Bay.

Their latest effort was carried out by administrators and conveners from Region Four, through its Quality Educator Circle (QEC) 29-32 outreach programme, which saw more than 25 families being gifted care packages for Christmas.

Dr Loraine Moodie-Reid, principal of Albion Primary and Junior High School and principal director for QEC 29-32, said her team of administrators and conveners understands the needs of students and are partnering with parents to facilitate them in the best ways to develop the students as rounded individuals.

“The QEC is designed to ensure that we give support to all our stakeholders. It is a tripartite agreement – school, home and the community – working together,” Moodie-Reid informed. “And so, outside of focusing on the curriculum, we want to ensure that we focus on the whole child, that has to do with his/her physical, emotional and spiritual needs.”

Unspeakable joy

The ministry’s QEC 29-32 has 17 schools – two infant, 10 primary and five high – spread across the St James Central and North Western constituencies.

Educator and convenor Shamara Brissett shared that the outreach project has seen the Ministry of Education partnering with the 17 principals in the circle to ensure that their students are wholesome.

“We support our principals in ensuring that our students are wholesome, where we pool our resources and treat our less fortunate students,” Brissett said.

For Rosalee Keane, mother of Stephone Duhaney, it was a moment of unspeakable joy to see her son, a grade eight student at Green Pond High, being presented with a tablet after the mobile phone he had been using to access online classes stopped working.

Keane said the phone just stopped working at the time when her son needed it most, but was now happy that he will be in a better position to do his schoolwork come January.

“The phone my son was using for online classes stopped working, so he didn’t get to do his end-of-year exams. He is disappointed and I feel very bad about it,” said Keane.

Stacy-Ann Elliot, whose child attends Flankers Primary and Infant School, expressed appreciation to Dr Michelle Pinnock and her team of innovators at the Ministry of Education, principals and convenor of the QEC 29-32 outreach programme.

She said receiving a care package days before Christmas was a blessing to her family because she had nothing and did not know how she was going to provide Christmas dinner.

“This morning by the time I reached downtown, my principal called me and told me to come for a care package and I said ‘look at that, I had nothing to eat and now I have something, even salt fish, as expensive as it is. I am very grateful,” Elliot told The Gleaner after collecting her package at Mount Alvernia High School on Tuesday, December 21.

“I am feeling blessed because Sunday was my birthday and I didn’t get anything. Not even as much as a soda and this morning, I got up feeling happy,” she beamed.