More education, less politics

Ruel Reid, Guest Columnist

As we embark on our 5oth year of Independence, it provides us with an opportunity to reflect on our educational achievement and political leadership.   Indeed our well-educated have led our political leadership over these years and should have done a better job of economic development.

As an educator, I would love to assist in raising the bar of public discourse and not revel in propaganda and slander.  I have consistently spoken about the bipartisan approach to our educational transformation, and we should welcome any objective criticism.  I have long called for a debate on how to fund our educational transformation agenda.  To that end, if we are going to have a good debate, we must acquire the relevant facts and not wild speculaton. Let us be data driven in our analysis and criticism.

Inaccurate Reports

I, too, have been concerned about the recent inaccurate statements made through the media about infrastructural improvement and construction of new schools across the island.  The allegation that no schools have been built over the last four years is inaccurate in as much as we could not say no schools were built since 1989.

The facts are that over the past four years, 10 new schools have been constructed, each ranging from an average cost of $350-$500 million.  These schools are : Belmont Academy and Mansfield Academy (centres of excellence), Bellefield Primary, Fruitful Vale Primary, Highgate, Arthur Wint, Torrigton, Nain Basic and Resource Centre, St. Francis and Foga Road basic and resource centres.

The construction of cedar Grove High will commence in approximately one month.

The education ministry continues to set the tone with its unwavering focus on improving literacy across the island with its collaboration with the Digicel Foundation.  This successful joint effort has resulted in the establishment of 22 enrichment centres across the island.  The main purpose of this initiative is to ensure that the ministry will achieve 100 per cent literacy and 85 percent numeracy rates in our primary schools by 2015.  

The 22 enrichment centres are Balcombe Drive, Mount Grace, Dallas, Allman and Braeton primary and junior high schools, Boys' town, Chetolah Park Primary, Greenwich all-Age, Gregory Park, Hatfield, Hillside, Homestead, Maxfield Park, McCook, Parottee, Seaforth, Somerset, St Alban's, Trench Town, Whitfield, Galina, Jack's River, Sandy Bank, Hall's Delight and Seaward primary schools and Fruitful Vale, Devon, Westphalia, Tredegar, Whitfield, Bogue and Harry Watch all-age schools.

Currently, construction is ongoing for the Red Hills Primary and Steer Town Academy schools.  The requisite funds have been secured and plans are afoot for the construction of the Mandeville High and Hellshire Primary schools.  Because of circumstances beyond the control of the ministry, there have been delays, bust the plan will not be thwarted because there is an overwhelming need for classroom space in those areas and their surrounding communities.  There has also been significant infrastructural improvement at the Carron Hall, Lewisville and Paul Bogle high schools.

We must continue to hold accountable the government and the Ministry of Education system in Jamaica.

Like the 'No child left behind' policy in the United States, we must uphold and follow the mantra, 'Every Child Can Learn, Every Child Must Learn'. If we achieve this, we will see an educatied Jamaica and hopefully lead to better politics that puts Jamaica first and facilitates our achievement of the vision of developed-country status by 2030.  I am very hopeful that our next 50 years of Independence will be much better if we learn from our mistakes.

Ruel Reid is special adviser to the minister of education.  Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com