Parents urged to embrace technical, vocational training for their children
Published:Saturday | January 20, 2024 | 12:09 AMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Education Minister Fayval Williams has called for the nation’s parents to commence the process of transforming their mindset away from stigmatising technical and vocational training (TVET).
Williams, who made the call while speaking during the road segment of the Ministry of Education and Youth’s school tour initiative at the Anchovy High School, said TVET is trending globally. The school tour forms part of the ministry’s rollout of its Transforming Education for National Development (TREND) programme.
In introducing students to TREND at Anchovy High and other visiting schools from the ministry’s region four, Williams shared that individuals trained and certified in technical and vocational skills are in high demand globally as she encouraged students and their parents to embrace TVET.
“I know here at Anchovy High School that you are big on TVET and we want to make sure you have the most modern TVET labs. Not just your school but all our high schools across Jamaica because TVET is big on our agenda,” Williams said as she pressed home the importance of transforming the country’s education sector.
“We want to change the mindset of our parents about TVET,” the education minister said, noting that too often parents discourage children from advancing in technical skills training.
“I know when you go to your parents and say you want to do motor vehicle repairs, or plumbing, at lot of times parents will discourage you because they think it’s only students who are not (academically) successful go the TVET route. But I am here to tell you, that is not so,” she insisted.
“When we look across the world at other education systems, they are big in TVET – therefore, we want to teach the engineering in the high schools.”
Further, she encouraged students at the 51-year-old institution to continue to feel very positive about their school and about the fact that this is a star TVET school.
“And so we are not here to make empty promises, we are here because we are committed, and we have a plan,” Williams noted.
Meanwhile, Dr Michelle Walden-Pinnock, director at the education ministry’s region four, said the success of the TREND initiative is largely stakeholder driven.
‘Get off the sideline’
She said the aim of transforming the education sector is to ensure that students are future ready.
“Colleagues, as we get off the sideline and immerse ourselves in the TREND initiative, region four holds tight to data-driven decision-making and true collaboration seen here by the presence of the wide cross section of schools and students,” Walden-Pinnock observed.
“All the success of the TREND relies not only on the policies and the programmes, but on the dedication and passion of all our valued stakeholders,” she stated.
Walden-Pinnock noted that teachers are the driving force behind the transformative educational initiative and that their role in shaping the minds of the youth cannot be overstated.
The TREND school campaign rolled on to the Anchovy High School compound where host and visiting students from several other schools in the region, including Hopewell High, Maldon High School Corinaldie Avenue Primary School and Bethel Primary School, were all trending as Jennifer ‘Jenny Jenny’ Small engaged them in a series of trending dances, skits and other TVET-infused activities.