Having committed to build 50 basic schools for Jamaica as a Jamaica 50 gift, Food for the Poor has told the government they want to build more of those facilities for the nation’s children.
“They promised us 50 infant schools in five years as an independence gift and they have done 49 in two and a half years. They have asked if they could do more because there is so much interest by people abroad in early childhood education,” said Education Minister Ronald Thwaites.
There are approximately 2,600 early childhood institutions on the island and Thwaites said only 1,000 have the resources to support themselves.
He said that the others have been operating on fees from parents and the benevolence of others.
Thwaites said 200 substandard early childhood institutions were last year merged with infant departments in primary schools.
He said a further 156 schools have been identified for merging, and that the ministry is targeting 300 schools this year.
There are over 220 primary schools with less than 100 students and that the average size of a primary school is 260.
“The plan is to merge as many of these institutions so that we can offer quality teachers to those children,” the minister said.
Only 30 per cent of early childhood education teachers have any training.
“We need to consolidate our early childhood institutions into centres of excellence,” the minister said.
He said 30 per cent of students from early childhood institutions are deemed not ready for primary education every year.
Loop News Service
http://loopjamaica.com/2014/12/12/latest-jamaica-news-community-food-for-the-poor-wants-to-build-more-basic-schools/
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