The Government continued its investment in education, with billions expended for the upgrading and expansion of school plants, and the provision of critical resources to enhance the environment for teaching and learning.
Infrastructure Improvement
• Increased maintenance grant for secondary level schools.
• 269 school canteens upgraded.
• Almost 7,000 pieces of furniture were repaired before the start of the new school year at a cost of $19.65 million.
• Work has started on expansion and upgrading of several schools as part of efforts to eliminate the shift system. The institutions are:
– Cedric Titus High
– Exchange All-Age
– Muschett High
– Albert Town High
– Old Harbour High and
– Friendship Primary
• A $35 million educational assessment and resource centre was built on the grounds of the Church Teachers’ College in Mandeville.
• A fully equipped learning centre valued at $10 million opened at Rock River Primary School in Clarendon.
• Campbell’s Castle Primary School in South Manchester was rebuilt at a cost of more than $51 million.
• A kitchen and canteen valued at $14 million was constructed at the Middleton Primary School in St. Thomas.
• A special education unit was established at Chetolah Park Primary School in Hannah Town, Kingston at a cost of $13 million.
• The National Education Trust (NET), in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan, officially handed over two new classrooms and replaced windows at Fair Prospect Primary School in Eastern Portland, at a cost of approximately $11 million.
• The Western Hospitality Institute in Negril has benefited from grant funding of approximately $10 million (US$85,094.00) from the Government of Japan for the renovation and expansion of the facility.
• A rainwater harvesting system was installed at Iris Gelly Primary School in Kingston by the National Education Trust (NET) through funding under the Japanese Government’s Grant Assistance for Grass- roots Human Security Project.
• A new eLibrary project was launched in partnership with La Sierra University in California, enabling students to access thousands of current textbooks and more than 100 instructional videos, by plugging a free preloaded flash drive into their computers and uploading the software.
Primary Exit Profile (PEP)
• 41,617 primary school students sat the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) exam for the first time.
Curriculum Expansion
• The curricula for community colleges were expanded to incorporate the Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Bachelor of Science in Social Work; Associate of Applied Science in Agro-Processing and Business Management; and Associate of Applied Science in Health and Wellness Tourism.
• The National School-Leaving Certificate Programme (NSLC) was introduced, under which students who successfully complete the secondary education programme will be awarded a certificate.