Education System in Jamaica West Indies.

BY: Shereen MooreDepartment of Communication

Department of Sociology Eastern Connecticut State University

March 21, 2013

This presentation will discuss the research found on the background, accomplishments, obstacles and forthcomings for Jamaica and their educational systems.

While focusing mainly on the education systems I will attempt to give you a little piece of Jamaica.

Introduction

Jamaica, the third largest of the Caribbean Island is situated 144kilometer south of Cuba as well as 600 kilometers south of Florida.

The island - discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1494 - was settled by the Spanish early in the 16th century. The native Taino Indians, who had inhabited Jamaica for centuries, were gradually exterminated and replaced by African slaves.

England seized the island in 1655 and established a plantation economy based on sugar, cocoa, and coffee. The abolition of slavery in 1834 freed a quarter million slaves, many of whom became small farmers.

Jamaica gradually increased its independence from Britain. Jamaica gained full independence when it withdrew from the

Federation in August 6th 1962. Jamaica’s population of 2,889,187

(July 2012 est.)

Background Check

the curriculum in Jamaica's schools mirrored that of schools in Great Britain.

Curricular development since then has focused on fashioning a better fit between the educational system and the development needs of the ex-colony.

One criticism of the system was that it seemed that education at each level was primarily geared to preparing students for entry to the next level; that is considered useful or relevant of curriculum.

Many of the earlier reforms in curriculum content were directed toward doing such things as making primary school education clearly useful in itself and not simply a means to getting into secondary school.

Curriculum

A major part of curricular reform since the 1990s has been related to the provision of textbooks. Textbooks are the main teaching materials used in the schools, and until recently most of these texts were produced in other countries, primarily Great Britain and North America. This presented a number of problems. 1. The first is that these texts were written from the perspective of the

highly industrialized societies that produced them and did not reflect many aspects of the life and values of Jamaicans or West Indians.

2. Another factor was cost. As the value of the Jamaican Dollar declined in relation to U.S. and Canadian Dollars and the British Pound, obtaining textbooks put quite a strain on government foreign currency reserves.

3. Parents were required to buy these expensive textbooks for their children, many children ended up without textbooks.

4. This resulted in a decline in children's performance and achievement in school, an increase in absentee and dropout rates, and a decline in literacy.

…

Elementary (primary) education is offered both in elementary schools (grades I-6th) and in all-age schools (grades I-9). Most all-age schools will be converted to elementary schools or elementary and junior secondary schools.

AGE OF ADMISSION :Age 6 LENGTH: Six years PROGRAMME OF STUDY:

The following courses form the basis of the elementary curriculum which has been in effect since 1981:

Arts and Crafts, Language Arts, Mathematics, Music, Physical Education, Religious Education, Science, Social StudiesIn addition, students take coursework in peace education, cultural and heritage issues, family education, drug abuse awareness, environmental issues, science and technology, and tourism.

ASSESSMENT AND PROMOTION

Students are continuously assessed through coursework, class participation, projects and examinations. A Common Entrance Examination is given at the end of grade 6 which forms the basis of selection for secondary education.

Elementary Education

Secondary education consists of two cycles: the first three-year cycle (grades 7-9), and the second two-year cycle (grades 10 and 11). Some secondary schools offer two additional years (“sixth form,” grades 12 and 13). All schools offer general and vocational education, with some schools specializing in technical education.

AGE OF ADMISSION: Age 12 LENGTH: Five to seven years; varies depending on the institution attended PROGRAMME OF STUDY English language, English literature, Mathematics, Integrated Science,

Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Agricultural Science, Spanish, French, History, Geography, Economics, Bible Knowledge, Art, Technical Drawing, Computer Studies etc.

ASSESSMENT AND PROMOTION Students are continuously assessed through coursework, projects, and

examinations. Students sit for examinations at the ends of grades 10 (Jamaica School Certificate), 11 (Caribbean Examinations Council Secondary Education Certificate or Secondary School Certificate), and 13 (General Certificate of Education, Advanced Level).

Secondary Education

Vocational/Technical education is offered in technical secondary schools. Programs are four years in duration -- the first two years general in nature, with specialization occurring in grades 10 and 11. Admission is normally based on the Common Entrance Examination, however some students choose to transfer from academic secondary programs. A variety of courses are offered including part-time or courses leading the General Certificate of Education, Royal Society of Arts, City and Guilds of London, or Pitman qualifications. In addition to secondary level vocational/technical programs there are other short term vocational programs designed to provide training for entry into the workforce.

AGE OF ADMISSION: Age 12 LENGTH: Four years PROGRAMME OF STUDY: Programs vary depending on the specialization undertaken. Syllabi are available and

can be requested if necessary. ASSESSMENT AND PROMOTION: Students are continuously assessed through coursework, required projects and

examinations. GRADING SCALE: The grading scale used depends on program undertaken.

Vocational / Technical Education

Education at the Collegiate level is mainly offered by community colleges, teacher colleges, the University of Technology, and the University of the West Indies.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS: There are two levels of admission to first degree courses: students with the

Caribbean Examinations Council Secondary Education Certificate or the General Certificate of Education, Ordinary level take a preliminary year’s study. Direct entry to degree programs is based on the General Certificate of Education, Advanced Level.

PROGRAMME OF STUDY: Associate degree usually take two years’ duration beyond the Caribbean

Examinations Council Secondary Education Certificate. They represent two years of a four-year degree program; some universities accept an associate degree for admission to a bachelor’s degree program, while others will regard the credential as the first year of a three-year bachelor’s degree program.

- Bachelor’s degrees normally take three years of study to complete; master’s degrees normally take one to two years beyond the bachelor’s, depending on the program; doctoral degrees normally take at least three years in addition to achieving the master’s degree. Higher certificates and diploma courses are also available.

Higher Education

The government defines special education programs as those programs “designed to meet the educational needs of children (4-18 years) who are identified as having mental, physical, and intellectual capabilities which deviate significantly from the norm expected of their age cohort”(Ministry of Education and Culture 2001).

In 2000 there were 2,200 students aged four through eighteen and a little over 300 special education teachers in government-run and government-aided special schools and units. About 300 learning disabled, hearing impaired, and other disabled students are in privately run schools.

Prior to the 1970s Jamaica's capabilities to identify and manage learning disabilities in children was very limited.

The educational system as a whole was also unable to deal with the special education needs of physically and mentally exceptional children. Most special education services were provided by voluntary organizations until the government in 1974 took financial responsibility for the care of exceptional children.

Now these children have access to special education programs in many government schools, often aided greatly by the activities and support of a number of voluntary agencies.

Special Education

Norman Manley High School in KingstonMontego Bay High School is not only one of the two all-girls secondary school in Montego Bay, it is THE high school of Montego Bay - and St. James.

Ways that are helping society and improving

schools in J.A.

Students are the most important stakeholders. They deliver messages to parents who have a hard time understanding the system of education but will like their children to attend.

Acquiring good study skills is very important in helping you to make the best use of your time, find information expeditiously and improve your learning. Here are some tips to guide you in improving your study skills.

STUDY SKILLS

Completing your homework is one of the best ways to gain more knowledge of what is being done at school, bond with your family, develop independent learning skills and improve your time management skills.

It is important that you exercise good homework strategies if you want to succeed at school.

GOOD HOMEWORK STRATEGIES

The following are Scholarships/Awards that will be administered by the Collegiate Unit of the Ministry of Education for the 2013/14 academic year.-- The Awards are offered to Teachers/Students desirous of pursuing higher education.

Emancipation Post Graduate Scholarship Emancipation Scholarships General Teachers' Scholarship Jamaica Technical High School Scholarship Mathematics / Science with Education Scholarship Scholarships Bulletin The Annual Jamaica Scholarships and the Grace Kennedy Scholarships The Diploma in Education Scholarship The Elias A Issa Scholarship Information The Elias A. Issa Scholarship The Leila Neysmith Folkes Memorial Bursary Application Form University of Technology Scholarship

Scholarships

The development of a policy in 2009 to tackle illiteracy at the basic level; the setting of the national literacy target of 100 per cent literacy by 2015; the implementation of the national literacy program for grades 1-3 and 4-6; and the recruitment of a national literacy coordinator and literacy specialists.

The Ministry of Education has designed and implemented a school accountability matrix (SAM)

The purpose of the matrix is to help schools set targets and monitor their progress towards achieving the national target. Equally important, it is also intended to signal that the success or failure of our students is a shared responsibility, hence, we all have to be held accountable for the timely, effective, and efficient implementation of SAM.

Improving Education Systems

The University College of the West Indies, now the University of the West Indies (UWI), founded in 1948, broke its ties with London University and became a degree-granting institution in its own right in 1962. The College of Arts, Science and Technology (C.A.S.T.), now the University of Technology (UTech), was founded in 1958.

It also played a key role in workforce training in the early years of Jamaica's fledgling independent existence.

Education Minister Edwin Allen, wants to expand access to primary and secondary education across the island for all classes of citizens. He announced a New Deal in Education, a school-building program, which received some assistance from the World Bank.

New Deal in Education

Dr Tony Sewell says the Ministry of Education needs to give principals, educators and administrators of schools more power over the operation and control of the island's schools.

According to Dr Sewell, . . . who has just completed an inquiry into the future of London's education system for London's mayor Boris Johnson, principals and educators have been brainwashed to turn to the ministry for instructions on numerous levels of decision making, and it is for this reason that many local schools have failed.

"We have a system where the ministry is the demand and control centre. This is not going to work in a modern country. If we are going to have a good education system, we have to move. We've got to move to a situation where schools are autonomous," Dr Sewell said.

According to Dr Sewell, who was once a teacher in the Caribbean, the level of authority given to educators beyond the level of ministry officials is not enough. It is for this reason that many teachers are laid back in the classrooms and not highly concerned about the performance of their students, he said.

With more power given to principals, educators and administrators of schools, he is of the view that they will then be held responsible for the accountability of resources, discipline of students and students' performance, develop better leadership skills, and in the long run, operate schools more efficiently. These, he said, are values needed for the presentation of the country.

Education consultant

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130108/lead/lead9.html

Published: Tuesday | January 8, 2013. “Meeting the labour needs in 50 years” www.moec.gov.jm/ http://

jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20121223/lead/lead7.html

Published: Sunday | December 23, 2012. “THE NEXT 50 YEARS - Improving our education system a must.”http://

m.jamaicaobserver.com/mobile/career/How-to-fix-Jamaica-s-education-system_13417043

Sunday, February 10, 2013 Lawal, B.O. (2004). Comparative Education. Osogbo, Swift

Publishers Nig. Ltd

Bibliography

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20100326/letters/letters5.htmlPublished: Friday | March 26, 2010

http://www.my-island-jamaica.com/montego-bay-high-school-the-beacon-of-st-james-jamaica.html

Published: November (2010) Lockheed, M. E., & Harris, A. M. (2005). Beneath Education

Production Functions: The Case of Primary Education in Jamaica. Peabody Journal Of Education (0161956X), 80(1), 6-28.

George, N., Craven, M., Williams-Myers, C., & Bonnick, P. (2003). Using Action Research to Enhance Teaching and Learning at the University of Technology, Jamaica. Assessment & Evaluation In Higher Education, 28(3), 239.

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/jm.html

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