Early Childhood Education In Jamaica

Billions needed for state-controlled early-childhood education

Education Minister Andrew Holness says an additional $7 billion is needed in the education budget for the Government to take full control of early-childhood education.

Holness said under the Charter of Rights, which is soon to receive the governor general's assent, the Government will be obligated to ensure that all Jamaican citizens can have access to early-childhood education.

Holness was speaking at a Jamaica Teachers' Association Talking Education function on current issues in the sector.

Holness said the Government provides a subsidy of approximately $2.2 billion to the basic schools but it would cost the Government $7 billion more if it was to absorb the unsubsidised cost of basic schools, which would see students going to the schools without being asked to pay a fee.

"That is the cost of providing this service tuition-free. It is clearly a fiscal challenge. The question is, where is that money going to come from. I can't answer that and that is why it is a big issue," he said.

Some 2,700 early-childhood institutions are run by churches, trusts or community-based organisations and another 200 private institutions are run for profit.

National consensus

Holness further called for a national consensus in order to develop the education sector.

Alluding to continuing improvement in mathematics at the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), Holness said it was an area where national consensus is yielding significant returns for the country.

"The improvement that is now becoming a trend in mathematics at the GSAT level is as a result of the continuation of a policy started under the previous administration as it relates to improving pedagogy and teaching mathematics under transformation," he said.

The country has seen a five percentage point increase in mathematics grades in the GSAT.

In the meantime, Edward Seaga, chancellor of the University of Technology, reiterated his call for more attention to paid to improving the standard of the student at an early stage.

He said the problem in the education sector must not be corrected at the middle or the top but instead from the bottom.

Seaga had said at recent Gleaner Editors' Forum that the education ministry should start the reform of the education system with the first two years of primary school.

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Mrs. Lorna Golding (seated) is greeted by First Lady of Nigeria, Madam Patience Johnathan at the First Ladies Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Mrs. Golding was one of 20 ladies, and the only one from the Caribbean, attending the two-day summit which ended on October 13. The summit provided the opportunity for first ladies to discuss the impact they have had on issues which advance the causes of women and children. Mrs. Golding has used her position as the wife of Jamaica's Prime Minister to look at the area of early childhood education and is currently a student reading for a degree in this area. Mrs. Golding (2nd left) posing with members of the delegation attending the Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia First Ladies Summit. She is the sole representative from the Caribbean at the First Ladies summit which ran from Oct 11-13. The summit was held under the theme "A Child Today, A Leader Tomorrow." As wife of Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Mrs. Golding continues to use her position to champion the causes of education for young children through her Chairmanship of the Jamaica Early Childhood Development Foundation.

Early childhood education in Jamaica, a Project monograph

Early child development from measurement to action, a priority for growth and equity

Commonwealth Education Partnerships

Early childhood education in Nigeria, proceedings of the International Seminar on Early Childhood Education, Zaria, 4-8 July, 1983

Early education and care, and reconceptualizing play