THE subject of civics is to be re-introduced to the school curriculum at the start of the new academic term in September 2012.

This was disclosed by Minister of Education Ronald Thwaites during a statement Tuesday in the House of Representatives.

He said the subject will not just comprise “dry facts” but will be geared towards “emphasising the duties of citizenship”.

Civics was previously taught from grades seven to nine in all-age schools and at first form in high schools. It educates students about citizenship, the structure and governance of the country, and other historical information.

The education minister also said that the ministry will be doing a comprehensive review to the school book list. “Children and parents are taxed to do all kind of book purchases, which very often they never use; we need to review that entirely,” he told the House.

He also said that the ministry will be employing “a new tone” in its dealings with the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA).

 “There are gifted personnel working in the vineyard of education. There is no politics that is going to divide them and we are not going to denounce our teachers. We are setting a new tone with the JTA. We want to talk to them not only about the affairs and salaries of teachers, but we want to talk to them about the philosophy and practice of education because that is their common cause with all of us,” Thwaites noted.

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