Holness promises 100% literacy in tough West Central St Andrew

BY LUKE DOUGLAS Observer writer editorial@jamaicaobserver.com

Saturday, April 03, 2010

EDUCATION Minister Andrew Holness has vowed to ensure that primary schools in his West Central St Andrew constituency turn out 100 per cent literate students in five years.

Holness, acknowledging that members of Parliament for inner-city communities had failed their youth in the past, said violent crime was the biggest factor preventing Jamaica's school children from performing well, and that he was prepared to break the cycle of poverty by educating the next generation.

Speaking at a literacy fair at the Seaward Primary and Junior High School in Olympic Gardens, a tough community in his West Central St Andrew constituency, Holness said young people, aged 16 to 24, were responsible for the ongoing gang warfare in communities which kept schools unsettled and unsafe.

"During class gunmen were firing shots wildly, running onto the school compound. Children were going home in fear that they could be shot," Holness said a principal of a school in his constituency told him.

Children "have to hide under their beds at night. They have to turn off their lights because they don't want anyone to know that they are there", Holness said. "Many young girls are afraid that some thug on the corner would call them and ask they to do things that they don't want to do," he added.

The minister challenged the teachers to "make contact with the parents and the community leaders to let them understand that the only way that we are going to break the cycle of poverty is if the current generation of youngsters -- those who are out there firing the guns -- that they need to give the generation coming after them a chance to acquire something else, other than a gun."

"We are not going to break (the cycle of poverty) by hugging up criminals and gunmen, even if they are our supporters. We need to let them know that what they are doing is wrong; that they are strangling our communities, that they preventing our youngsters from learning," Holness said.

"Granted, they will say to the politicians 'that's the only opportunity you gave us'. Well, I'm saying to them, I'm giving these youngsters at Seaward an alternative to a life crime," he added.

The occasion also marked the handover of 10 computers for the school's library, a donation made through the non-government organisation Teens for Technology. Eight of the computers were donated by the New Kingston-based Spanish Court Hotel, and the other two, along with an electronic whiteboard, were from Holness' Constituency Development Fund.

He also congratulated Seaward's principal Arlene Thomas for being the first in his constituency to prepare a development plan for her school to move its grade four literacy rate from its present 45 per cent mastery to 55 per cent in one year.

The education minister noted that literacy levels of most schools in West Central St Andrew were between 40 and 50 per cent, well below the national average of 67 per cent.

"I am not pleased. I can't be the minister of education and my schools are performing below average," he said, while pledging to produce 100 per cent literacy in the schools by 2015.

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COMMENTS (9)

Marlon Gillette
4/4/2010

Gentlemen,
this is a start, now let us see what are your peripheral plans are that will increase the "functional" literacy rate over the next fie years. it is all good and well that five years from now you would have double the amount of children that can "read"...... but I am a strong proponent of functional literacy, and Jamaica have a whole heap of dunce people that can read......

george watson
4/4/2010

Typical of this government,promising the moon and delivering nothing. Isn't the minister aware that promises like these cannot be made when there are so many variables over which he has no control. In oher words you cannot effectively own the project, if there are inputs from other people. I will bet that the minister's promise, like all others of this present government turn to ashes. Well of course he can always blame the teachers. This government is also noted for the BLAME GAME.

Wayne Campbell
4/3/2010

Until we tackle the monster of crime,,nothing else will be accomplished! It is as simply as that...If our students and teachers are afraid of going to school,,,if criminals can force schools to close early or not open any at all ,how will this 100 percent literacy rate be achieved? Dont you see a co-relation between the two.

N Manley Blythe
4/3/2010

I commend you for your good intentions Mr Holness. I commend you for speaking out boldly on behalf of our youth and the community in general, and against "criminals" and gun-idiots. Also, please put it on your schedule to visit a school at least once per month. This will send a very strong message. I commend you.

Vul C
4/3/2010

There are very few "schools" in Jamaica, most of the buildings designated for that purpose are just day care centres for children and teenagers, a holding area, so to speak until school bell rings. Very little happens in terms of real education occurs within those walls as most of the teachers have given up or are not qualified to employ different strategies and the students, while most of them eager to learn, become easily distracted by the proliferation of what is popular culture at the time or have obstructions to learning coming from a big rip in the social fabric pravalent at home or within their various communities. Mr. Holness Sir; literacy is not very popular these days as our young people have too many alteranatives to 'bussin big' in life, none of which are taught in school. Kudos to you and your bold aim, I sincerely hope you are able to pull it off and please pass on the blueprint to the rest of the country!!!

Leanora Holland
4/3/2010

This is an example of how politicians have made promises especially to poor people when they know that they cannot deliver. Is this a good thing? Absolutely! But even Mr. Hollness knows that it can never happen. Not even industrialized countries like US, France, Germany have 100% literacy. If Mr. Hollness is serious, he can reduce the level in Jamaica, but 100%? Never happen.

carl williams
4/3/2010

how about 100% crime and gun free first..100% literacy is a pipe dream..it will never happen whilst man an man rinse their machine..would you send your child to school when tower hill and mall road start shooting? oh, i forget, you adn your kids dont live in tower hill..

Anthony II
4/3/2010

Re: "We are not going to break (the cycle of poverty) by hugging up criminals and gunmen, even if they are our supporters. We need to let them know that what they are doing is wrong; that they are strangling our communities, that they preventing our youngsters from learning."
.
You also have to let the residents know that they are strangling their communities by consorting with criminals. Also, you have to punish criminals who stifle our kids. Killing a child should attract life in prison without parole. Also, in Jamaica, we seem to have this idea that we can appeal to criminals, and to their "conscience" and "reason" with them, and get rational action from them, and ask them to give the youngsters a chance! Criminals are not angels; there is a reason they are criminals, and one reason is their inability to appreciate social norms.
.
You cannot "reason" with criminal. You need to take action against them.

john public
4/3/2010

Mr Holness, thats a nice sounding strategic plan, but you are putting the cart before the horse, how sir, are we going to meet that objective? there is no insentive for those parents to send there kids to school..the cost is often too high for those low income families...here's an idea..how about eliminating the cost associated with sending a child to school from the parents..and provide the options of getting the kids to school, lunch and these use of school ID instead of uniforms...focus on getting the kids through the school gate..then you focus on literacy...

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Holness promises 100% literacy in tough West Central St Andrew