IN a ceremony held at The Mico University College recently, student-teachers and lecturers witnessed the launch of the Commonwealth Association of Science, Technology and Mathematics Educators (CASTME).

Headquartered in London, CASTME has regional branches in Africa, Asia and Europe and is designed to cultivate links among science, technology and mathematics educators across the Commonwealth. Its main objectives include enhancing the teaching and learning of science, technology and mathematics, and encouraging the teaching of the three areas in an increasingly integrated way.

Ruel Reid, principal of Jamaica College and special advisor to the Ministry of Education, said the launch of CASTME in Jamaica was timely, as the country was at a critical juncture in transforming its education system.

“It is a time when our country recognises that the solution to the problem of economic development lies within the creation of human and social capital,” said Reid, who was the keynote speaker at the launch.

Development, he added, cannot be viewed solely in economic terms and pointed to the numerous “experiments and strategies” that have been used in Jamaica with limited success over the years. They include, Reid said, devaluation and revaluation of the local currency as well as liberalisation of the economy.

“After all of this, there is still the feeling that development is a dream or hope,” he said, while predicting that such efforts would continue to reap little dividends if Jamaicans are not educated to compete in the globalised economy.

The prevailing global realities, Reid maintained, require not only knowledge-intensive industries, but also the capacity of labour to use brainpower to produce economic benefits.

“It is about developing an enquiring eye, recognising that knowledge is fluid,” he posited.

In lauding The Mico for accommodating the launch of CASTME, Reid said that it would help to focus Jamaica and its Commonwealth partners in the right direction. At the same time, he pointed to the school of thought which holds that the knowledge-based economy should be centred on the use and adoption of new scientific and technological developments; investments in education and research; the adoption of best practices; and openness to cultural, social and economic innovations.

According to Reid, the shift towards an increasingly knowledge-driven economy can be achieved, though it may appear daunting in light of Jamaica’s current economic and social woes, including a high debt to GDP ratio, high levels of crime and violence and a decreasing national income.

Singapore and others, he said, have done it.

“The key elements of Singapore’s success were zero tolerance on crime, extremely strong emphasis on education and improving human capital, as well as an insistence that English be the standard language of the country,” Reid noted.

“Although the process is long, remember that economic development is not a sprint, but rather a marathon,” he added.

Head of the Department of Natural Sciences at The Mico Dr Albert Benjamin, for his part, said Jamaica was now entering the world championships of education. With the launch of CASTME, he said many benefits would be derived from being a part of a wider network with other educators in the area of science, technology and mathematics.