TEACHERS in the early childhood sector will be receiving a 15 per cent increase in allowance in two tranches this financial year.

Portfolio Minister Ronald Thwaites made the announcement in the 2015/16 Sectoral Debate in Parliament last Wednesday, where he pointed out that an increase of a similar amount was effected last year.

Sticking to the format of sectoral debates, Thwaites presented a string of tasks his ministry achieved in the past year, as well as the targets set for this year. The accomplishments included having trained teachers in the early childhood system, implementing programmes for special needs children, and improving the school-feeding programme.

More than 200 basic schools have been integrated into infant departments in primary schools, and another 250 “inadequate” basic schools will soon follow suit, Thwaites said.

“We have met last year’s target of hiring 200 early childhood trained teachers through JEEP (Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme), providing 480 basic schools with access to trained teachers. An additional 400 basic schools are projected to be so supplied for the 2015-2016 school year,” he added.

“We are also on track to meet the target of providing breakfast to 138,000 children. As of December 2014, we have been providing 126,000 children at the early childhood level with breakfast and lunch,” the Minister noted. He pointed out that the breakfast and lunch project is set to cost $2.2 billion.

Thwaites told the House that 20 per cent of the school-feeding budget will be spent on locally grown fruits, vegetables, tubers, eggs and other proteins, with an intention to increase that to 50 per cent over a three-year period.

Children with special needs, which the Minister said number some 7,628 in 302 primary schools, will be in for intensified focus.

“In this regard, we have established a diagnostic and therapy clinic for pre-school children at the Voluntary Organisation for the Upliftment of Children, in conjunction with the Jamaica Teachers’ Association, the Rotary Club and other partners,” Thwaites said.

Similar diagnostic facilities will be established in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, Port Antonio, Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College in St James, and Church Teachers’ College in Mandeville, Manchester.

Other support for special needs students, the Minister said, will include additional training of 250 special education teachers to better equip them to support students in need.

“All trainee teachers now receive special education training, without which they must not be certified,” he emphasised.