The newly reinstated SSL Foundation has launched a long-term project called Math Matters — designed to increase the level of education of future generations.

The SSL Foundation is focused on enhancing the quality of life of the youth via empowerment through education, and has now officially implemented Math Matters, a math enrichment programme in alignment with the Ministry of Education’s mandate to increase numeracy levels in the country, according to a recent company news release.

The Foundation has adopted its first primary school, the Maxfield Park Primary. The school, located off Maxfield Avenue in Kingston, has students who face a great deal of adversity, the release noted. Some of them are exposed to issues including violence and poverty. Given their circumstances and the lack of resources at the school, learning is often difficult. The Maxfield Park Primary School has one of the lowest numeracy rates in Kingston & St Andrew. In 2015, they had a math mastery rate of 17 per cent at the grade four level and 10 per cent at the grade five level.

Through Math Matters, the SSL Foundation has signed a five year sponsorship contract with the school, and aims to increase their math mastery rate to 85 per cent over a five-year period.

“This is the first of many schools to be adopted. We hope to grow the foundation through partnerships so that we are able to adopt more schools in need of help with their numeracy rates. The underlying problem with numeracy in Jamaica is a very frightening one as Math is a fundamental subject. Students need to fully grasp this subject in order to function effectively in life after school”, said Renee Barnett, SSL Foundation Coordinator.

“We definitely want our children to be on that path to success and math is definitely one of those fundamental skills necessary to achieve this,” said Judine Johnson, SSL Foundation Coordinator.

“We can guarantee that the children at this school will benefit tremendously from this bold partnership. The tools and equipment that you will provide will help us immensely to increase our performance in numeracy, and within a short time frame we will be meeting the regional and national targets established by the Ministry of Education,” said Beverly Gallimore-Vernon, principal of the Maxfield Park Primary School.

Anyone interested in donating towards this initiative can contact the SSL Foundation at sslfoundation@sslinvest.com or 929-3400.