MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Students from 20 primary and secondary schools benefited from a free Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Primary Exit Profile (PEP) workshop and expo staged by the Scientific Research Council (SRC) at Church Teachers’ College (CTC) recently.

Manager of SRC’s Information Services Division Kerry-Ann Curtis told the Jamaica Observer that SRC had outfitted the college with science-based equipment through an initiative named ‘Improving Innovation Capacities in the Caribbean’ with funding from the European Union (EU).

CTC is one of two colleges that were given equipment to form science centres that students and teachers from neighbouring schools could utilise to conduct hands-on activities .

Curtis said that since the introduction of the PEP exam there has been a decline in the number of students using the facilities.

“We decided to have this [event] to remind the teachers and principals of the schools surrounding the college that this facility is here, and it can assist both primary and secondary level students. Not all primary and secondary schools have a lab, so they can come here and make use of this facility,” said Curtis.

Among the day’s activities were presentations on CSEC Chemistry, Biology and Physics; a practical approach in preparing for PEP; soap-making; tissue culture and science technology engineering and math (STEM) 21st century careers.

“STEM can really help to push an economy or a nation forward because as a country we need to become producers of knowledge and not just consumers… We must focus on how to create systems, products, processes and inventions that the world will use,” said Curtis.

“The SRC, through its education unit, does a series of activities for schools from the primary through to the tertiary level, so we ask that persons who are interested in finding out what activities they can be a part of to e-mail us at ssts.src@gmail.com,” Curtis added.