KINGSTON, Jamaica — Opposition Spokesperson on Education, Dr Angela Brown Burke, is again calling for national collaboration with all education stakeholders given the challenges faced by parents and students over the past several months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a release today, Brown Burke said she was heartened by the minister of education’s announcement that summer school will be voluntary for students, adding that it was the only sensible decision.

Nothing that there are enough examples of institutions that are doing well, and from which struggling schools can learn, the Opposition spokesperson said the minister must quickly engage educators who have a good understanding of the depth and complexity of the issues facing the education system to help craft solutions.

The shadow minister further urged Education Minister, Fayval Williams to provide the country with an indication of the initial budgetary support that will be provided to help principals and administrators prepare for the new school year.

She highlighted the need to pay greater attention to the early childhood and special education sectors and implored the minister to build a national consensus around a retention and remediation programme for children who have fallen way behind in the development of their literacy and numeracy skills.

“Our children need to learn to read so that they can then read to learn and access all areas of the curriculum,” Brown Burke said.