KINGSTON, Jamaica – A study tour of science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics (STEAM) academies in the United Kingdom by a delegation from the Ministry of Education and Youth and the National Education Trust (NET) was conducted recently.

The tour was done in partnership with the British Council as part of the Ministry’s efforts to establish Jamaica’s first STEAM Academy.

Executive Director of NET, Latoya Harris-Ghartey, said the exercise provided useful insights into “their teaching and learning process to influence what we do here [in Jamaica]”.

She said already, legal consultants are engaged to help “frame out the operation of these schools,” and further details on the management and operation of the STEAM schools will be “fine-tuned in the upcoming fiscal year”.

“In terms of capacity-building, we actually have on the table, through our partnership with the British Council, a policy concept paper, and that is guiding our way forward and will act like a baseline to monitor, grow and shape the ecosystem for STEAM education in Jamaica,” Harris-Ghartey explained.

She pointed out that the Jamaica Teaching Council will also be working alongside the Ministry to assist with the training of teachers and capacity-building for STEAM training in the wider sector.