KINGSTON, Jamaica – More than 100,000 people will be trained in good parenting by the National Parenting Support Commission this academic year.

This is more than twice the number trained last year, according to Minister of Education and Youth Fayval Williams.

She was speaking during Wednesday’s post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.

“During the last post-Cabinet press briefing, I informed the nation that during the last school year across the education sector, with the leadership of the Division of School Services and the National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC), we trained over 41,000 parents in good parenting. For this new school year, the NPSC will lead the training of [more than] 100,000 parents under the Citizens’ Security Programme Indicator II,” the minister said.

Williams pointed out that for the 2023/24 academic year, there are great expectations for better working relationships between parents and their children, and they and the youngsters’ schools.

She said the NPSC is collaborating with ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), and community organisations to achieve this year’s ambitious target, while noting that several strategies have already been laid out and that the work is beginning.

“There are going to be parent mentors, our parent places will be very busy across the island, [and] we will have roving parent places as well. Our guidance counsellors in our schools will continue to be activated to help with the parenting support programmes and, of course, the social workers from the NPSC will all be on board,” Williams said.

In addition, there will be the continued use of technology to increase and maintain parental involvement, through the ministry’s ‘Stay Connect’ programme.

“Nothing [of] this magnitude has been tried before. We are committed. We are seeing the impact already from the 41,000 parents who have been trained [and] we are very excited about this programme,” Williams stated.

– JIS