TWENTY-FIVE thousand students across a total 34 primary and high schools located in communities which have been designated as zones of special operations (ZOSOs) over the years will feel the direct impact of the £15-million or $2.9-billion UK/Jamaica Violence Prevention Partnership Programme, launched Tuesday.

The initiative, for which the Jamaican and UK governments signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in April, is to last more than six years and is aimed at developing more effective responses to the underlying causes of violent crimes by engaging in grassroots community activities and educational institutions.

Speaking at the launch of the programme at the Edward Seaga Primary School in downtown Kingston on Tuesday, chief technical director in the Ministry of National Security Shauna Trowers said it represented the culmination of a continued partnership between Jamaica and the United Kingdom dating several years back and a May 2023 agreement. That agreement provided for a partnership in the ZOSOs in the Kingston Metropolitan Area to include: Denham Town, August Town, Parade Gardens, Greenwich Farm; St James to include: Mount Salem and Norwood and also Westmoreland.

“The aim is to, among other things, strengthen the national capability to not only collect data but to assess the drivers of crime and violence,” she said, noting that the programme will also support the prevention efforts of civil society and community groups.

“We are doing this through the schools because we recognise that there is a part of violence prevention that we need to stem it at,” Trowers said.

On Tuesday, Baroness Jennifer Chapman of Darlington and Britain’s parliamentary under-secretary of state for Latin America and Caribbean said the programme “demonstrates the continued evolution of our partnership as the UK supports Jamaica to tackle one of the most difficult problems that is currently hindering this country’s development”.

The baroness, who is in Jamaica for a two-day visit, focused on violence prevention and climate resilience — her first trip to the Western Caribbean since being appointed — in pointing out that “the problem of violence is not unique to Jamaica”, said “research suggests that the drivers of violence are complex and they require nuanced solutions”.

“The UK’s partnership recognises this… we are committed to providing you with the support and the tools you need to help transform violence in communities working closely with parents and students in getting them the help they need,” she said.

Education Minister Fayval Williams, speaking at the event, said sporadic flare-ups of violence amongst students in schools or in proximity to their campuses in different parts of Jamaica has led to the ministry implementing various programmes to cauterise the situation. In noting the emphasis on the academic improvement of at-risk students in those areas, she said, “we recognise that improvements in literacy is a critical element in helping students in their self-development”.

For the 2024-2025 academic year, a total 18 primary and high schools across two regions will be engaged. These include Holy Family Primary, Calabar Primary, Greenwich Primary, Edward Seaga Primary, Cockburn Gardens Primary, St Andrew Primary, and Tavares Gardens Primary as well as the Kingston Technical, Tivoli Gardens and Papine high schools in Kingston.

In Westmoreland, the Sir Clifford Campbell Primary, Peggy Barry Primary, Grange Hill Primary and Savanna-La-Mar Primary will be involved as well as the Frome Technical and Godrey Stewart high schools.

For Montego Bay, the Glendevon Primary and the St James High School will be involved.