Innevery aspect of life — even at the most basic level — partnership makes sense.

We take it for granted in marriage, formal and informal, as parents play their roles in building a home, providing for their children, and so forth.

For sure, Cayman-based Dr Gavin and Dr Terry-Ann Robinson took their marriage partnership to a whole new level when they graduated together, having received their doctoral degrees, at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona campus, recently.

It turns out the couple, both educators, and in constant pursuit of higher education, has graduated together three times.

They are reported in our Sunday edition of relating how difficult it was to work, manage young children, and study. They were able to do it by supporting and complementing each other as partners.

A telling line for us was how they backed up each other while taking care of a newborn and an older child.

Said Dr Terry-Ann Robinson: “One of the good things for us is that Gavin is a night person and I’m a morning person, so he studies at night while I sleep, and I wake up in the early morning and study…”

Beyond the familial, at a more complex level, partnership remains absolutely essential.

We are pleased that president of the National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica (NPTAJ) Mr Stewart Jacobs is striving to strengthen partnership between individual chapters of his association and schools.

For as is well established, in education — as in every other aspect of national life — simply relying on Government to get things done does not work.

The best-functioning schools are those partnering with entities, including PTAs, past students’ associations, community-based development groups, et al.

While pointing to difficulties and ill-feeling that currently exist in the relationship between some school leaders and some PTAs, Mr Jacobs says he is making a determined corrective effort.

Pointing to planned revision of the constitution governing PTAs, Mr Jacobs tells us he expects to meet with school principals to show how such a process will “make the school much more effective”.

It should be seen as all part of what Sagicor Group Jamaica President and CEO Mr Christopher Zacca told University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech) graduands on Saturday should be “a whole-of-society partnership” to build this country, including agreeing on and delivering economic growth.

Ultimately, sustainable growth for this country — economically and socially — will always be reliant on a sound education system.

That explains the National Housing Trust’s investment in construction scholarships for young Jamaicans wanting to pursue a career in that industry.

Many other corporations have made similar investments in their fields of operation down the years. Imagine the difference it would make to national development if all profitable companies, private and public, were to follow suit.

All Jamaicans should take to heart Mr Zacca’s appeal to UTech’s graduands to “…build partnerships, unite communities, and together, let us create a Jamaica that our children and grandchildren will be proud to call home”.

We fully expect that Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon will be embracing and encouraging that theme of partnership as she settles into her new role as education minister.