‘Internal Transformation’: PM outlines strategies to improve Jamaica’s education system
KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Ministry of Education and Youth is in the process of establishing the requisite internal units to execute recommendations outlined in the ‘Reform of Education in Jamaica 2021 Report’.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness, made the announcement during a face-to-face town hall meeting at Jamaica College in St Andrew on Friday.
He also revealed that the process of recruiting a chief transformation officer has commenced.
The prime minister noted that this “will be a significant milestone in the journey of transformation.”
In addition, the Education Transformation Oversight Committee, being led by Dr Adrian Stokes, has already been established.
Holness, who underscored the importance of implementing the recommendations, said the Government remains resolute in its mission of transforming education in Jamaica.
He maintained that this undertaking will revolutionise the sector and encouraged the ministry’s stakeholders to “embrace the transformation process”.
The prime minister indicated that the ministry’s existing framework must be altered to effectively facilitate the reformation process.
“The transformation must be internal. The ministry itself must embrace the transformation. The ministry itself must see the benefit of the transformation… and the people in the ministry must lead the transformation,” he emphasised.
Additionally, Holness declared that, “we are on our way with the new transformation report”, urging the nation “to understand that the Government is serious about it, and we are going to move with great instrumentality to have our education system transformed.”
Developed by the Jamaica Education Transformation Commission (JETC), the report is a blueprint for establishing a comprehensive strategy to improve student performance and educational productivity across the sector.