The Government will be aiming to strengthen the National Parenting Support Commission (NPSC) as a way of getting parents more involved in the academic affairs of their children.
Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, made the remark at the Jamaica Teachers’ Association’s (JTA) 15th Annual Education Conference at the Jewel Runaway Bay Beach and Golf Resort in St. Ann on March 29.
“We need all our teachers to be the best quality teachers. I recognise that no matter how good the quality is, we also need the support of parents. Parenting is caught and taught someone once said. The Ministry….under my leadership will seek to give more support to the NPSC,” Minister Reid explained.
The NPSC was officially launched in November 2013 as an agency to provide skills and services to support the strengthening of positive parental practices.
“After 10 years and billions of dollars having been invested in the transformation of our education system, it is time to thoroughly examine the results. Thereafter, we need to complete the process of transformation,” Mr. Reid said.
He further stated that the Government is working on the establishment of a National Apprenticeship Programme, which will be a further boost to the education system.
Other areas of focus for the Ministry include: the consolidation of youth services; promotion of mandatory annual professional development in the workplace; workforce training and certification for the 21st century and beyond; and the strategic use of technology in education for sector management.
“In all of this, we must place an important emphasis on the efficient and effective delivery of educational services,” Mr. Reid stressed.
Meanwhile, the Education Minister said that the Ministry is now consulting with stakeholders to ensure the smooth implementation of the priorities listed at the start of the school year in September.
“Next week I am scheduled to meet with the leadership of the JTA and other professional groups of educators, as well as the National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica,” he stressed.
Source: Jamaica Information Service