Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says he is using education in East Central St. James to eliminate antisocial behaviours and activities.

Addressing the 15th annual East Central St. James Education Trust’s tertiary scholarship awards ceremony at the IberoStar Resort in Rose Hall, St. James, August 23, Mr.  Bartlett said education is the only vehicle that will make Jamaica a country where its citizens respect law and order and are determined to work for an honest living.

“My education policy is waging war against scamming in East Central St. James and Jamaica, against unemployment, against ignorance, against delinquency and truancy. We are waging war against crime and violence in our communities across East Central St. James and St. James in general,” the Minister added.

He said the war which is being fought through education involves everyone, as the effort is aimed at saving people from becoming victims of the system.

“Our economic future in Jamaica is destined to go nowhere unless we win the battle against crime and violence,” the Minister emphasised.

Tourism Minister and Member of Parliament for East Central St. James, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (centre), with tertiary-level scholarship awardees from the constituency, at the 15th annual East Central St. James Education Trust’s tertiary scholarship presentation ceremony, held at the IberoStar Resort in Rose Hall, St. James, on August 23.

Addressing the scholarship recipients, Mr. Bartlett reminded them of the responsibility they have taken on by deciding to do tertiary studies.

“You are among the elite of the educational stream in East Central St. James and also Jamaica, because it is just about 10 per cent of all the students who go to high school in Jamaica who end up going into the tertiary stream,” he noted.

Over the last 15 years, the East Central St. James Education Trust has presented some 500 scholarships to teachers and other tertiary-level students as well as high- and primary-school students in the constituency, valued at $60 million.

Mr.  Bartlett, who is Member of Parliament for the area, said the programme caters for students at all levels of the education sector with the only condition being that students must attain a grade of 80 per cent and over.

“The programme that we have developed carries our young people from kindergarten to university.  We in East Central St. James are determined to create educated young people,” he said.

Source: Jamaica Information Service