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Gov't makes up for losses from fee abolitionBALFORD HENRY, Observer writer balfordh@jamaicaobserver.com
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
HOLNESS. the overall sum available for tuition fees is $2.76 billion, up from $1.82 billion
THE Government is pumping almost $1 billion more into secondary schools this year to cover their losses from the abolition of tuition fees since last September, Education Minister Andrew Holness told the House of Representatives, yesterday.
Holness said that in keeping with its commitment to cover the full cost of the approved tuition fee for all students in secondary schools, provisions have been made in this year's budget that will increase the payments to school to cover the fees by between 20 per cent and 27 per cent over last year's figure.
"The approved tuition fee paid directly to schools will move from an average of $8,000 per student to $10,500 per student for all students from Grades 7 - 12," the minister said as he spoke in the sectoral debate.
"These levels of increase are well above the projected inflation rate. The overall sum available for tuition fees is $2.76 billion, up from $1.82 billion. This represents a massive overall increase of 51.6 per cent," Holness added.
He said that a sum of $440 million has also been set aside for special interventions in high schools to support the special needs of students and institutions based on intake scores for Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) and Grade Nine Achievement Test (GNAT) as well as school performance in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC).
Holness reminded the schools that the auxiliary fees that they charge parents were not mandatory, and that no child should be excluded from school because of their inability to pay. But, at the same time, he encouraged parents to contribute "as much as they can" to the development of the school.
The minister's main themes in his speech, however, were the issue of violence or behaviour management and the transformation in education process.
In terms of behaviour management, he reiterated Government's intention to pursue the establishment of the post of dean of discipline in schools this year.
"This position will be responsible for managing and implementing both the proactive and responsive behaviour management strategies," the minister said.
He said that the ministry was now finalising the job description for the post but in the interim he encouraged schools, that are able, to assign a teacher to undertake those responsibilities.
Holness said that very soon he would be having discussions with the Ministry of National Security on measures to strengthen the safe schools programme.
"Informal discussions have already been held on the way forward and we are due to meet next week in formal talks," he said.
The education minister said that his ministry wanted a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the police, for local stations to adopt schools as part of their community policing drive and support the schools in behaviour management.
Meanwhile, he said that the ministry had imported more than 100 hand-held metal detecting wands, which are to be distributed to the most affected secondary schools early next month. The ministry has also endorsed the presumed right of schools to conduct searches and has developed guidelines on how they should be conducted, he said.
"We must be firm with students who carry weapons to schools," Holness said.
In terms of the transformation process, Holness said that one of the most far-reaching changes coming would be the decentralisation of the day-to-day operations of his ministry to regional education authorities.
Six current regional offices have a number of administrative responsibilities but no real authority. Five new authorities are proposed and they will be aligned with local government, health and other agencies in the parishes whose work supports education and the welfare of children, said the education minister.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
HOLNESS. the overall sum available for tuition fees is $2.76 billion, up from $1.82 billionTHE Government is pumping almost $1 billion more into secondary schools this year to cover their losses from the abolition of tuition fees since last September, Education Minister Andrew Holness told the House of Representatives, yesterday.
Holness said that in keeping with its commitment to cover the full cost of the approved tuition fee for all students in secondary schools, provisions have been made in this year's budget that will increase the payments to school to cover the fees by between 20 per cent and 27 per cent over last year's figure.
"The approved tuition fee paid directly to schools will move from an average of $8,000 per student to $10,500 per student for all students from Grades 7 - 12," the minister said as he spoke in the sectoral debate.
"These levels of increase are well above the projected inflation rate. The overall sum available for tuition fees is $2.76 billion, up from $1.82 billion. This represents a massive overall increase of 51.6 per cent," Holness added.
He said that a sum of $440 million has also been set aside for special interventions in high schools to support the special needs of students and institutions based on intake scores for Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) and Grade Nine Achievement Test (GNAT) as well as school performance in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC).
Holness reminded the schools that the auxiliary fees that they charge parents were not mandatory, and that no child should be excluded from school because of their inability to pay. But, at the same time, he encouraged parents to contribute "as much as they can" to the development of the school.
The minister's main themes in his speech, however, were the issue of violence or behaviour management and the transformation in education process.
In terms of behaviour management, he reiterated Government's intention to pursue the establishment of the post of dean of discipline in schools this year.
"This position will be responsible for managing and implementing both the proactive and responsive behaviour management strategies," the minister said.
He said that the ministry was now finalising the job description for the post but in the interim he encouraged schools, that are able, to assign a teacher to undertake those responsibilities.
Holness said that very soon he would be having discussions with the Ministry of National Security on measures to strengthen the safe schools programme.
"Informal discussions have already been held on the way forward and we are due to meet next week in formal talks," he said.
The education minister said that his ministry wanted a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the police, for local stations to adopt schools as part of their community policing drive and support the schools in behaviour management.
Meanwhile, he said that the ministry had imported more than 100 hand-held metal detecting wands, which are to be distributed to the most affected secondary schools early next month. The ministry has also endorsed the presumed right of schools to conduct searches and has developed guidelines on how they should be conducted, he said.
"We must be firm with students who carry weapons to schools," Holness said.
In terms of the transformation process, Holness said that one of the most far-reaching changes coming would be the decentralisation of the day-to-day operations of his ministry to regional education authorities.
Six current regional offices have a number of administrative responsibilities but no real authority. Five new authorities are proposed and they will be aligned with local government, health and other agencies in the parishes whose work supports education and the welfare of children, said the education minister.