Diana Burke, (right) president of Project for the Advancement of Early Childhood Education (PACE), with Suzette Henriques of Sangster's Book Stores In December. PACE and Sangster's teamed up to provide gift packages for several adopted schools.- CONTRIBUTEDEARLY CHILDHOOD education sector in Jamaica received some needed support recently when Diana Burke, president of Project for the Advancement of Early Childhood Education (P.A.C.E.) presented C$16,320 to Fay Corrothers of the Dudley Grant Memorial Trust. The trust administers the funds locally.
The cheque represents the first of two semi-annual disburse-ments of funds to be used for P.A.C.E.-sponsored schools in Jamaica. Burke also presented C$1,000 towards the annual scholarship fund for a student at the Shortwood Teachers College who is undergoing studies in early childhood education. The presentation was made at the Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston recently.
Members of the P.A.C.E. team who were on the island for their annual visits, adopted three basic schools in Spanish Town. These are Samuel Richards, Seventh-day Baptist and Marlroad basic schools.
A fourth school, Irish Penn Basic, was adopted by a couple travelling with the P.A.C.E. team. This represents the first time that any school in the parish of St. Catherine was being adopted by P.A.C.E.
P.A.C.E. is a Canadian based organisation that is made up of mostly Jamaicans who are focused on improving the learning conditions of early childhood education in Jamaica. It was formed in 1987 by Dr. Mavis Burke, a Jamaican who migrated to Canada several decades ago.
