Education Minister Andrew Holness says education is the solution for getting the guns out of the hands of criminals.

Speaking Saturday, during the annual Capital and Credit Scholar-ship Awards ceremony, held at the Terra Nova All Suite Hotel, in St Andrew, Holness lamented that too many promising Jamaicans have been "wasted" on the streets and to crime.

"The challenge is how to take the guns out of the hands of these young men and put education into their brains," Holness said.

He added: "The only way we can capture those persons is to pull them into the education system."

Goal

To this end, Holness revealed the ministry planned to attain 100 per cent literacy at the primary level in five years. He said that, if given the chance, students will succeed.

"So, we have to go back to the fundamental role to ensure that they can read and write," said Holness.

He noted that when the Grade Four Literacy Test was first administered in 1999, only 42 per cent of students achieved mastery in reading, writing and comprehension.

Holness said 71 per cent of students who sat the test in 2008 achieved mastery. He said a new test was administered for those who failed, bringing to 81 per cent the number of students achieving mastery.

Holness said an improvement in the Grade Six Achievement Test would be seen in the coming years.

Meanwhile, 34 new and existing scholarship students were presented with scholarships valued at $2.5 million by the Capital and Credit group.