The National Council on Education (NCE) is appealing for volunteers to serve on the boards of directors for some 163 schools in Manchester, St Elizabeth and Clarendon.

A full-page ad placed in yesterday's Sunday Gleaner shows that volunteers are needed for 85 primary, all-age, high and technical high schools in St Elizabeth, 74 in Manchester and four in Clarendon.

St Elizabeth Technical, Knox College, Bishop Gibson High, Church Teachers' College, Manchester High, Hampton, and Knox Community College are some of the schools in need of directors.

The NCE said applicants, who must meet four basic criteria, have until January 15, 2010 to apply through the council or the Ministry of Education.

NDM still unhappy with constituency increase

The National Democratic Movement (NDM) has again voiced disagreement with the decision to increase the number of seats in the House of Representatives from 60 to 65 and has instead called for a reduction.

The decision to increase the numbers by an initial three seats was made recently by the Boundaries Committee of Parliament and endorsed by the Electoral Commission of Jamaica to allay fears of a possible tie in future general elections.

It was also done to rationalise constituency borders based on population sizes.

However, the NDM has suggested that an increase in constituencies would, in the context of a worsening economic climate, only add to taxpayer burdens.

The party wants parliamentary seats be reduced to 59, as "there are ample precedents for such reductions, for example, in the parishes of Westmoreland, Kingston and St Mary".