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Public school principals to be employed on contract


Patterson

AS OF September, principals and vice-principals of public schools will only be employed on a contractual basis, says Prime Minister P.J. Patterson.

Mr. Patterson said that he is aware that there was some resistance to the idea, but the Government did not intend to disrupt present arrangements for those who are now in the service and their rights and benefits were in no danger of being disturbed.

He was making a statement to the House of Representatives on Tuesday commenting on the highlights of the White Paper, "Education: The Way Upward ­ A path for Jamaica's education at the start of the new millennium," which he had tabled on behalf of Minister of Education and Culture, Senator Burchell Whiteman.

"We have decided to introduce the measure beginning next year for new principals and to invite those who have an interest then, or at any time later, to apply. It is all up to the individual," he said.

The Government felt that there will be significant benefits both to the contracted school principal or vice-principal and to the school in general and is prepared to work it through. He said that the appropriate amendments were being made in the revised Code of Regulations to permit this form of employment to be introduced.

Mr. Patterson also announced a commitment to provide a High School Equivalency programme, permitting out-of-school youth and adults to obtain certification equivalent to the traditional school-leaving certificate. This would be based both on a programme of study and the relevant testing, as well as on the work experience of the individual.

The target date in the Ministry Paper is 2003 but, Mr. Patterson said that the Government was on target to provide this opportunity by September of 2002.

Mr. Patterson said that when the 2001/2002 Budget is tabled in the House of Representatives on March 29, it will reveal the extent of his Government's financial commitment to Early Childhood Education, another important objective of the White Paper.

"We will indicate how we intend to co-operate more and engage more strategically the Church, the communities, the individuals and the teachers who make up this rich mosaic of Early Childhood providers," he said. Quite soon, the Government intends to lay out the legislative and policy changes to improve the provisions at this level.

He said that it was the intention of the Government to increase the level of equalisation grants and special funding, to enable newer high schools to compete on equal footing with the traditional ones: "It is therefore intended that over the next five years at least, special interventions by way of training, infrastructure improvements and equipment and material provision will help them to move somewhat faster along their planned development path," he said.

In the newer high schools a broader curriculum will be introduced in which civics education will enjoy a stronger profile. Attachments at workplace and job shadowing will be a feature for all students. Team building and community service will be a compulsory part of the curriculum.

In terms of financing, Mr. Patterson said that there will be an expenditure of at least 15% of the annual recurrent budget on education. Taking 2001 as the base year, the capital budget for education should increase by 50 per cent over the next five years.

In the summary to the White Paper, the Ministry of Education said that it was inviting the public to help build Jamaica through education with efficiency and effectiveness.

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