Maxine Henry-Wilson, Minister of Education, Youth and Culture.Minister of Education, Youth and Culture, Maxine Henry-Wilson, fielded questions from members of the public on Go-Jamaica - The Gleaner's Web site on January 15, 2003. Here are excerpts from the online chat.
ON TEACHER RECRUITMENT
Question: I would like to address the issue of the employment of teachers abroad. Who pays for the teacher's training, is there training free or do the teacher trainees fund themselves?
Maxine Henry-Wilson: It depends, but in each instance the Government provides a substantial subsidy for all persons in public sector training institutions, whether they be in teacher training colleges or community colleges. So basically, teachers do not pay anywhere near the economic cost for their training.
Question: I want to know if the Government will be granting a waiver to the New York int'l recruits? Also will jobs be available for the teachers if they return home?
Maxine Henry-Wilson: I am not sure what is meant by waiver. The Ministry's position is that once the recruits satisfy their employment requirements, that is, they honour any bonds that they may have and give adequate notice to their schools then we do not have the authority to prevent them from taking any teaching position in New York or elsewhere. We will do our best to retain teachers. We sincerely regret any who feel that they are not wanted here, and hope over time to ensure that all our teachers recognise that we consider them to be of great worth to our society. In relation to the recruiters, there are certain labour legislation that apply to them and this would have to be imposed by the Ministry of Labour. Our teachers are always welcome to return home.
Question: On the question of education and law in Jamaica. Representatives from various states in America set up shop at hotels in Kingston to recruit our teachers. Why were they not arrested for not having work permits to carry out such functions?
Maxine Henry-Wilson: This is a matter for the Minister of Labour. I was told by the minister that he would be addressing the issue.
Question: Many of the teachers recruited by New York City are seeking a waiver of the home country stipulation on their J-1 visas. This stipulation requires the teachers to return home after their two-year contract expires. Will the Government of Jamaica waive this stipulation?
Maxine Henry-Wilson: J-1 visas or any other visas are not issued by us, but by the United States Embassy. It depends on the term they are going to seek employment in the United States that will be a decision for the United States.
Question: Will internationally recruited teachers be given their jobs back upon their return to Jamaica?
Maxine Henry-Wilson: That is for the teacher decide. No one will prevent them from returning to the education system.
Question: What is Jamaica doing in regards to keeping well-trained teachers in the country as teachers are leaving every day to other countries, some not because they want to leave but just for a better life.
Maxine Henry-Wilson: I have answered several other questions on this pointing out that we are doing all within our power to improve the conditions of service of our teachers. We will never be able to match the best in Toronto and there will always be a pull factor because people will always look to more developed countries. Remember we also have people who are being recruited by Jamaica to come to Jamaica. It's just a relative situation. Also remember that there are several complaints that I have heard from persons who are in the classroom from places like Toronto. So, again, it's a relative situation.
Question: Jamaica is still facing major problems such as poor performances from past education ministers. What are your solutions to teachers who find enticing treats overseas that leave Jamaica as 'brain drained' as it is?
Maxine Henry-Wilson: I don't believe that recruits overseas leave us brain drained. I believe that we still have high levels of competence and a number of persons who are effective in the classroom. It is not the first time that our professionals are going overseas and usually they return or maintain their links with Jamaica which enhances our human capital.
ON SKILLS TRAINING IN SCHOOLS
Question: Have you seen the need to use the high school education as a means of preparing students for specific linking skills?
Maxine Henry-Wilson: I think there are two philosophies of education. There is the view that you give the students a general education certainly at the level of high schools so that they can be flexible, especially given the realities of a global society which is characterised by the seamlessness of relationships between countries and the need for them to adapt. The other philosophy is that we need to be more skill specific in our curriculum. Both actually exist side by side in terms of our curriculum and offerings. Students are given some specific skills while others have a more generalist orientation.
Question: Research has shown that children who are proficient in the playing of musical instruments tend to perform better in mathematics and science. Do you have an agenda in making the school curriculum more music intensive, and if not, would you consider channelling resources in that area for the future?
Maxine Henry-Wilson: We are just at the moment trying to complete our culture policy and to link that with the school curriculum. I am aware of the research and we need to settle how we can integrate music more fully into the curriculum. This has already began with music being a real CXC subject.
ON THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION
Question: I would like to know what it takes to really get the schools to use technology to teach, it is apparent to that many kids in school have apprehension to the computer. Why is there not a computer in all the classrooms so the kids can see it is a tool, and not in some lab where access is limited.
Maxine Henry-Wilson: Two reasons (1) the cost, not only of the purchase of a computer and all the other peripherals but also the wiring and the recurrent expenses. (2) Instructions through the computer require teachers who are IT proficient, while we are making this compulsory in teacher training colleges etc., we do not yet have the full complement to facilitate this. What we are focusing on is to have cyber cafes and computers in other public places such as libraries which will be used by children. This will allow them to be more familiar with the technology.
Question: Why don't they bring in IT teachers from elsewhere just as other countries employed staff they require from other countries?
Maxine Henry-Wilson: We have brought in IT teachers and other teachers, but the question is the number and the availability of IT teachers. Remember this is a skill that is in demand throughout the world. Hence, we will never be able to have the numbers we require by recruitment from overseas. We have to try and train our own and train more than we need and that is what we are doing.
Question: How do we know teachers are allowing students meaningful access to these computers! In many cases, teachers don't know how to use computers!
Maxine Henry-Wilson: We are trying to remedy the situation by giving the teachers IT competence. If you have a particular instance in which the teacher is preventing students from having access then please contact me and let me know.
Question: You talk about computers in schools when teachers still treat these tools as luxury items to be protected from children?
Maxine Henry-Wilson: That is so in some schools but in many the children are fully exposed to the use of the computer. Let us not forget however that computers constitute an investment and that it is the responsibility of the teacher that the investment is protected. What we have to do is teach our children that everything in the school including the computer is social property and requires the best of care. We have to stamp out vandalism in our schools.
ON FREE EDUCATION
Question: I would like to know what is the Government and the Ministry of Education in Jamaica doing to provide free education to the under-privileged in Jamaica?
Maxine Henry-Wilson: Cur-rently we have what is called a Cost-Sharing Programme. What it does is recognise that while there are many who may be able to make a contribution to the cost of their children's education, there are many who cannot. What we desire, however, is that parents should take an interest in their children's future and go to the school and indicate their inability to pay. The Government will then bear the cost of the child's education. Currently primary education is free, so is Government-run early childhood education, cost sharing applies to secondary education. The commitment by this administration is to begin the phasing out of fees to ensure that by 2005, no fees will be paid at the secondary level. This means that the Government will be required to pay the full cost of secondary education. We have to ensure that with this new policy the quality of education does not suffer, and that the offerings and delivery of education at the secondary level is world class.
Question: Why can't Jam-aica adopt a system similar to the Canadian system where high school education is free?
Maxine Henry-Wilson: At the moment the policy is that no child will be prevented from entering a primary or secondary institution because of inability to pay. We recognise that our education offerings would be more generalised if we had totally free education. However, we have budgetary constraints and we believe that it is not only important to give children access but to give them quality education. That is what will eventually allow us to compete with and be like countries such as Canada.
ON EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Question: Do you currently have early childhood programmes in place for children age four?
Maxine Henry-Wilson: Yes. In fact, over 90 per cent of all children between 0-6 are in some early childhood facility. Yester-day in parliament I piloted the Bill for the early childhood commission and at that time I gave some details of the development of the sector and how we were working to have full coverage of the age group 0-6.
ON NEW INITIATIVES IN EDUCATION
Question: Miss Maxine, if I may call you that, what are your plans to better the schools in Ja ?
Maxine Henry-Wilson: This would take the entire evening to reply to this question. We now have over 90 per cent enrolment at all levels of the education system to secondary level. This is what we mean by access. What we have to now focus on is quality, making sure that our students have basic core subjects such as; math, English, science and we are also emphasising Information Technology. The performance of our students has to allow them to compete with their counterparts in the best societies overseas. This is now our challenge to have quality education and to ensure that every child regardless of the institution that they go to will have a good education. This is the plan that I am working on.
Question: Are there any new initiatives by your ministry and will it be targeted to the eradication of illiteracy in Jamaica?
Maxine Henry-Wilson: Yes. We are currently working on a proposal to widen the scope of the JAMAL-type programme. In addition, we are working to stop the current situation in which students leave primary school and cannot read, write or do math. You will hear more about this over the next two to three months.
Question: What upcoming projects does the ministry have?
Maxine Henry-Wilson: We have a whole range of projects spanning all sectors of education. It involves improving early childhood, modernising primary, enhancing secondary and diversifying tertiary.
ON EDUCATION REFORM
Question: Are there any initiatives on your part that would bring a complete reform of education in Jamaica?
Maxine Henry-Wilson: The education process has been undergoing a process of continuous reform. At the primary level the introduction of the Grade Six Achievement Test is a major reform which requires that students be tested prior to entering secondary school to determine their learning readiness. If they are not learning-ready then remedial education will be done. They are then tested at strategic intervals in the primary system, and the philosophy is that by the time they get to grade six they should have the basic competence's to allow them to enter secondary school. At secondary level, the major reform has been in the area of curriculum including the provision of vocational education and of some market skills, especially for those who will leave after grade nine. These are just some of the areas of reform. We are also working on teacher preparation, teacher accountability, and improvement of laboratories as a part of our reform process.
