With the global economic crisis impacting independent schools in Jamaica, one major player in the sector - the Seventh-day Adventist Church - is taking steps against any fallout in education.

The church's eastern region will host a dinner dubbed 'The Presi-dent's Banquet for Education' at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on June 28. The event, which starts at 6 p.m., will be held under the patronage of Governor General Sir Patrick Allen and Lady Allen.

For scholarships, equipment

"The funds gained from this banquet will go toward the provision of scholarships to those in need and equipment to enhance the learning process of students," said Pastor Adrian Cotterell, president of the East Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

"This is needed to keep alive Christian education, which I believe is one of the cures for the spiralling crime and violence, corruption and moral decay that we are experiencing in the society. I am appealing to (those in) Corporate Jamaica, who have not come on board as yet, to support Christian education. Your support for Christian education is a support towards holistic education, which is needed to put our nation on the right moral track."

Honouring teachers

The guest speaker for the $5,000-per ticket dinner will be Dr Herbert Thompson, president of Northern Caribbean University.

The banquet, however, is not all about the garnering of much-needed funds; it is also about honouring seven teachers for their outstanding service to Christian education.

It was reported in The Sunday Gleaner on March 8 that, of the estimated 200 independent schools in Jamaica, 50 are facing serious financial problems. The Seventh-day Adventist church in Jamaica currently operates 26 of these schools across the island with the eastern region responsible for five - four preparatory and one high school. Though subsidised by the church, a large portion of the cost for the operation of these schools comes from tuition fees.