Education Must Guide Jamaica's Progress - Thwaites

KINGSTON (JIS): Minister of Education Ronald Thwaites says the extent to which Jamaica progresses must be guided in part by significant advances in academic and vocational training and development, and appropriate attitudes to work.

"It is going to be by the achievements of competencies in academic subjects, in technical and vocational subjects, by having the right social attitudes, (and) by having the right spiritual awareness (that will) make the Jamaican nation prosper," he said, while speaking at a World Teachers' Day Forum For Innovation in Teaching (FIT) at the National Arena on October 10.

Thwaites hailed the teachers whom he said have made significant progress in the teaching of subjects such as mathematics and science, noting that, over the past 10 years, Jamaica has embarked on an educational transformation programme to achieve higher outcomes in learning, while citing the need for significant attitudinal changes by some sector stakeholders.

"Where teachers have bought into the process, we have seen significant improvements in student achievement," he said, noting that the challenge for teachers is to "spread the innovation spirit widely across the educational system, rather than just to celebrate pockets of excellence".

"The home and the school need to work more closely if the aspiration and spirit of good teachers is to be achieved," the minister said.

Opposition Leader Andrew Holness, in underscoring the important role of teachers in advancing education, pledged his continued support to assist them in whatever way possible to carry out their mandates. Holness is a former minister of education.

The forum, which was held under the theme 'Invest in the Future, Invest in Teachers', featured displays of fine arts, science, and agriculture, which were done by participating schools.