Gov't unloads some education chores

The Government is unburdening itself of some aspects of early childhood education, opting to be regulator and administrator rather than being main provider.

The Ministry of Education is, therefore, concentrating on equipping basic schools to run themselves, viewing these schools as community-based operations and its own role as partners in the business.

Norma Hayles, senior education officer at the Early Childhood Unit of the Ministry of Education, explained that "early childhood schools are traditionally community-centred operations which started out of the volunteerism. The Government therefore assists rather than run these schools."

She explained that the Government runs 29 infant schools and 83 infant departments of existing primary schools. These schools serve 9,651 children between ages four and six.

The Government subsidises salaries, meals and class materials and has an allocation of $453,825,000 in the year 2000-2001 budget for this. This amount has been increased from last year's sum of $280,375,000.00.

From this, pre-trained teachers receive $5,000 per month if they have no academic qualifications, $10,000 if they have a minimum of three CXCs, GCEs or JSCs. The principal is given $12,000 per month.

Nutrition subsidies of between $5,000 and $7,000 are given per semester, while 100 bags of flour, rice, cornmeal and a gallon of oil are given biannually, based on availability.

Critics

However, despite this input, various interest groups, which believe that enough is not being done for education, have been critical of Government.

Herman Spoerri, chairman of the Jamaica Save the Children Fund (JAMSAVE), which operates five basic schools in Kingston called "the amount from the Government is inadequate," adding: "They pay teachers close to minimum wage, and the grants are far too little. What is $5,000 expected to do? Much more needs to be done, as basic school includes the most critical stage of a child's development."

With Jamaica's economic status eroding the ability of communities to play their part successfully, principals complain that parents are often unable to pay their children's school fees, the primary revenue for basic schools.

Deloris Rae Smith, education officer of the Ministry's Early Childhood Education Unit, said that "the schools' survival are based on community participation. Communities are getting poorer so the schools suffer."

This is supported by Pamella Roach, principal of the Jamona Basic in the Kingston 11 area.

"Though we are assisted by Hope For Children, much still depends on the school fees which many months I'm only able to collect about 40 to 50 per cent, of a school population of 120 students," Ms. Roach said.

There are also expressed concerns about the quality of training of the teachers within the basic schools. According to Christopher Clarke, head of the early childhood degree programme at the Shortwood Teacher's College: "It is a crucial problem, too many untrained teachers in the most critical area of education."

However, director of the Early Childhood Unit, Euvinia-Hazel Allen, insisted that "the workshops provided for teachers offer quality training, plus their hands on experience is not to be discredited."

She added that the "Government will always be involved in early childhood, but the communities own the schools and are capable of running them."

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