PAN CARIBBEAN, one of Jamaica's top merchant banks, has once again reaffirmed its commitment to the very vital sector, education. Anya Schnoor, Senior Vice-President of Pan Caribbean, speaking at a St. George's College Teachers' Day function, held at the Terra Nova Hotel, highlighted the company's ongoing partnership with schools in the Corporate Area and noted that it was imperative that the private sector became involved and make education a top priority.
In the past, according to Ms. Schnoor, her company's focus was centred on the tertiary level, by providing scholarships and assisting fund-raising activities. During the course of 2003, however, she said the company's focus shifted to also include the high schools, where it was felt that proper grounding would be needed to ensure that students have a solid foundation, therefore, moving on to University.
"Education really is the bedrock upon which all we hope to achieve as a country is based and must, therefore, be recognised as a priority," said Ms Schnoor. "Many lives have been shaped in some way by teachers and school experiences. It should consequently follow that we should give back to a system which has moulded us."
The Pan Caribbean executive also added that she supported the idea of paying teachers based on performance in the classroom. This she said would ensure that those teachers who went above and beyond the call of duty were rewarded as such. "Too many times we see students graduating, who can't read and write, with this new initiative put in place, such an occurrence would be minimised," Ms. Schnoor added.
She said, "We are absolutely delighted that the Minister of Education, Maxine Henry-Wilson, was present at the function to address this issue and put forth her proposals for eradicating illiteracy in Jamaica." Mrs. Henry-Wilson, the guest speaker, shared similar views about the education system in Jamaica and lauded Ms. Schnoor and her company for their enthusiasm in trying to combat the growing problem of illiteracy.
