Executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce, Becky Stockhousen (left), along with Kevin Rushing (second left), deputy mission director USAID, and U.S. Ambassador Sue Cobb, take a close look at mathematics textbooks with students of Rousseau Primary School, yesterday. At right, Monica Ladd speaks with Education Minister Maxine Henry-Wilson. - RUDOLPH BROWN/Chief Photographer OVER 300,000 PRIMARY school students are to benefit from a multimillion dollar educational programme, aimed at improving their performance in mathematics.
"This is an area that we need a lot of assistance," said Minister of Education Maxine Henry-Wilson, who was responding to questions posed by The Gleaner, querying why the focus was only on mathematics at this time.
The national pass rate for mathematics in CXC stands at 25 per cent, 15 per cent below the regional average of 40 per cent.
Before distributing textbooks to scores of students at Rousseau Primary in Kingston, Minister Henry-Wilson explained that the initiative was a collaborative effort between her Ministry, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Grace, Kennedy Remittance Service, the American Chamber of Commerce and American Friends of Jamaica.
Joan-Marie Powell, executive director of Grace, Kennedy Remittance Service, better known as Western Union, added that the initiative was launched five months through the 'I Promise to Lend Encouragement to Develop Growth in Education' (IPLEDGE) programme.
Ms. Powell said US$1.00 was donated from every transaction done by persons sending remittance funds to Jamaica from Florida, using the term IPLEGDE. Yesterday a cheque for US$225,000 was handed over to Minister Henry-Wilson.
The new initiative is the brainchild of United States Ambassador to Jamaica Sue Cobb, who said that the programme is designed to foster economic links between Florida and Jamaica and to support education at the primary school level across the island. It is part of the Building Bridges, the Florida-Jamaica connection initiative launched by the Ambassador over a year ago.
