Petrina Francis, Education Reporter
Prime Minister P.J. Patterson chats with newly installed Jamaica Teachers Association (JTA) President Ruel Reid at the end of the first session of the JTA conference being held at the Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort in Ocho Rios, St. Ann, yesterday. - NORMAN GRINDLEY/DEPUTY CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
OCHO RIOS, St. Ann
THE MINISTRY of Education has been given the mandate to prepare a budget to determine how the $5 billion that has been allocated to assist with the transformation of the education system will be spent, Prime Minister P.J Patterson disclosed yesterday.
He was addressing the Jamaica Teachers' Association 41st annual conference in Ocho Rios, St. Ann.
According to the Prime Minister, the money will be spent on improving the physical plant of schools and provide furniture. Also, he said that some of the money will be spent on training programmes that are necessary to advance the human capital that is required in the education transformation process.
According to Maxine Henry-Wilson, Minister of Education, Youth and Culture, the $5 billion allocation will begin as soon as the Governor-General gives assent to the bill.
Meanwhile, Mr. Patterson noted that schools need to have an effective board if the national vision on education is to be realised.
"We need a strong and effective school board and school boards should not be chosen on the basis of political regards," he said. "They must be chosen on the basis of competence and of willingness to contribute to the development of the school". Additionally, he said, that there must be a responsive principal who displays strong leadership skills.
The Prime Minister told the conference that his Government's commitment to education sprang from the quest to build an egalitarian society. "This is why we must replace, extend and provide new school places, build science laboratories and language training facilities..."
He announced that in addition to the 2,500 school spaces that have been created for September, 8,660 more will be created under the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank programmes.
