Moore

Today, The Gleaner presents the views of Earl Moore, president and CEO of Guardian Life Limited, on the positive traits of Jamaica as a nation.

For me, what's right with Jamaica are the efforts to improve education. The progress may seem slow and, to some, invisible. However, policy changes are moving us towards an objective of increasing access to education and ensuring that more Jamaicans receive the solid education necessary to secure a positive future for our country. Some areas worthy of commendation are:

Our increasing emphasis on early childhood education, which will help lead to better- performing primary-, secondary- and tertiary-level students.

The move to ensure that all basic schools can benefit from the school-feeding programme, as well-nourished children perform better academically.

There is a determined effort to ensure that students leaving the primary-school system are certified literate, which should contribute to better overall results and help identify those students who had previously slipped through the system, despite being functionally illiterate.

The abolition of tuition fees at the secondary level, hence assisting parents unable to afford fees.

The HEART Trust/NTA, a highly functional organisation that equips Jamaicans with marketable skills.

We have a long way to go, but we have clearly recognised the importance of education and are boldly facing the many challenges.