PM promises continued investment in education to produce needed results

 

 

Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness says the government will continue to invest in education, while making sure it produces the results the country needs.

 

Dr. Holness noted that a significant amount of resources have been pumped into schools for teacher salaries, books and meals, since the introduction of the no tuition policy that was designed to reduce the financial burden on parents.

 

But he has acknowledged that more funds are needed for sports, facilities, activities and the day-to-day operation of schools, citing the quiet re-introduction of fees by some institutions.

 

Dr. Holness said the situation requires an honest review of how education is funded and the support parents are being asked to provide.

 

"You have heard me speak about Jamaica improving its productivity and efficiency. A large part of productivity and efficiency comes from human resources, comes from the people who we are going to be training in our high schools, who will go on to our universities. So there is no question that we will have to give greater priority in terms of our national budget to education. I want to be clear at this point, however, that Jamaica does spend significant percentage of its budget on education. The question that we must ask is what is the result of that expenditure? And could there be greater results from the expenditure on education? The answer to that, obviously, is yes," he admitted.

 

Dr. Holness, who was speaking at a recent Primary Exit Profile (PEP) Awards ceremony at the Office of the Prime Minister, said concerns about the cost and the number of books they are being asked to purchase have again been raised by parents as preparations for back to school enter the final phase.

 

The new academic year begins on September 7.

 

The Prime Minister said the country must look at where digital resources can support learning and help reduce unnecessary costs for families.

 

He, however, stressed that the government will not be getting rid of books.

 

"We have to consider the impact of every dollar that we spend on education. What is the value of the book if it is not read, if it is left in the knapsack untouched, if it can't be passed on to somebody else to get value from it? These are all valid questions that should be asked, and as a government we must answer them. So I am certain that the Minister of Education is looking at this matter. It was a challenge when I was the Minister of Education. We made certain changes but then systems relapse because there are some fundamental drivers for this. There are special interests that are vested in ensuring that particular books end up on book lists and that they are sold even if parents don't use them," said Dr. Holness.