The Ministry of Education says it has forged several partnerships with a number of
educational institutions as a demonstration of its commitment to the delivery of a
sound education to students in the nation’s early childhood education system.
According to the Director of Education, Clare Browne, one such partnership has
been established with the Oceanview Pre-school in Bethesda. “We are assisting
with providing both staff and facilities to this institution. Together with the
operators of the school, the Ministry of Education will assist with providing 13
new spaces at the school that will allow it to attract more students from Bethesda
and surrounding communities,” Director Browne explained.
In addition, the ministry has also linked the school with the School Meals
Programme so that its students and staff can attain lunch ‘at a nominal’ cost.
Similar support has been offered to other pre-schools in the country. For example,
the Sir Luther Wynter Pre-School on Queen Elizabeth Highway, the St. Peter’s
Pre-school on All Saints Road, the Pre-School t the Simon Bolivar Park and the
Maria Holder Early Childhood Education Centre located in Buckley’s where 50
new spaces are being added.
“These partnerships and assistance to these institutions speak to the commitment
which the government demonstrated by ensuring that human and other resources
are being made available to the early education sector so that they can provide the
quality education that the young minds need at this point,” he remarked.
Further, Director Browne said the new primary school at Five Islands that will be
constructed as part of the expansion of the University of the West Indies FIC, will
also have a pre-school department. “Such is our commitment to this sector, that we
have initiated discussions with the UWI FIC to offer a degree programme in Early
Childhood Education. We are also prepared to offer scholarships for this
programme of study through the Board of Education,” Browne revealed.
He further revealed that the research has concluded that students’ performance
increases by 75 percent when they are exposed to ‘proper pre-school education’.
