JIS: Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dr. Grace McLean, says that school administrators are not allowed to employ temporary staff without the permission of the regional office.

 

She said that a full policy position on the hiring process for temporary personnel will be disbursed to institutions.

 

She was speaking at the National College for Education Leadership (NCEL)/National Council on Education (NCE) training session for principals and Board chairpersons, held recently at the Melia Braco Village in Trelawny.

 

Dr. McLean noted that the Government is supporting all temporary members of staff in schools as part of a framework to bolster the educational system.

 

As such, she said that institutions “no longer have to collect funds from parents to pay an additional maths teacher or to pay an additional secretary and clerical officer, because the Ministry has a budget to support that”.

 

“So any approval that is given, the Ministry will pay for that person. So it means, therefore, that the schools do not need funds to pay for temporary staff, because the Ministry is supporting that,” she added.

 

Dr. McLean said that the Government has been making the necessary investment in the nation’s children.

 

“So [for] our primary schools, which used to be provided with $850 per child, this went up to $2,500 per year, per child. For all-age and junior high schools, we moved you from the $1,100 to $17,000,” she noted.

 

“We also provided $2,000 for students on the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) to buy their badges and epaulettes and any school items they require,” Dr. McLean outlined.

 

CAPTION: Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dr. Grace McLean, addresses the National College for Education Leadership (NCEL)/National Council on Education (NCE) training session for principals and Board chairpersons held recently at the Melia Braco Village in Trelawny. Seated (l-r) are Director and Principal of NCEL, Dr. Taneisha Ingleton; Chairman of the Teachers’ Services Commission and Custos of St. James, Conrad Pitkin; and Executive Director of the NCE, Merris Murray.