Jamaica’s social protection policies cannot be considered successful if children are attending school but still leaving the education system without meaningful learning outcomes, says Dr Angela Brown Burke.

Addressing Parliament during her Sectoral Presentation on Tuesday, Brown Burke called for major reforms to the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), arguing that the programme must evolve beyond attendance-based conditionalities and place greater emphasis on educational achievement, nutrition, and inclusion.

While acknowledging the role PATH has played in improving school attendance, Brown Burke pointed to evidence showing that Jamaican students receive approximately 11.7 years of schooling but achieve only about 7.2 years of effective learning. “That gap represents thousands of children being left behind despite remaining inside the formal education system,” she argued.

Brown Burke also expressed concern about the growing strain on school feeding programmes, particularly following reports that Greater Portmore Primary had suspended its programme due to inadequate funding. She described the current per-student allocation as insufficient and called for a comprehensive review of how school meals are funded and delivered. 

“The school feeding programme must be reimagined to ensure meals are both nutritious and cost effective,” Brown Burke stated. “Children cannot learn properly when they are hungry.”

She further called for PATH reforms that integrate diagnostic assessments, remedial support, stronger inclusive education systems, and targeted financial assistance for vulnerable families. Brown Burke also argued that improvements are urgently needed in PATH’s beneficiary identification system, noting that many eligible Jamaicans still struggle to access the programme.

She maintained that Jamaica must now move from discussion to implementation if the country is serious about improving educational and social outcomes for vulnerable children and families.