The Ministry of Education and Youth’s (MoEY) annual Back to School Conferences culminated on Tuesday, July 30, at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston to address the educators of Region 1 (Kingston and St. Andrew).

The event, guided by the theme ‘Shaping the Future – STEM/STEAM and the Transformation Agenda‘, demonstrates the ministry’s unwavering commitment to academic excellence and national development.

Annually, the conference serves as a platform to empower the agents of the state, primarily the board chairmen and the principals, to better prepare students to become globally competitive citizens who are educationally grounded and inspired to achieve greatness.

Speaking at the event, portfolio minister Fayval Williams emphasised the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) in equipping students with the skills they need to navigate our changing world.

“This year’s theme resonates deeply with our vision for Jamaica’s education system. We stand at a critical juncture where integrating STEM/STEAM is no longer optional but essential. These disciplines are the key to unlocking the potential of our students and preparing them for a rapidly evolving world.”

The education ministry embraces STEM/STEAM as a critical part of the transformation agenda. This approach is expected to cultivate a generation of students who become creative problem solvers, critical thinkers, and innovators, thereby shaping the future of our society and economy. 

In supporting the ministry’s Back to School Conference, Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke further highlighted that the country must perform well in these subject areas.

“When we speak about STEM/STEAM, it’s not because it’s more important than other disciplines but because it is vitally important that we get to a certain level of proficiency from our population in these subjects. This Government aims to ensure that the minimum level of attainment is dramatically and revolutionarily improved so that everyone excels in these core areas. If we produce more persons in STEM/STEAM fields, the jobs in Jamaica will become more highly valued,” Clarke contended.

“To increase the flow of STEM/STEAM students and graduates in the education system, the Government, in partnership with the Student Loan Bureau, has removed the need for guarantors so that applicants can pursue higher education. Additionally, over 1250 fully paid scholarships will be available to teachers pursuing science and mathematics at Mico University College. Over the next five years, approximately 1500 fully paid university placements will be provided for students from low-income backgrounds to study STEM/STEAM subjects,” added the minister while noting the need for critical investments in Jamaica’s STEM/STEAM education for both students and educators from a policy level.

The conference marked a collective effort to highlight the pivotal role that STEM/STEAM plays in preparing students for future careers while also fostering their curiosity and adaptability in addressing pressing global issues.

Noting Region 1’s achievements, Otis Brown, director of regional educational services at the Ministry of Education and Youth, exclaimed that during the 2023/2024 school year, assessments were conducted to track students’ performance in core subjects.

Across the region, students performed admirably at the primary and secondary levels.

“At the primary level, grade 6 students had a 60 per cent performance rate in Language Arts and 67 per cent in Mathematics, while at the secondary level, the CSEC English was 72.6 per cent and majority of top-performing schools are from Region One.  Throughout the school year, assessments were done to determine students’ literacy needs, and 20 sessions were conducted with 300 students being impacted.”

Through pivotal events like these, the ministry remains committed to its mantra of Transforming Education for National Development (TREND) across the seven regions to highlight the passion and achievements of our educators and students and to address key challenges in order to foster a resilient education sector.