The trial of entertainer Horace ‘LA’ Lewis for breaching the Toll Road Act failed to get under way in the St Catherine Parish Court today. The matter could not proceed because surveillance footage of the incident was only made available today. The case was pushed back to June 24. When asked by the judge, Lewis indicated that he still plans to represent himself. “I am pleased with the process so far, it is slow but I will be victorious,” he said outside the court Lewis was charged after he recorded and published a video on social media in which he was seen breaching a toll barrier.   It is alleged that on April 30 last year Lewis drove through the toll plaza in Portmore, St Catherine twice without paying and damaged the barrier in the process. He was arrested on a warrant at the Norman Manley International Airport and subsequently charged.   Lewis, who is out on $200,000 bail, has pleaded not guilty to one count of toll evasion and two counts of forcible damage to toll road property.   He previously pleaded guilty to one count of toll evasion and was fined $10,000.   – Rasbert Turner

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP)— The first living patient to receive a genetically  modified pig kidney transplant has died two months after the procedure, the US hospital that carried it out said . “Mass General is deeply saddened at the sudden passing of Mr Rick Slayman. We have no indication that it was the result of his recent transplant,” the Boston hospital said in a statement issued late Saturday. In a world first, surgeons at Massachusetts General Hospital in March successfully transplanted the genetically edited pig kidney into Slayman, who was 62 years old at the time and suffering from end-stage kidney disease. “Slayman will forever be seen as a beacon of hope to countless transplant patients worldwide and we are deeply grateful for his trust and willingness to advance the field of xenotransplantation,” the hospital statement said. Organ shortages are a chronic problem around the world and Mass General said in March that there were more than 1,400 patients on its waiting list for a kidney transplant. The pig kidney used for the transplant was provided by a Massachusetts biotech company called eGenesis and had been modified to remove harmful pig genes and add certain human genes, according to the hospital. Slayman, who suffered from Type 2 diabetes and hypertension, had received a transplanted human kidney in 2018, but it began to fail five years later. When the hospital announced the successful transplant in March, Slayman said he had agreed to the procedure “not only as a way to help (him), but a way to provide hope for the thousands of people who need a transplant to survive.” In a statement posted on Mass General’s website, his family said while they were “deeply saddened about the sudden passing of our beloved Rick” they took “great comfort knowing he inspired so many.” The family said they were “comforted by the optimism he provided patients desperately waiting for a transplant”. Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for freeWar Thunder by Taboola More than 89,000 patients were on the national kidney waiting list as of March this year, according to a US health department website. On average, 17 people die each day while waiting for an organ transplant. Slayman’s family also thanked the doctors “who truly did everything they could to help give Rick a second chance. Their enormous efforts leading the xenotransplant gave our family seven more weeks with Rick, and our memories made during that time will remain in our minds and hearts.” “After his transplant, Rick said that one of the reasons he underwent this procedure was to provide hope for the thousands of people who need a transplant to survive,” the family added. “His legacy will be one that inspires patients, researchers, and health care professionals.” The transplantation of organs from one species to another is a growing field known as xenotransplantation. About a month after Slayman’s procedure, surgeons at NYU Langone Health in New York carried out a similar transplant on Lisa Pisano, who had suffered heart failure and end-stage kidney disease. Pig kidneys had been transplanted previously into brain-dead patients, but Slayman was the first living person to receive one. Genetically modified pig hearts were transplanted in 2023 into two patients at the University of Maryland, but both lived less than two months. Mass General said Slayman’s transplant had been carried out under a policy known as “compassionate use” that allows patients with “serious or life-threatening conditions” to access experimental therapies not yet approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

MONTEGO BAY, St James — A high level of uncertainty looms over the education sector, president of the Jamaica Association of Principals of Secondary Schools (JAPSS) Linvern Wright has said. With the opening of the new school year just a week away, principals are reportedly running around in a bid to replace educators who have confirmed their resignations over the last few days, Wright explained. According to the JAPSS president, who is also principal of William Knibb Memorial High School in Trelawny, these last-minute resignations will automatically mean that there will be an influx of “inexperienced teachers” in the classrooms come September. Pointing out that he, too, has received 13 resignations at his school, Wright told the Jamaica Observer that he has also had to engage recent graduates to fill those positions. “Most of us who can fill the positions will have many inexperienced teachers who we will have to do some work with, in terms of professional development. We have issues with students where it is difficult for them to really grasp the information, and with the inexperience teachers, it will be a little more difficult, so more work will have to be done by us principals and senior teachers to help them cope much better and give the students the best chance they can at learning,” Wright explained. Just last month, Wright told the Sunday Observer that principals were sitting on the edges of their seats as a host of teachers had reportedly expressed the desire to move on to better opportunities. Though it was early days, over 272 teaching positions were being advertised across 23 high schools. Wright, however, said that the panic had heightened, as many teachers had resigned over the last week. “I saw one school yesterday that is advertising for about seven teachers. What principals are vocalising now is that teachers have waited until they got their last pay, which was between Wednesday and yesterday, and then the resignations started coming in. Some of them [may] have been waiting for answers from overseas, so it seems that they have now got the answers and they just waited on their pay. Now off they go,” said the JAPSS president. “For me, I have three positions to be filled and I have got some applications. But the real problem is the timing, so they have resigned now and we have to be advertising on the brink of school reopening. But we just hope that we will get the [replacement] teachers,” Wright added. In the meantime, Wright told the Sunday Observer that though teacher migration is not a new phenomenon, teachers have stated that their reason for leaving is based on the belief that their needs have seemingly been overlooked by the Jamaica Government. He noted that the recent salary negotiations between the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) and the Government had also left a sour taste in the mouths of educators. He also chastised the Government for that. “What is apparent is that the salary increases that teachers got are not enough to retain them, and I think it is interesting to note that the minister of finance, in justifying the salary increase for the parliamentarians, had actually said that we need more money to retain these persons and attract the best. It seems like that logic does not work for education. It seems that there is not sufficient value in retaining the best in education and educating our young minds to be the future of the country,” Wright complained. He added, “I think teachers are really just frustrated with that imbalanced logic where it works for one set, but it doesn’t work for the teachers and I think for that reason, many of them are going. It is unfortunate.” At the same time, Wright told the Sunday Observer that the Ministry of Education has been working with school principals to cushion the undeniable blow that will be caused by the departure of the educators. He stated that in addition to the new graduates, principals can engage other educators wanting to lend a hand. “We have had some suggestions from them as to how we could go about things and the truth is that the ministry has made some provisions. We can employ educators who have retired since 2018, and we can have people work for themselves…that is what is called locum tenens as a teacher going off on leave can come back to work if the area is scarce,” explained Wright. “Many of us have employed teachers who are just coming out of college to assist us and there is still that pre-trained aspect where many people are leaving universities but are not trained as teachers. Those are people we can also employ. So we are exploring all the avenues and are hoping that we can get the teachers,” he added. While he was unable to ascertain if any specific subject area will be gravely affected by these impending departures, the JAPSS president told the Sunday Observer that principals have shared concerns about the scarcity of English and technical teachers. Some principals seem to be very concerned because English is one of those areas where there might be problems, I can’t say definitively if there will be a shortage of English teachers just yet though. What I know is that in the industrial arts areas — the technical vocational subjects such as mechanical technology — those areas the teachers are very scarce,” said Wright.

MANDEVILLE, Manchester — A business leader here is deeply concerned over the apparent glorification of men involved in last Friday’s brazen heist at Scotiabank in this bustling town, where five people were shot and injured. Peter Campbell, managing director of Golf View Hotel, said it was not only a sad day for the south-central town, but also a decay of morals. “… It is a further degradation of our moral standings, because you see people almost lauding this kind of behaviour,” he told the Jamaica Observer on Saturday. “It’s almost glorifying this kind of thing and it doesn’t sit well for the country. People on the international scene are looking on and they are now becoming even more reluctant to invest, to visit and to spend money in Jamaica and we all know the outcome of that kind of thing,” added Campbell. The hotelier’s comments follow footage of the robbery, which went viral, on social media where some users appeared to be applauding the criminals. “Team work mek di dream work,” said one user with the ok hand gesture on TikTok. “Mi rate the dawg (shooter) inna the black. Dawg mek de wull place a duck,” said one user on Instagram. At the same time there were users who expressed dismay at the responses. “Wow. I’m amazed at the amount of people in the comments praising how the robbery was executed,” said a user on Instagram. “Nothing bout dis nuh funny,” said another user. On Saturday, the police said a suspect was apprehended after he was seen driving one of two vehicles that was used as getaway units. Police said the suspect was travelling in a black Toyota Wish motorcar, which was intercepted about 1:30 am on Saturday on the Four Paths main road in Clarendon in the vicinity of Sunset Boulevard. Police said one 9mm magazine, one M16, two AK 47 rounds and a ski mask were reportedly recovered from the vehicle. It is understood that the vehicle, which bore mismatched registration plates, belongs to a man of a Portmore, St Catherine address. Reports suggest that a former Beryllium security guard and two bank employees were being questioned in connection with the heist. A woman who identified herself as Alice, told journalists outside the hospital on Friday night that her niece was shot in her leg while waiting in line at the Scotiabank ABM to withdraw cash on her payday.”I can’t find words to express right now. She was in the line to collect her pay with friends. They said the security guard said ‘clear the way’ and then they start hear gunshots,” said Alice.”These guys (gunmen) need to get some work. Trust me, they need to do better and stop make people have to go through all of these problems,” added the woman. The Sunday Observer was told that sometime after 5:00 pm gunmen attacked a Beryllium security team at Scotiabank. Footage, which has gone viral, believed to be that of the shootout, shows two men armed with high powered weapons making their escape with a bag presumably containing cash. Up to press time on Saturday, it was not ascertained as to how much money was stolen during the heist. The shooting incident resulted in businesses being closed early on Friday, as police cordoned off the intersection of Caledonia Road and Ward Avenue to the intersection of Caledonia Road and South Race Course Road. Campbell said the incident has far-reaching effects on the economy. “It is a sad day for Mandeville, an unfortunate incident to say the least, but it also highlights the fact that a crime plan or a strategy is absolutely necessary, not just on paper, but to be implemented as soon as possible,” he said. “In the absence or failure to implement serious crime fighting plans, we will continue to have incidents of this unfortunate nature. The ripple effect there is definitely a blow to our economy, he added. He said Jamaicans need to take the situation seriously. “We have to act swiftly, strategically and bearing in mind all the far reaching implications that this and other crimes, blatant act of the nature, can and will have on our economy and upcoming generations, because people are being terrified,” said Campbell “On the heels of back-to-school we now have to be looking to counsel kids, because they are terrified of something of this nature that can happen in broad daylight in such a prominent area,” he added. Other business leaders told the Sunday Observer that they were left outraged and shocked following Friday’s attack. President of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce Simone Spence-Johnson said the shooting incident, which unfolded in a busy section of the town, was frightening. “I think it leads more to the overall crime problem that we have in our island and we really need to have all hands on deck. We really need to look at this seriously, because having five people just being caught in the crossfire of a blatant attack such as this is very frightening. You are not sure what can happen anytime you are on the road,” she said. “We are really concerned and we are really outraged. We are crying out to all of the different stakeholders and the powers that be that we have to fix this problem. As a chamber we are totally against this and we really have to work seriously to solve this crime issue in our country,” she added. She said the incident threatens to create “a ripple effect” on commerce. “It puts a wrench in the assembly lines of how we operate as a business and you really don’t want something like this happening and… us as citizens and business owners we pay our staff probably through the banks and encourage them to use online transfers and debit cards at the point-of-sale as opposed to going to the ATM to draw cash,” said Spence-Johnson. “It does affect commerce, because if you have people out there who can’t access their funds,

THE female suspect held for the abduction and murder of eight-year-old Danielle Rowe has been positively identified as the alleged perpetrator of this shocking crime, the police have confirmed. The woman, who faced an identification (ID) parade on Friday, is 30-year-old dental assistant Kayodi Satchell of Padmore district, Red Hills, St Andrew and Twickenham Park in St Catherine addresses, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) in charge of crime and security, Fitz Bailey said in a video released by the police. “It is to be noted that Ms Satchell was an intimate partner of Danielle Rowe’s father. We have not yet established a clear motive, but as the investigation proceeds we expect that the real motive will be manifested,” DCP Bailey said. He said the breakthrough is a reflection of the commitment, patience, and diligence of investigators in this matter, “and I want to commend the team that was involved in this investigation”. The crime boss said Ms Satchell will be interviewed and formal charges will be laid in the coming week. The arrest of Satchell about two weeks ago was the first major breakthrough in the case, two months after Danielle’s slaying. In an interview with the Jamaica Observer earlier this week DCP Bailey said that following her arrest the woman was remanded into custody by the court for 10 days and several investigative leads were actioned. “The investigation continues. There are other lines of enquiries that are being pursued,” he said at the time. DCP Bailey had previously announced that the woman was picked up in the Corporate Area on Friday, August 11 about 2:30 pm. On June 8 Danielle was abducted after leaving Braeton Primary School in Portmore, St Catherine. She was later found on Roosevelt Avenue in St Andrew with her throat slashed. She died at Bustamante Hospital for Children two days after the ordeal. Danielle was laid to rest on July 23.

JAMAICANS are encouraged to take note of the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service’s publication of unclaimed account balances. Unclaimed balances are monies that have remained in the possession or under the control of a banking institution for 15 years or more. This means they are funds in the bank account of persons who have not conducted any transactions utilising these over the 15 or more stipulated years. Economic analyst in the ministry’s Financial Regulation Division, Nadine Pryce said that under Section 126 of the Banking Services Act, unclaimed balances must be published in the Gazette and in a daily newspaper circulated in Jamaica, two times per year. “The unclaimed balances information can also be accessed on the website of the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service,” she said. Individuals seeing their names and account details published have up to one year from the date of the initial publication to retrieve their money at their banking institution. Failing this, the funds will become part of Jamaica’s revenue and be remitted to the accountant general. Thereafter, persons have up to 15 years to retrieve their unclaimed balances, once they can establish proof of ownership to the accountant general’s satisfaction. “Under the Banking Services Act, the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service is only responsible for publishing unclaimed balances in the newspaper and Gazette. It is up to the banking institutions to determine when to classify an account as dormant,” Pryce said. Queries regarding balances must be made to the relevant banking institutions or the Accountant General’s Department, from where the funds are recoverable.

THERE is tension in Kingston Central Police Division following Thursday’s firebombing of three premises at 33, 33 1/4 and 33 1/2 Rum Lane, leaving roughly 30 people, including more than 13 children and a national netballer, homeless while another 17 were burnt out in an apparent reprisal, as the Darksyde and Gennasyde gang feud, which previously appeared to be on pause, is apparently heating up again. That first incident occurred approximately 12:00 am on Rum Lane. About an hour and a half later, in what appeared to be a reprisal for what had happened earlier on Rum Lane, a premises at 6 Rosemary Lane was set on fire, displacing 17 people, including eight children, close to next month’s start of the new school year. In what is believed to have been another act of reprisal, there was an attempt to torch a premises nearby at 12 Foster Lane. Luckily, quick response from residents prevented that fire from igniting anything substantial. However, residents there claimed that a message was sent that the arsonists will be back soon to “flatten everything”. One victim of the fire on Rum Lane said it was the screams from a child at approximately 12:00 am which alerted her to danger. “We just heard the child saying, ‘Daddy, fire, fire, fire.’ By the time I ran out, I see a man throwing water from a bottle in the fire. From there, everything blaze up. We had to run and jump over the back wall. I saw a lady fall three times and she cut her foot. One man cut up. I had to climb on that bench at the back of the yard to go over on Hanover Street, which is the the street behind our yard. “We had nowhere else to exit but at the back. We lost refrigerators, beds, and every furniture burn up as well as clothes and everything. We didn’t save anything. Even the shop right there burn down, flat, flat, flat. They are burning down the houses of innocent people. On my side there are 14 people, including six children; among the children is a six-week-old baby, there is also an unborn child in the belly. That babymother fell two times when she was trying to go up that wall. Even the pigeons burn up,” the victim said. She added: “Everything for back-to-school got burned; there is no birth certificates and no passports. I purchased everything for my children’s back-to-school and everything burn up. They wanted us to burn up in the fire. All this happened right after heavy rains had just ended.” National netballer Latanya Wilson told the Jamaica Observer that she lost almost everything in the fire, including the bronze medal she won with the Sunshine Girls at the Netball World Cup tournament earlier this month in Cape Town, South Africa. “I have several different emotions. I am sad but I am moreso grateful that I still have life. It is always a privilege to represent my country, myself, and my family — the joy from that is unexplainable. This just goes to show that you can be at your highest point in life and the next moment you are at your lowest,” Wilson told the Observer. “There are around five houses in my yard with 15 people, including seven children. Luckily I managed to save my passport and laptop; I will be good to travel. And in terms of school and the laptop, I will be fine. I am currently studying business at The Mico [College] University. I am a fourth-year student, pursuing business,” Wilson added. Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia “Babsy” Grange, who is at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, sent her best wishes to Wilson and her family on Thursday. Sandra Dick, another Rum Lane resident who got burned out, said she was traumatised. “Mi feel like part of mi dead and part alive. It is bad. We bought everything for back-to-school and everything gone down the drain. It is disturbing.” At the premises torched on Rosemary Lane one woman wondered whether the people committing these acts have loved ones “I wonder if they have sense. If you don’t want people to hurt your family, why hurt someone else’s family? A lack of love is the cause of this, and badmind; there wasn’t any war going on. After 2:00 am the person in whose house the fire start came out shouting that they threw gas in his house and a bottle with fire. When we realise seh we have little water we started to throw it, but it never mek sense. The more we throw water, the more the fire escalate. “When the fire truck came, one of the firefighter said they didn’t have enough water because they were just putting out a fire on Rum Lane. When they left for more water they came back and saw that the fire had spread, and we lose everything. We are just making time take its course,” the woman said. None of the people impacted could understand why they were targeted as they claimed no gunmen live among them. Glendale Murdock, the deputy superintendent (DSP) in charge of operations for the Kingston Central Police Division, has appealed to residents to cooperate and give information to the police so as to bring an end to the violence. “In the last four weeks we have seen some activity on the ground where we had shooting and a murder; before that we had some amount of peace in the community. We have some information as it relates to the genesis of these activities and we have been reaching out to specific people to cooperate. The problem is that both sides are armed and they think that they can deal with the situation themselves [but it is] their families [who] oftentimes suffer the loss. “There are some who have a lot of reluctance to pass on the information. There are people who trust us and cooperate, but

FORMER Prime Minister Bruce Golding says Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) Governor Richard Byles’ comment that private sector wage hikes could throw the country’s inflation projection off target is simply “the uncompromising law of economics”, as the point the central bank boss was making was that higher salaries must be balanced by increased productivity. “The focus, as the central bank governor sought to point out, must be on increasing labour productivity — and that is not the responsibility of the workers alone,” Golding said in a letter to the editor. Here is the full text of that letter: “The recent comments by the governor of the Bank of Jamaica ,for which he is being pilloried, is not an opinion he was expressing. It is the uncompromising law of economics. Higher wages, just like higher oil prices, increase the cost of production unless it is counterbalanced by increased productivity that mitigates that higher cost of production and results in more goods and services being produced with the same inputs, in order to match that increased spend. It has little or nothing to do with the employer’s ability to pay. The Government is the largest provider of services in the economy. In presenting the public sector wage restructuring package the finance minister stressed the importance of it being supported by improved efficiency and service delivery. If it isn’t, that too can have an adverse impact on prices and inflation. Even in high school, students of economics are taught that if more purchasing power is chasing the same quantity of goods and services the inescapable result is an increase in the price of those goods and services. The focus, as the central bank governor sought to point out, must be on increasing labour productivity, and that is not the responsibility of the workers alone. Improved management, more effective use of technology and innovation, and greater investment by employers in training have a significant part to play in increasing labour productivity. As with almost everything in life, we have choices. We can go for higher wages even if they are not backed by increased productivity. Not long after that the additional purchasing power of those wage increases will be wiped out by inflation and its twin brother, devaluation. Then we will demand more wage increases to compensate for that, and the vicious cycle picks up speed. We’ve been there and done that! Painful lessons must be learned well and misjudgements not repeated. We have come too far, sacrificed too much and at last turning the corner for us to want to frolic in that painful past.”

THE female suspect nabbed in connection to the abduction and murder of eight-year-old Danielle Rowe is to face an identification (ID) parade shortly, the police have revealed. The arrest of the woman about a week and a half ago was the first major breakthrough in the case, two months after Danielle’s slaying. Deputy commissioner of police (DCP) in charge of crime and security Fitz Bailey told the Jamaica Observer on Wednesday that she is scheduled to be placed before an ID parade on, or before, Friday of this week. DCP Bailey said that following her arrest the woman was remanded into custody by the court for 10 days, and several investigative leads were actioned. “The investigation continues. There are other lines of enquiries that are being pursued,” he said. DCP Bailey had previously announced that the woman was picked up in the Corporate Area on Friday, August 11 at about 2:30 pm. On June 8 Danielle was abducted after leaving Braeton Primary School in Portmore, St Catherine. She was later found on Roosevelt Avenue in St Andrew with her throat slashed. She died at Bustamante Hospital for Children two days after the ordeal. Speaking to the Observer on the day of the suspect’s arrest, DCP Bailey noted that Danielle’s murder, which has “touched the nerve” of Jamaicans, including members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), has been given the highest priority, stressing that every possible angle is being looked at and every lead is being pursued. The deputy police commissioner, at the same time, implored citizens to provide any information they have that they think can further assist with the investigation. Danielle was laid to rest on July 23.

RESIDENTS of Kent Village in the Bog Walk Gorge area of St Catherine say they are concerned about lilies that have blanketed a huge section of the Rio Cobre, continuing to pose a threat to them and others as it creates a habitat for crocodiles and possibly numerous other dangerous creatures. The Jamaica Observer visited the Gorge on Tuesday and in sections where the lilies are spread heavily, it is a struggle to see the water beneath. According to one resident, the water in that section, which lies between Kent Village and the Bog Walk bridge, is so deep that it can cover and hide people and vehicles with ease. What the residents want is for the authorities to be consistent in organising activities to have the affected area cleared regularly. Clifton Barrett, a resident, recalled an incident in which a man died after his car plunged into the river and was covered by the lilies. “I remember a vehicle went over there once and you couldn’t see the vehicle, and it was the same men dem from down here and Bog Walk who had to go over there. When the wrecker came, the men went down there and hooked it for the wrecker to draw it out,” Barrett said, adding that people in authority deliberately do not want to spend the money to clean it. “It is risky to get rid of the lilies. They are playing politics with it. Lily is always in there and when the river come down, it wash them away. However, when there is no rain for five to six months, the lilies just grow out of control. We cleaned them in the past and got more than 10 truckloads and we carried them away to the dump. We went in the river on about or five rafts and the water is very deep. Sometimes you have some sand out there that slow you up. They call it quicksand and you have to be careful,” Clifton said. Another male resident shared that he is concerned about the threat that crocodiles pose to fishermen and others who use the river for various purposes. “You can’t see the water at all. I have seen one big crocodile and five small ones in there. There is a place upstream where they scale and gut fish and drop it in that area. The river has not come down in a little while now to wash them away, so I know they are still there, he said.” In a short film about lilies that was aired on BBC Earth last year, the narrator described the lily as a monster that is well armed. The film was entitled: Tyrant of the deep, the green plant. The Observer sought comment from the National Environment and Planning Authority (NEPA) on Wednesday about crocodiles and other dangerous creatures possibly living in the lilies; however, experts from the authority could not be reached for feedback on the matter.

MONTEGO BAY, St James – Almost 3,000 students heading back to school within St James in September will benefit from $17 million in support from the local municipal corporation. On Wednesday, the parents and guardians of more than 500 of these students assembled at Montego Bay Civic Centre to receive vouchers that can be used to purchase school supplies. It was the first of six gatherings planned over the next seven days. Vouchers will be provided for students from across the parish’s 17 electoral divisions. Each division has been allocated $1 million, about the same as those provided last year during the corporation’s Annual Back-to-School and Education Support Presentation. “The St James Municipal Corporation has dedicated approximately $17 million dollars, with the help of the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development towards educational grants for this year,” Deputy Mayor Richard Vernon told the Jamaica Observer. “Even the divisions without councillors are properly represented by the citizens’ associations. They reached out to us, asking for assistance for the youngsters in the different communities, and they’ve received assistance,” he said. According to Vernon, the support provided to students is an indicator of the local authority’s ongoing commitment to education. “This has marked approximately $80 million dollars in the last five years towards educational grants,” he said. There has also been support provided to youngsters through the summer employment programme. “Over the last five years we have spent over $100 million dollars on summer employment and approximately $80 million on educational grants, so that’s nearly $200 million in youth support,” noted Vernon. Among the grateful parents who collected vouchers on Wednesday was first-time recipient and resident of the Montego Bay South Division, Maxine Tugwell. She was obviously thrilled to receive assistance. “I am truly thankful for this support as I have been questioning myself as to how I would manage to purchase supplies to send my daughter back to high school. This support from the St James Municipal Corporation will go a far way in ensuring that the supplies are purchased and that my daughter can return to school, come September, with the necessary things needed to further her education,” she said. Spring Mount Division resident Michelle Wallace was equally grateful. “I am very thankful for this support, and all I am asking my children to do is to perform well at school. I know there are others who are in need, and in that way I am extremely grateful and thankful for what I have received,” she said. In addressing the gathering, CEO of the St James Municipal Corporation, Naudia Crosskill spoke of the significance of Wednesday’s event. “The corporation is happy to be able to host such an event as this which highlights its unwavering commitment to the development of the youth and, by extension, the parish of St James,” she said.

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Tropical Storm Franklin unleashed heavy floods and landslides in the Dominican Republic on Wednesday, after making landfall in the country’s southern region, killing at least one person and injuring two others. The storm was expected to swirl for most of the day above the island of Hispaniola that the Dominican Republic shares with Haiti. Forecasters warned the storm could drop up to 12 inches (30 centimetres) of rain in the Dominican Republic, with a maximum of 16 inches (41 centimetres) for the country’s western and central regions. Meanwhile, up to four inches (10 centimetres) of rain are forecast for Haiti, with nearly eight inches (20 centimetres) for the country’s eastern regions. “The population of the Dominican Republic must all be right now, without exception, in their homes, the homes of friends and family, or in shelters,” said Juan Manuel Méndez, emergency operations director. The civil defence identified the man killed as Carlos Marino Martínez, saying he died in the city of San Cristobal after being swept away by flood waters. The agency initially said he was one of its volunteers, but later corrected the information saying it misidentified a uniform he was wearing. They did not provide further details. Two women in that city also were injured following a landslide and were hospitalised, officials said. More than 300 people were huddled in shelters in the Dominican Republic, where emergency operations officials said they were looking for a 54-year-old man with mental health problems who went missing after he jumped into a creek late Tuesday. Another 280 people were evacuated from their homes to safer ground, with at least six communities cut off by heavy rains, officials said. The storm also downed several trees and at least two light posts, with dozens of homes affected by floods that turned streets into rushing rivers. Authorities said the roof of one home in San Cristobal collapsed, as did walls of various buildings around the country. “There’s a lot of damage,” Méndez said. Meanwhile, authorities in neighbouring Puerto Rico, which was also hit by Franklin’s rain, were searching for two scuba divers missing south of the US territory in waters churned up by the storm. The UN’s World Food Programme warned Wednesday that some 125,000 people in the Dominican Republic are living in areas that “are extremely vulnerable to landslides and flash floods because they live in poor, overcrowded settlements near rivers, creeks, and lagoons”. Hércules Urbáez, a 41-year-old father of six who lives in the city of Barahona, where Franklin made landfall, said he and his family went to his mother’s house for safety. “People have refused to leave,” he said. On Wednesday afternoon the storm was centred about 40 miles (65 kilometres) south of Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. It had maximum winds of 40 mph (65 kph) with higher gusts and was moving northward at 13 mph (20 kph). Rivers were swelling across the country, with one in the southern coastal city of Barahona lapping at shacks made of tin where one resident used plastic buckets to raise his mattress above his home’s dirt floor. In the capital of Santo Domingo, José Abott, a 34-year-old graphic designer, monitored the water level of a river near his home via a WhatsApp group: “It always fills with water.” Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Harold weakened into a tropical depression Tuesday night after making landfall in south Texas, bringing strong winds and rain, leaving thousands of homes without power. Officials were most concerned about Franklin’s impact on Haiti, which is prone to catastrophic flooding given the country’s severe erosion. “Haiti is among the most vulnerable countries in the world when it comes to the effects of extreme weather,” said Jean-Martin Bauer, the World Food Programme’s director for Haiti. In June a powerful thunderstorm that unleashed heavy rains left more than 40 people dead across the country. Prime Minister Ariel Henry had urged Haitians on Tuesday to stock up on water, food and medication. More than 200,000 people in Haiti have been displaced by gang violence over the past few years; authorities checked up on some of those living on the street or in makeshift shelters. In the Dominican Republic officials shuttered schools, government agencie, and several airports, with at least 25 of the country’s 31 provinces under red alert. On Wednesday more than 400,000 customers were without power, and dozens of aqueducts were out of service because of heavy rains, affecting more than 1.3 million customers. Flooding already had been reported on Tuesday in Santo Domingo and beyond, where residents prepared for heavy rainfall. “We’re scared of the river,” said Doralisa Sánchez, a government employee who lives near the Ozama River that divides the city. She had to flee her home three times during previous storms. She hoped Franklin wouldn’t force her to temporarily abandon her home because she said people steal belongings left behind. The storm worried thousands of Dominicans who live in flood-prone areas. “When two drops of water fall here, this suddenly becomes flooded,” said Juan Olivo Urbáez who owns a small business in a community near the Ozama River. The National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning for the Turks and Caicos Islands, where up to three inches (eight centimetres) of rain was forecast in some areas. Franklin is the seventh named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season which runs from June 1 to November 30. An eighth named storm, Gert, dissipated on Tuesday. On August 10 the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration updated its forecast and warned that this year’s hurricane season would be above normal. Between 14 to 21 named storms are forecast. Of those, six to 11 could become hurricanes, with two to five of them possibly becoming major hurricanes.

WITH the new school year swiftly approaching, members of Jamaica Information Service (JIS) have helped to put a smile on the faces of residents at Mount Olivet Boys’ Home. Twenty-nine residents received shoes, uniforms, books, and stationery at the annual back-to-school visit, held last Saturday at the home in Walderston, Manchester. Before the handover of the items the boys were engaged in discussions surrounding aviation, innovation, agriculture and art. The session, led by acting special projects manager at JIS Charnele Henry, gave the boys important insight into careers they can venture into, following their departure from school. “Some of you will be leaving school soon, and we want you to start thinking about the careers you would like to go into so that you can become good citizens and can give back to society in a positive way,” Henry encouraged the boys. The back-to-school visit is one of three to the home annually by JIS as part of its ongoing support for the facility. A sports day, Christmas visit, and birthday celebrations are other ways in which the State agency supports the nurturing and development of the residents. This year’s visit was sponsored by Dr Sue and You Foundation, Econo Office and School Supplies, Trade Winds Citrus, Joseph’s, and Sammy’s Shoes Jamaica. In accepting the donation, head of the board of the boys’ home, Sophia Morgan expressed gratitude to JIS for its continued support over the years, adding that a sound education is one of its priorities. “Education is one of the things that we promote highly for our residents. We know they are from different backgrounds, we know there are different challenges that they have, and so school is one area that we hope to get them a little more focused,” said Morgan. She added that the home is resolute in its efforts to provide an environment that promotes holistic development for its residents. “We have instituted a wellness programme where the boys wake up in the mornings, do their devotions, and then go outside for physical exercise. “We want to ensure that the spiritual and physical well-being [of the boys] is integrated in the whole behavioural change that we are promoting at the home,” added Morgan. In the meantime, 100 layers were donated to the home on Saturday by Jamaica Broilers Group, while a greenhouse project is set to commence soon with bell peppers acquired by the home.

CHILDREN and adolescents in the child diversion programme of the Ministry of Justice will benefit from new assessment tools which were handed over Wednesday by UNICEF. The assessment tools are designed to help the child diversion team to formulate individualised intervention plans for each child. Expressing appreciation for UNICEF’s support, Minister of Justice Delroy Chuck said that after a period of counselling and mentorship, the programme has assisted in the recovery of children who have fallen by the wayside and thanked UNICEF for continuing its campaign for the welfare of children. “The assessment tools will help in ascertaining the key areas that need to be addressed,” Olga Isaza, UNICEF country representative explained, “and will help to determine the type of support that each child needs”. The tools consist of four tests, while child diversion psychologists and diagnosticians were trained to use them last month. UNICEF said a good clinical assessment provides a window of opportunity for family and caregivers to better support children, adding that the cognitive strengths and weaknesses of children in the programme will be determined. Coordinators, added UNICEF, will have valuable information to help them better understand the behaviours and emotions of the children. Principal director for the Social Justice Division in the ministry, Jamie-Ann Chevannes, said the new tools will go a far way in the care of young people and getting them their individualised treatment plans. She also thanked UNICEF for developing the technical capacity of the staff. The child diversion programme redirects a child between 12 and 17 years old from the criminal justice system. It is the process of implementing measures for dealing with children who are accused of or recognised as having infringed the law without resorting to formal judicial proceedings.

BLACK RIVER, St Elizabeth — Police here are urging parents and guardians to be vigilant in the protection of their children amid worrying concerns stemming from the alleged buggery of a toddler and rape of a teenager in recent weeks. Head of the St Elizabeth police Acting Superintendent Coleridge Minto raised alarm following the arrest of a farmer, 26, charged with buggery against a four-year-old relative in relation to a July 22 incident. The accused made his first court appearance in the St Elizabeth Parish Court in Santa Cruz on Wednesday and was remanded to reappear on September 11. “We have found in a number of cases that the accused in the matters relating to rape are persons who are either relatives or closely related to the victims, so we [are] asking parents/guardians, particularly those who have custody and control over their children, to pay attention to any change in the behaviour of their children and to ensure that all matters are reported to the police,” Minto stressed. On Wednesday, Minto, following a series of operations in town centres in St Elizabeth, encouraged the public to report cases of abuse against children to the police. “…We have no space for persons who are preying on our children. These are children; we expect that they should enjoy their childhood life and so we are asking persons who have information relating to any child who they suspect to be abused to report it to the Black River Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB), police 119 or the nearest police station,” he said outside the Black River Courthouse. The police chief added that 14 cases of rape have been reported to the police since the start of the year. “…This is one more than in 2022, where we had 13 reported cases. The clear-up [arrests] for this year is much better than last year. We have nine matters cleared versus five for 2022,” Minto said. He reiterated the worrying trend of children being among the victims. “Of the 14 cases that have been reported, some of the matters involve children, and so we want to encourage persons who are victims of sexual offences to come forward. In this division we treat matters relating to this very sensitive but very seriously,” said Minto. He pointed out that detectives are now probing the alleged rape of a teenager. “There is another case we are treating with, which occurred earlier this week, where a 14-year-old was raped and that matter is being investigated now and the case file is being prepared,” he said. “We note at this particular time during the summer that the cases of rape tend to be higher than other periods throughout the year, and so we are asking our guardians/parents to pay special attention to our children and to report the matters to the police,” added Minto.

TWO trade unionists on opposing ends are urging private sector employers to pay their workers what they can afford despite the Bank of Jamaica (BoJ) Governor Richard Byles’ warning that large salary increases could impact negatively on inflation. Both Government Senator Kavan Gayle and Opposition Senator Lambert Brown believe that workers deserve reasonable salary increases in line with the country’s current market situation. Gayle, who is also president of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU) told the Jamaica Observer on Wednesday that while he understands the role of the BoJ in seeking to curtail inflation, he is disappointed with the governor’s suggestion encouraging employers not to pay high increases. “I am saying why? First of all, let’s agree that employers should not yield to the temptation that has been professed by the governor of BoJ because employees have been working diligently, workers have been committed and they would be achieving growth and revenue generation with organisations that would have allowed for progressive profitability and there should be a return on that investment,” he said. He argued that suggesting to employers to curtail themselves in that regard would be seeking to “create an albatross around the necks of workers at a time when they would have made sacrifices, especially during a period of pandemic, when they could not have gotten increases”. Gayle notes, however, that he understands there are some employers that may not have the ability to pay, but he is also concerned that there are some employers who will abuse the call made by the governor, by simply saying, “the governor of the BoJ in warning against this.” He noted as well that in instances in which these employees don’t have a union to represent them, they are exposed to the will of a recommendation coming from the governor without a thorough explanation to support it. The trade unionist further argued that while Byles has advised against substantial increases, he has not determined what an appropriate level ought to be or recommended a limit that would not create havoc in relation to inflation. Meanwhile, Brown, a veteran trade unionist, is of the view that the BoJ governor should allow the market to determine wage levels. “If the money is not paid in wages, where does it go? It seems to me that such money goes to profit rather than reduced prices. I think the governor got it wrong, especially in a low-wage environment as Jamaica. Workers need increased pay to meet the high cost of living and surviving in Jamaica,” he argued. He also noted that it would be useful if the Governor would publish the levels of salary granted by the BoJ to the management cadre at the central bank. In a press release on Wednesday afternoon, the BoJ sought to clarify statements made at press conferences in May and August on the potential impact of wage increase on inflation. It reiterated that large future wage adjustments in the context of the tight domestic labour market “constitute one of the potential headwinds that could result in higher-than-projected inflation in the future”. The release further stated that if large wage increases translate into increased prices, there will be a cost-push effect on inflation, but if wage increases are accompanied by commensurate increases in productivity, such wage increases will not impact the inflation rate.

Negril , Hanover – Minister of Education and Youth Fayval Williams has blamed red tape, and not a lack of funds, for the slow pace of repairs to school infrastructure. “We are not short on the funds to do the work,” she said, eliciting sounds of surprise from teachers she was addressing during the Jamaica Teachers’ Association’s 59th annual conference on Wednesday. “It takes too long for the building officer to visit,” Williams explained as educators responded with a round of applause. “It is the truth. What we need is a more accelerated process. It takes too long for the building officer to come out and look and for design work to be done. And the tender work [has] to go out and come back and then it has to go to the next level and next level. That is what is holding up the process. It is not the money,” she reiterated. Williams commiserated with school administrators who are faced with the challenge of faulty infrastructure and argued that principals should not be saddled with the responsibility of reporting on the state of physical structures. That information, she said, should be in the ministry’s database, easily accessible to officers so they can go out and help schools. “The Orlando Patterson report is calling on us to significantly invest in the infrastructure of our schools and to ensure that technology is at our schools. That is to tell you the importance of having proper, fully functioning infrastructure in our schools,” said the minister, who noted that this is an important pillar of education transformation. “We do not want classrooms in our schools in which roofs are leaking. They are infested with termites. The desks are breaking down. That is not what we want in the education sector and I am here to tell you that, that is not what we want to see,” she added before providing a breakdown of work to be done. Under the 2023/2024 critical repairs and infrastructure maintenance programme, $440 million is allocated to fund critical repairs and maintenance activities in 125 schools across the seven regions. In addition, $165 million has been budgeted to close out 23 contracts that were brought forward from last year. Also, $65 million is to be spent on maintenance and renovation projects in seven schools, while a total of $210 million has been set aside to carry out critical repairs in 95 schools for termite treatment, electrical repairs, and repairs to bathrooms and roofs. Williams also said $244 million was provided for electrical upgrading projects to carry out precontract or contract activities in 47 schools, including Tarrant High, Priory Primary and Infant, and Holmwood Technical. Bids are also being invited for Little London and Savanna-la-Mar primary schools as well as McGrath, Alston, and Seaforth high schools to name a few. In relation to the topical issue of safety and security in schools, the minister said $73 million was allocated to carry out precontract and contract activities related to the fencing of 56 schools. She again pointed to the many steps involved. “Here, again, you may think that it is easy to just come put in a fence at the school, but no, you have to go get a surveyor to make sure that the boundaries are good and proper and then we have to do the tendering process and so on,” stated Williams. In relation to furniture for schools, she told educators that high schools should have by now received funding for the procurement of furniture based on needs. She said $97 million was disbursed. At the primary level, 1,400 pieces of student desks and chairs were dispatched to regions one, two, and four based on requests made and needs. Meanwhile, 74 pieces of desks and chairs for teachers were dispatched to Region Five and 3,800 pieces of furniture are scheduled for dispatch to other regions during August. In terms of the repairing of furniture, under the ministry’s active repair programme 11 schools have been engaged to undertake this initiative. There is also an active programme for the creation of new desks and chairs for several schools. Williams said 16,000 pieces of furniture are being manufactured and are set for distribution by August 28.

NEGRIL, Westmoreland — The draft of a dress and grooming policy for schools, which would remove the need for male Rastafarian students to cover their locks, is to be published within a few weeks. Education Minister Fayval Williams, who made the announcement on Wednesday, said educators’ feedback would be sought on the draft ahead of implementation. Their views will also be sought on proposed changes to how devotions are conducted in schools and on the draft of a national school nutrition policy. “There have been a few times that I’ve gone to schools and I see students — maybe not more than one or two in a particular school — boys wearing tams to school to cover their locks. This is 2023; we really, really should not be doing that anymore. We need to respect other people’s religion,” Williams said in explaining the rationale behind that aspect of the grooming policy. “We are putting [the draft] out into the education sector. We want you to read it. We want you to look at it in your context. We want you to understand the framework within which the dress and grooming policy will operate. We want you to try it in our schools and give us your feedback. That’s why it’s in draft form. We could have moved to make it final but we wanted to hear from you. It’s going to take longer for us to get to that final stage, but your input is important because you may say to us this policy sounds good on paper but in implementation, here are some of the issues. We will listen,” she added. She was speaking during the Jamaica Teachers’ Association’s annual conference. “Yes, we need to say to our students you have to ensure that your hair is clean and so forth. But come on, you shouldn’t have to cover your hair unless that’s what your religion calls for,” she added. In a swift response, Rastafarian advocate Ras Iyah V welcomed the move as a “step in the right direction”. Grooming has been a hot-button topic for years, and it remains to be seen whether the proposal will be embraced by the country’s teachers. While some schools have relaxed their rules in recent years, others have adamantly stuck to tradition. The proposed changes to be made to how devotions are conducted are also expected to spark some debate. “The guidelines for devotions in schools are designed for upholding civility and teaching the core values which are milestones in the captivating of the nation. Therefore, the aim of these guidelines is to create an environment where devotions contribute effectively to the holistic development of the student,” Williams said on Wednesday. “There are going to be some rules and guidelines. There are going to be some things that will not be permitted,” she added, without providing details. Her comments come in the wake of last October’s bizarre incident involving Oberlin High School students in west rural St Andrew. Scores of them began acting abnormally during morning devotion, with many of them fainting. “We want to ensure that we don’t experience again what we experienced in one of our schools,” Williams said on Wednesday. Like the draft policies related to grooming and religion in schools, the one on national school nutrition and standards will also be circulated to stakeholders within the education sector for feedback ahead of ratification. According to Williams, the policy was developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Wellness. The goal is to provide guidelines for school administrators to follow in order to ensure that students are provided with healthy and nutritious meals, “along with a holistic wellness programme that involve both nutrition and physical activity”. “Again, even though we’ve gone through the rounds of consultations with different stakeholder groups, before we finalise we want to hear from you,” the education minister told the gathering of educators from across the country. “We want to hear from you as to what will work, what can be implemented. We want your input into this,” she urged.

NEGRIL, Hanover – President of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) Leighton Johnson has warned that public school educators may take action, after the organisation’s next gathering in September, if concerns about anomalies in their salaries are not addressed. However, he said efforts would be made to avoid disruptions to the start of the school term. “I can indicate that, having written letters, there is a particular course of action that teachers are prepared to take,” he said. “If we get no resolution by the time we have our next general council meeting then the teachers will follow a particular course.” He was fielding questions from journalists on Tuesday from the sidelines of the JTA’s annual conference. Johnson declined to provide details on what precise steps would be taken as the JTA follows its “particular process”. “We have options and, at the appropriate time, we will activate our machinery to ensure that the Government responds,” said the JTA head who noted that members of the 25,000-strong organisation are restive and determined to have their concerns addressed. Among the issues they want dealt with is what Johnson said is fluctuation, since March, in income tax paid by some educators on the new salaries hammered out in the Government’s compensation review. “Teachers want a resolution to these issues. We have written and we will continue to write. The Jamaica Teachers’ Association will leave no stone unturned; we are ensuring that every process is adhered to and followed,” he stated. At the same time, he has signalled a change in how the association will seek to have issues of concern aired in the public domain. “In many respects, the teachers’ business has been at the forefront and the subject of much criticism and conversations. I believe it is time now for us to coalesce around this common cause behind closed doors and carry out the mandates of the teachers in a manner that will not disclose to the public our direction,” said the JTA president.

ON the heels of a ninth-consecutive quarter of economic growth for Jamaica’s tourism industry, Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett says the country is on track to meet its projections of 3.8-million visitors and foreign exchange earnings of US$4.1 billion by the end of the year. According to Bartlett, the latest tourism figures show that between January and July of this year Jamaica welcomed some 2.47-million visitors. This included 1.72-million stopover visitors and 747,643 cruise visitors, more than twice the number recorded for the corresponding period in 2022, with gross earnings of US$2.59 billion. “You’re looking at a more than 24 per cent increase in gross tourism dollars earned in just those seven months. The economy continues to grow, and tourism continues to play a big role in that. Coming out of the pandemic, tourism has consistently demonstrated its resilience and, as a result, the sector’s contribution to the Jamaican economy cannot be overlooked. Now more than ever, we are focused on advancing programmes and policies that ensure this growth trajectory is sustained,” said Bartlett as he kicked off engagements in Eastern Europe with a marketing blitz to promote destination Jamaica amid the staging of the 19th World Athletics Championships underway in Budapest, Hungary. “We met with over 50 tour operators, travel agents, and media representatives at the President’s Hotel. We discussed the new way in which Jamaica will engage Central and Eastern European countries, including Poland, Georgia, Serbia, and Bulgaria, among others. The connection, of course, being through Berlin, Germany, via Condor that has a direct route between Montego Bay and Berlin. We are also in discussions with a major private sector player about their plans to operate charter flights between Bulgaria and Jamaica for Winter 2023/24,” added Bartlett. He noted that the traffic between Hungary and Jamaica is currently low but argued that the appetite for travel to Jamaica is strong and he is excited to capitalise on this. “As Jamaica doubles down on its efforts to increase visitor arrivals, this will provide a unique opportunity to leverage the power of sports tourism to promote Jamaica as an attractive and dynamic travel destination and strengthen the relationship between Jamaica and Europe,” said Bartlett. The tourism minister also highlighted that these engagements are aligned with his ministry’s Blue Ocean Strategy, which is targeted at bolstering arrivals from non-traditional markets while encouraging product differentiation locally. Along the same vein, Bartlett welcomed the recent announcement from the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) that the hotels and restaurants industry grew by nine per cent in the April to June 2023 quarter, with preliminary estimates on foreign national arrivals standing at 705,031 visitors, an increase of 14.2 per cent compared with the corresponding quarter of 2022.

THE National Family Planning Board (NFPB) has embarked on a public education campaign, titled ‘Champions for Change’, aimed at building awareness and promoting the reduction of stigma and discrimination against persons living with HIV. The campaign was conceptualised against the background that, despite stigma- and discrimination-reduction efforts, these issues remain deeply rooted in the Jamaican social construct and continue to threaten the gains being realised in the national HIV prevention and treatment response. Speaking with JIS Tuesday, director, Enabling Environment and Human Rights Unit at the NFPB, Karlene Temple Anderson explained the rationale for the campaign. “What we have found is that while we have treatment that is free, while we have health facilities across the country that allow services to be available and accessible, and while we also have a non-governmental organisation (NGO) — the Jamaica AIDS Support for Life (JASL) that also provides services for people living with HIV — persons are still afraid to access the services,” she said. The campaign has a two-pronged approach. There is a media component that includes the development of television and radio commercials as well as infographics and interviews. The second component is the engagement of three Champions for Change ambassadors who will support and promote the key messages that should lead to the reduction of stigma and discrimination. They are former political ombudsman, former CEO of the Disputes Resolution Foundation, and attorney-at-law Donna Parchment-Brown; medical doctor and musician Dr Mario Evon Guthrie; and creative director, marketer and musician Dimario McDowell. The ambassadors will act as change agents who will build awareness and motivate members of their networks to get involved in stigma- and discrimination-reduction efforts. Temple Anderson explained that while the engagement, which began in June, was for an initial six weeks, the Champions for Chnage have decided to continue their advocacy efforts. She expressed gratitude for the decision on the part of the champions to continue. “We are overwhelmed that the initiative has been so well received and at the fact that the champions would feel so strongly about it that they would want to continue. It highlights the fact that the intervention was needed and that people are willing to support,” Temple Anderson said. The NFPB will also continue to promote the message about Champions for Change and ask persons to join in at their workplaces and in their communities.

THE National Works Agency (NWA) says it has been receiving reports from motorists in St Thomas about aggregates falling from trucks transporting these on sections of the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project (SCHIP), and has referred the matter to the police. NWA acting manager for communications and customer services, Stacy-Ann Delevante, told JIS News that there has been dialogue with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch (PSTEB) about police presence in the area. “They [police] did agree that, where possible, they would lend their support. These truck operators have been breaching by overloading the vehicles and [having] the aggregate falling out [which is] dangerous to whoever is travelling behind them,” she said. Delevante revealed that as recent as last week, she received a report from a motorist about her windscreen being shattered by a particle falling from a truck while a child was seated in the back of the motor car. With this and other ordeals, Delevante is reiterating the NWA’s appeal for persons to utilise the corridors of the highway project as carefully and as responsibly as they can. She pointed out that truck drivers ought not to overload their vehicles and should ensure their cargo is adequately covered. Notably, the newest section of the St Thomas leg of the highway project, which was opened to motorists a few weeks ago, is an incline that crosses the Bull River. Delavante pointed out that overloaded trucks on this incline “are not just dangerous for others, but also the truck drivers”. Other motorists encountering these trucks are encouraged, where possible, to take evasive action such as allowing the units to proceed at a distance. “We are still going to appeal for some assistance for police presence in the area and repeat calls for persons to stop overloading their vehicles,” she further restated, while emphasising that the matter is fundamentally a policing one. “Once we lay down the road, the use of it becomes a police matter,” she underscored. And as more sections of the highway project are opened, the NWA has appealed to motorists not to speed. Delavante said that maintaining a moderate speed is “even more important” when there is debris on the roadway. “If there is any sort of debris on the road left by these truckers, it is certain to compromise safety. So it is absolutely important that under those circumstances, persons are driving at a moderate pace,” she said. The multi-billion-dollar SCHIP represents the largest integrated infrastructure programme of works to be undertaken in Jamaica. The project spans the parishes of St Andrew, St Thomas and Portland, and traverses the communities of Bull Bay, Mezgar Gardens, Albion, Yallahs, Morant Bay, Seaforth, Cedar Valley, Port Morant, Golden Grove, Hector’s River, Boston, and Port Antonio.

NEGRIL, Westmoreland — Arguing that special needs students are now being foisted onto schools whose curricula are not equipped to deal with them, newly installed president of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) Leighton Johnson is pushing for at least 28 facilities to be established across the country where these students can be assessed. He also wants to see more teachers trained to work with the country’s youngest students. These calls have been fuelled by his view that both the special and early childhood sectors have “been treated like the bastard child of the education system”. While he conceded that some work is being done to address the needs of special students, he said a lot more is required. “There is still the urgent need for additional diagnostic centres across our country. I suggest that at least two schools be identified in each parish — one at the primary and one at the secondary level — to be used as diagnosis centres,” Johnson said, even as he acknowledged the work being done by The Mico University College Child Assessment and Research in Education (CARE) Centre, and Church Teachers’ College. “Plants should be retrofitted with the necessary resources to teach students with special learning needs. This can be done, it can be done!” he insisted. He was delivering the president’s address during the official opening of the JTA’s 59th Annual Conference and investiture ceremony at Royalton Negril Resort and Spa Monday night. The issue of public schools’ readiness to accommodate students with special needs surfaced earlier this year when the families of at least two students raised concerns about them not being allowed to enroll in the high schools for which they had obtained passes. In late July, executive director at the National Education Trust (NET) Latoya Harris-Ghartey gave a commitment that all infrastructure development projects for schools will comply with the Disabilities Act. Under the Disabilities Act 2014 Accessibility Checklist, public buildings should be outfitted with the requisite amenities to enable easy access by these persons. However, Johnson is concerned about the availability of educators. “Our country is in desperate need of additional schools and programmes that are staffed with suitably qualified teachers to address these special education needs of our students. These institutions are few and far apart, thus making them inaccessible for students who are in need of specialised education. Additionally, there are those who were born with different disabilities and have to be hidden in their homes because of the lack of adequate programmes for them to be enrolled in,” he stressed. He argued that the teaching material now being used does not meet the needs of these students. “This context has resulted in students with exceptionalities of varying kinds and degrees [being] forced to operate in the regular classroom. While I am confident in our teachers’ ability to deliver the curriculum under difficult circumstances, our teachers are not necessarily equipped to treat with the delicate learning needs of these students who are often undiagnosed,” Johnson said. “These students cannot function in the regular classroom, and our teachers are held to account when these students do not perform,” he added. Focusing on early childhood education, the Muschett High School principal called for an increase in the number of trained teachers in government-run schools at that level, as well as support to get these institutions certified by the Early Childhood Commission. Accreditation, he said, can be daunting. “Meeting the standards of the Early Childhood Commission can be an intimidating process. There is the need for support, in this regard, to get every early childhood institution certified and operating under the recognised and approved standards. There must be an increase in the budgetary allocation to the Early Childhood Commission to be adequately staffed to take on the task of assisting and monitoring every basic school to meet the educational standards. This is urgent and necessary,” he said. “If we get it right from the start then many of the learning issues that persist through the years and through the grades will be addressed. …Every study that has been commissioned speaks to the importance of early childhood education. Every speech or address which is made surrounding education speaks to the importance of early childhood education — every single one. Admittedly, there have been significant gains with regards to the structure and monitoring of the sector, however we are still a far way off and we must be deliberate in our approach,” Johnson appealed.

NEGRIL, Hanover – Issues relating to salary compensation for the nation’s public school teachers continue to be a teething pain for educators who have reportedly seen a fluctuation in their salaries each month for the past five months. According to president of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) Leighton Johnson, the implementation of the income tax policy has made it extremely difficult for teachers to understand how income tax is calculated. “In several instances, it appears on the pay advice that the teachers’ gross taxable amount exceeds their gross earnings! How is this simpler when every month since March teachers who get a set amount for salary experience fluctuation in the amount of money deducted for taxes? We are tired and frustrated and need answers immediately,” stated Johnson. Johnson, who took over from La Sonja Harrison, was addressing his investiture ceremony during the first of a three-day JTA 59th annual conference in Negril on Monday. The conference is currently being held at the Royalton Negril Resort in Hanover. Johnson reiterated the Minister of Finance and Public Service Dr Nigel Clarke’s argument that one of the Government”s chief objectives of reviewing and modernising compensation was to simplify the process for everyone. This includes, but would not be limited to, collapsing over 30 scales down to 16, and the rolling of all allowances into salaries. However, Johnson said this is not the experience of the educators. Another contention within the compensation review process is the need for advancement in the process of applying the graduate allowance to the salaries of teachers as was agreed to in the memorandum of understanding. Johnson said this is yet to take place. Besides, the JTA president said teachers are eagerly anticipating the possibility of the Government of Jamaica paying teachers a similar salary to that of Germany. “Minister, Jamaica is known to copy many principles, strategies and initiatives from other jurisdictions. Angela Merkel, the former chancellor of Germany, is quoted as saying, “Teaching is the hardest career because it creates all other careers; therefore, teachers must be paid well, teachers must be taken care of. Teachers in Germany are the second highest paid teachers in the world. Minister, we wait with bated breath for this principle to be modelled. I assure you this concept is definitely worth a copy,” stated Johnson. The president argued that inadequate compensation is the primary reason for the teacher migration in Jamaica which has resulted in a shortfall. According to Johnson, there is a chronic shortage of teachers in the technical fields. However, he noted that while Jamaica does not have the spending power as other big countries that pay their educators well, attractive compensation would go a long way in retaining teachers. “While I understand that a small developing state like ours cannot match the salaries being paid in those realms, it is imperative that a deliberate and intentional attempt be made to adequately compensate our teachers so that we can retain the experienced and qualified ones,” stated Johnson. Johnson suggested that Jamaica, being the only Caribbean country that has over 10 institutions that focus primarily on teacher training, efforts must be made to embark on a robust programme to train teachers for the export market. “We must improve our approach in marketing the teaching profession as an attractive, viable and noble option to the youth of our nation. I suggest that we launch a national campaign to throng the teachers” colleges, many of which are undersubscribed,” stated Johnson. The JTA president is also calling on the Government to allow teachers to be the chief advisors when implementing policies as they are experts in various disciplines. “We appreciate the establishment of the Taskforce Implementation Oversight Committee but here is the challenge. Teachers should be at the forefront of crafting strategies and informing policies to drive the improvements needed in our sector. Teachers are the technical practitioners and need to be consulted on matters pertaining to educational reform,” stated Johnson. “I am proposing that the teachers of Jamaica become your chief advisors when designing the strategies for improvement. I am proposing that a significant feature of the education ministry is the establishment of think tanks comprising teachers from every level within our sector, to be engaged in policy review and strategy development. Our teachers are experts in various disciplines, therefore consult with us and use the resources that are available,” added Johnson. “I can also guarantee that our consultancy fees will be significantly less than what others are charging,” continued Johnson. The JTA president was referring to the Reform of Education Reports. In 2019 a study was commissioned, and in 2021 the highly anticipated Taskforce on Education Reform (the Patterson Report) was released. However, the report revealed many of the same issues that were highlighted in the Rae Davis Report of 2004.

IT was an absolute joy for the parents of Jayden Walker who overcame a lisp which threatened to impact his academics, making him their third son in a row to earn a place at Campion College. Jayden’s parents, Margaret and Glenroy Walker, beamed with pride on Friday as they watched their youngest son collect a scholarship from the Guardian Group Foundation for being the top-performing male child of a Guardian Life policyholder. While Jayden copped the award for best-performing male of a policyholder, Aaron St John Waugh of Jessie Ripoll Primary School was selected for the prestigious National Top Boy award. He will also be heading to Campion College. Shannon-Elise Barrett of Kensington Primary School won the National Top Girl award and will also matriculate to Campion. For this year’s Guardian Foundation annual Primary Exit Profile (PEP) scholarship awards — the 17th running — the foundation disbursed $5.6 million in scholarships and grants for the 2023/2024 academic school year. Both national champions received scholarships worth $1 million each. The top-performing son and daughter of policyholders each received $350,000. There were other sectional awards. Apart from the lisp, which Jayden hasn’t yet fully conquered, the COVID-19 pandemic created a challenge for the 12-year-old. “I am the youngest of three brothers who all went to the Bright Beginnings Educational Center in Cedar Grove, Portmore. The oldest brother, Glenroy, is 10 years older than I am. The second brother Kyle is two years older than me. Both brothers did very well in their matriculation exams to high school. To me, this was more than a dare, it was a challenge. I had to respond when my time came,” Walker said, at the Guardian Group Foundation’s Annual Scholarship and Grant Awards at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel. Further, Walker said the journey to his PEP exams was no easy feat, but thankfully he had parents who were invested in his growth and teachers who could spot his weak areas and work on improving them. “The path to exams was not as easy for me as my siblings before me. I had to deal with the onset of the COVID-19. Being used to face-to-face learning, I did not do as well in grade four. Then came grade five, when face-to-face learning returned. I was fortunate to have got teachers who were able to recognise my deficiencies and took steps to correct them. It was a partnership between my parents and the school. My parents ensured that I attended all extra lessons and Saturday classes. I started to improve and my grade reflected it. “I then became aware that just like my older siblings, I could do it too. My parents never let me forget that only my best is good enough. I had only to recognise my ability and act on it. I gave the exam my best shot and when the results came around, mine was equally as good as my older brothers. I performed better than 97 per cent of the test-takers this year and earned me a place. My parents have been bombarded with inquiries of how they manged to achieve three in a row at a school like Campion College,” Walker added. His parents, Margaret and Glenroy, spoke very highly of their son and were proud of him for overcoming his challenges through determination. Margaret said, “I am very proud. I have two older sons, and he is a role model to them. I have never had to correct him more than once. I think it is the discipline at home that caused it.” His father Glenroy shared that he always reminded Jayden he could achieve success despite obstacles. “He did it and I am proud because I always told him that he has it within him, even in times when he doubted himself. His brothers did it and there was no way he couldn’t do it,” he said. Tsahai Clarke, the winner in the female category for best-performing child of a Guardian Life policyholder, also received a placement at Campion College. For Tsahai, PEP was like a video game. “My journey to PEP was like a video game. There were many obstacles and as I progressed the levels got tougher. I always had the support I needed to help me conquer each level. The Bread of Life Christian Academy, of which I am a past student, played a huge role in my success. My family, teachers, and peers encouraged and motivated me to keep going. I implore the 2023 PEP students to let us not only dream big, but let us dream grand. Let us not only reach for the mountain tops, but let us reach for the stars,” Tsahai said.

NEGRIL, Westmoreland – Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in all schools, one police officer assigned to each institution, and secured compounds are among the list of long-term measures president of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) Leighton Johnson wants to see implemented to protect the nation’s students. Obviously unimpressed by the Government’s response to specific situations in the past, he said that proactive measures must be taken. “Knee-jerk reactions must not be the propellants of school safety and security. I am certain that you all know what I am alluding to. And in this age of technology, we need cameras in all schools,” Johnson said. He was apparently referencing the horrific death of eight-year-old Danielle Rowe, who died in June after she was abducted from school and her throat slashed. During a special devotion in the child’s memory, Minster of Education and Youth Fayval Williams announced that CCTV cameras would be installed at the entrances of primary schools. Johnson wants all schools to benefit from the initiative. He also wants more cops assigned to schools. “We must expand the deployment of school resource officers in our schools. Not one officer to service three or four schools. One officer to a school,” he added. He was speaking during the JTA’s 59th Annual Conference’s official opening and investiture ceremony at the Royalton Negril Resorts and Spa on Monday night. Telling his audience that “many schools are open and vulnerable to outside invasion due to the lack of secure perimeter fences and walls”, the JTA president spoke of the toll that community fights have had on educational institutions. “Many schools operate in violence-prone communities and, in many instances, community gangs have established cells within our schools. These students negatively influence the culture of discipline and threaten the harmony within our schools. Teachers and students know these individuals and they are genuinely afraid. Therefore, it must be an imperative of the ministry, through the [police force’s] safety and security unit, to improve the systems of our school security. It must be a priority to have every school secured with adequate perimeter fencing,” he argued. He also spoke of the need to improve night-time security measures. Many schools employ watchmen, the cheaper alternative to security guards. Their role is not to engage criminals who may target the school compound but merely to alert the authorities. “It is important to secure the school’s property during the night. The time has come for us to rethink the approach to the watching services available to our schools. Our current realities demand that all schools need trained security guards to assist in monitoring the operations at the entry and exit points during school hours,” said Johnson. Turning his attention to the safety of students as they commute, the JTA head called for the expansion of the rural bus programme that now caters to beneficiaries of PATH. “For the most part, students who travel on these buses are transported to and from school in a more secure manner. However, the majority of our students depend on the public transportation system to come in on a daily basis. Many of the disciplinary issues that our teachers encounter in our schools stem from how our students commute to school on a daily basis,” he said. “There is the urgent need for the establishment and expansion of the rural bus programme that will transport our students to and from school. This system can work,” he said, adding that there had been a pilot done in several areas, including Manchester. Recently, Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport Daryl Vaz suggested that a safe, secure, efficient transport system for rural students can be operated by publicly owned buses or as a franchise system, with highly trained drivers and conductors. He said these card payment-based school buses would be outfitted with cameras and tracking devices.

DISTINGUISHED business leader Mark Myers has been appointed the new board chairman of Jamaica Promotions Corporation (Jampro). The announcement was made by the Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce Senator Aubyn Hill who said that Myers will bring a wealth of experience as a seasoned business leader, having already made significant contributions to the economy. “His appointment as chairman of Jampro is fitting as it strategically aligns with our ministry’s vision to elevate Jamaica’s export, investment, manufacturing and service capabilities. Together we are focused on propelling substantial growth in export revenues, attracting local and foreign investments to the Jamaican economy, and generating valuable employment opportunities within our nation,” Senator Hill said. The board chair, meanwhile, said: “I am deeply honoured to step into the role of chairman at Jampro, an organisation I have been proud to serve as a board member in the past.” Myers added that “working closely with the new president, Shullette Cox; the full board; and the entire Jampro team, I believe we are well positioned to refocus on the organisation’s core mandate — to promote exports and investments — as we seek to bolster Jamaica’s economic growth and drive Jamaica’s business brand in the international marketplace”. Prior to his new role Myers has had a profound impact on Jamaica’s economic landscape, helping to shape the dynamics of commerce within the country. His dedication to driving growth, innovation, and social impact underscores his unwavering commitment to national development. In addition to his corporate leadership roles he has been extensively involved in civic organisations and has served on several boards, including the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce, Jamaica Observer, and the Bank of Jamaica. Myers’ appointment follows that of former Board Chairman Melanie Subratie. The 14 members of the board at Jampro are Board Chairman Mark Myers; Deputy Chairman Ian Levy, and members Yoni Epstein, Max Jardim, Delano Seiveright, Taneisha Ingleton, Vinay Walia, Christopher McPherson, Opal Whyte, Kevin O’Brien Chang, L Robert Honeyghan, Michelle Lawe, Deveta McLaren, and Jo-Anne Archibald.

GREGORY Park was robbed of a matriarch on Tuesday afternoon when Naomi Gocul, the elderly woman who was badly burnt in the recent firebombing of 11 houses inside a tenement yard on Walker’s Avenue in Gregory Park, St Catherine, succumbed to her injuries at hospital. Gocul, 72, is the second person to die from the firebombing and shooting incident which occured on August 12. The first to die was 28-year-old taxi operator Raneel Haughton, after he was shot by men who came to torch the dwellings. More than 40 people were left homeless after their houses were destroyed. Gocul’s daughter, Karona, who took her from the burning house, told the Jamaica Observer on August 16 that her mother’s condition was worsening day by day in hospital and said she feared the worst for her. Karona had recounted for the Observer how, after running out of her own burning house with her children, she remembered that hat her mother was probably asleep in her house on the same property. Not seeing the elderly woman, Karona forced her way into the dwelling of her mother who was on a found on the floor, badly burned. Karona quickly rescued her from the burning building and she was subsequently taken to hospital. Karona had shared that her mother had spoken to relatives shortly after arriving at hospital, but all talking from her eventually ceased — a bad sign for the family. The Observer tried to get comments from the grieving daughter on Tuesday afternoon but efforts to contact her by telephone were futile. Member of Parliament for St Catherine East Central Alando Terrelonge told the Observer on Tuesday afternoon that the family, devastated by the loss, has assumed a sombre mood as they mourn Gocul’s death. “The attack on Walkers Avenue was an attack on our democracy and our very right to be free, to live free. Naomi turned 72 in June. She was affectionately known throughout Gregory Park and Kingston as ‘Miss Sweeny’. She was a matriarch in the community. She was well-loved; she was a mother, grandmother and somebody who opened up her heart and home to everyone in Gregory Park. She always had a passion to feed people, and she always had a place for people to stay at Walkers Avenue. It really is a very tragic day in Gregory Park, Portmore, and in Jamaica,” Terrelonge said. “The reason that caused Miss Sweeny to lose her life is a selfless act of terrorism that is based in hate. There was absolutely no reason for these terrorists to trap Miss Sweeny in her home and burn her home and prevent her from leaving her house. While we were there this morning, scores of people gathered at the premises just to pay respects to the memory of Miss Sweeny and just to give comfort to the family,” Terrelonge added, sharing that he has been visiting with the family very regularly since the incident, just to show support and provide as much comfort to them as possible at this time. “Properties can be replaced but these heartless terrorists have taken a matriarch away from her family and the community. The family is in pain and literally agonising at the loss of their mom. We were really hoping as a community that she would pull through,” the MP said.

NEGRIL, Hanover — Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs Marlene Malahoo Forte says she intends to provide an update on the work done by the Constitutional Reform Committee (CRC) as soon as Parliament resumes sitting. “By the time the Parliament resumes from recess I will be making a ministerial statement to give an indication of how many meetings we have had, how many submissions we have received. We’re doing a summary of the issues that have been raised and we will put them fully to the people and also ask whether [there are] any other issues they would wish to be considered, bearing in mind that the work has been done in phases,” the minister said. “Phase one of the work is the amendment of the constitution to deal with the deeply entrenched provisions around the monarchy. After that, we will move to get a Bill in Parliament, have the Bill passed, and prepare for a referendum,” she added. Since the naming of the 15-member CRC that has been tasked with providing expert guidance and oversight for Jamaica’s smooth transition from a constitutional monarchy to a republic, the committee has been dogged by controversy and criticism. On August 11 a seemingly frustrated CRC member, Dr Nadeen Spence accused civil society bodies of trying to bully members of the committee into accepting their recommendations for constitutional reform. She made the accusations while speaking on Nationwide News Network. Since then members of Jamaicans for Justice and National Integrity Action (NIA) have hit back, claiming that all they have done is advocate for more transparency in the CRC’s work. From comments made while speaking last Saturday during a Rotary Club of Negril event, Malahoo Forte seems to be indicating this will be on the cards when Parliament returns from its summer hiatus. Meanwhile, she pointed to the rampant spread of misinformation and urged Jamaicans to pay special attention to the source of any material being presented on constitutional reform. “Not everything that is said in the press or the other public spaces is accurate. We are in an age where misinformation spreads like wildfire and, as they say, goes viral. Things that are often repeated [eventually appear to] become true — not because they are [in fact true],” she said. Asked by journalists to clarify the point made, she said she was not telling the public to distrust the media. “Not at all. Remember that there are many voices that present themselves as news, and the truth is that not everyone takes the time to be accurate in their reporting. It is a caution to be careful whose report you rely on — in the same way that when you go out to get sources you want to ensure that your sources are credible, and that when you report, you report with credibility and integrity,” Malahoo Forte told journalists. She also responded to requests for a comment on the NIA’s decision to reject an invitation from permanent secretary in the Legal Affairs Ministry, Wayne Robertson to make submissions to the CRC. The minister appealed to anyone who has been invited to participate to take up the offer. “It would be well worth your while to come and to make the presentation because you can’t tell me that you’re serious about participating in a process and when you have an opportunity to do so, you decline,” argued Malahoo Forte. She also fielded a question on whether the Government’s postponement of the local government elections is unconstitutional. “I think that a case out of Trinidad has provided some interesting points of law to consider on the postponement of elections, and I certainly know that all of us have looked at it and we get guidance on the matters,” stated Malahoo Forte. “Parliament is given the power to pass laws. When Parliament exercises its power to pass laws, Parliament is not breaking the law. The manner in which laws are passed can be reviewed for compliance with the constitution but, other than that, it is the role of Parliament to pass laws for peace, order and good government,” she added. Last held in 2016, local government elections have been postponed three times and are next constitutionally due by February 2024. The Government cited health concerns linked to the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for the first delay, and the pandemic’s impact on the country’s economic strength for the second. The PNP and other sections of society have questioned both those reasons, citing the holding of a general election during the pandemic and the Government’s own glowing report on how well the county has done post-pandemic.

WITH the start of the new academic year just a few weeks away, more than 2,000 students benefitted from much-needed financial boost at three major back-to-school fairs held by New Fortress Energy (NFE) Foundation from Friday, August 11 through Wednesday, August 16. Since its inception in Jamaica in 2016, the LNG provider, through its foundation, has provided financial aid and school supplies to more than 10,000 infant, primary and secondary school students, bursaries to more than 200 students, laptops and tablets to more than 550 primary, secondary and tertiary students. As part of its tertiary STEM scholarship programme, the company has also invested over $100 million in scholarships for students studying at The University of the West Indies, University of Technology, Jamaica, and Caribbean Maritime University. For this year, students benefited from over $35 million in financial aid and school supplies. The award package includes vouchers valued at $10,000 each for more than 1,000 infant, primary and secondary school students to purchase uniforms and supplies from partnering stores in the respective parishes, plus bursaries valued at $50,000 each for 60 high school students to cover external examinations and tuitions. Students also received backpacks, notebooks and school supplies, as well as medical and dental screenings for over 300 students, courtesy of the St James Health Department and private doctors and dentists from the Hayes community in Clarendon. The fairs, which were held in St James, Clarendon and St Catherine, where NFE has its operations, were hosted in collaboration with the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry in St James, the Wembley Centre for Excellence in Clarendon and the Old Harbour Bay Development Centre in St Catherine. The students were selected by their guidance counsellors, teachers, principals and community leaders based on their grades and their financial needs. Verona Carter, VP, New Fortress Energy, said: “We know that there are hundreds of brilliant students who have the potential, the passion and the desire to use education to secure a brighter future for themselves and their families. That is why our back-to-school programme is so important to us. Our aim is to help reduce the number of high potential students who are falling through the cracks each year. And so on behalf of our chairman and founder, Wes Edens, we remain committed to investing in our communities through education.” In addition to the financial boost received from New Fortress Energy, its partners and community leaders who spoke during the each of the respective fairs in St James, Clarendon and Old Harbour, encouraged the students to own their future and believe in themselves. Custos of Montego Bay, Rev Conrad Pitkin, said: “No one gets to write your destiny. Your future is in your hands. Your life is what you make of it. Remember that nothing is beyond your reach as long as you are willing to dream big, work hard and stay focused on your schoolwork. Learn new things and make mistakes because every mistake you make is a learning step towards growth. You are special, you are loved, and you can achieve anything.” Custos of Clarendon, William Shagoury, speaking a few days later at the Fair in Clarendon, said: “We want to thank New Fortress Energy for always giving back to our young people and helping to uplift and enrich their lives. Boys and girls, you are here because you performed very well, and you were selected by your teachers and communities. Your biggest show of gratitude is how you continue to do well in your school work. Stay focused because the only one who can stop you from being successful is you. Meanwhile Tamar McKenzie, director of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, speaking on behalf of President Oral Heaven, reminded the students that, “education is a gift that no one can take away from you. Embrace the opportunities that lie ahead because they are stepping stones to your dreams and aspirations. Your dreams may have many challenges but with determination, hard work and the support of your community, you can achieve greatness. You are our promise to a brighter future.”

NEGRIL, Westmoreland — An executive from the second-largest teachers’ labour union in America has launched a scathing broadside against the Jamaican Government for what he described as its failure to keep promises made at the bargaining table. He also warned Jamaican teachers who may be eyeing jobs in the US that the American education system has its own share of problems and they should look for jobs here in Jamaica. Speaking at the first day of the JTA’s annual conference in Negril on Monday Fedrick Ingram, secretary-treasurer of the 1.7-million member American Federation of Teachers (AFT), did not hold back. “Today I want to declare that the AFT is in solidarity with the JTA in your desire to have the Government live up to its promise and meet its obligations to support teachers in this country. You all deserve more! …The memorandum of understanding which was modified in your latest collective bargaining agreement is still a long way from becoming reality,” Ingram said. “I came here as a fighter on the same battlefront where you are. We stand shoulder to shoulder with the JTA and with students, families, and communities in Jamaica that are rising up to fight for fully funded public education and to have educators that are justly and rightly compensated,” he added before demanding action from the Government. He insisted that teachers deserve to be paid overdue salaries and benefits for their years of dedicated service. The AFT executive was delivering the keynote address on the first of the three-day conference being held at Royalton Negril Resorts and Spa. It is being held under the theme, ‘Advancing the Vision — reigniting the passion through equitable and inclusive educational opportunities’. Outgoing JTA President La Sonja Harrison told reporters that teachers are still awaiting responses to letters written to the Ministry of Finance and Public Service and the Ministry of Labour, asking them to address anomalies. “The teachers of this nation are due the professional courtesy and the response of the Government — and we are wondering if the best and the brightest are not needed to be retained in Jamaican classrooms. We are still awaiting the Government’s response to the teachers of this nation,” she said. Ingram noted that it appears Jamaican and America teachers share similar battles. “We have watched from abroad and we find it very disturbing that some politicians have chosen to undermine public education rather than adequately invest in schools and kids’ learning,” he said. “It looks to us to be a transparent attempt to undercut the teachers’ union and undermine the rights of workers. Sadly, my friends, much of what is happening here is happening at home as well. Simply put, education is under attack globally, all over this world so you are not alone in this fight,” he added. He told his audience that the “basic principles of diversity and inclusion are being undermined in classrooms across the United States of America”. “They are making classrooms so political, so toxic that teachers are leaving in droves. Now you may have heard that it’s all good in America but let me tell you something, we’ve got a fair share of problems in America, so those who are studying to become educators in my country are now second-guessing their careers for something with less stress and more pay,” he cautioned. He also warned Jamaican teachers that working in America may not be their best option. “In the midst of a teaching shortage, find your purpose. Find your purpose in this beautiful country, find your purpose in the schools of your homeland. Sometimes I have to remind people that everything’s not greener on the other side. I’m very proud of my country but know what it is to go to America today in our public schools. Be forewarned, it’s not easy. It is not easy, and so I want to remind you to find your purpose,” he said. “They’re slashing budgets, underpaying and demonising teachers, all in service to one idea — to kill public education in order to privatise it,” he said.

MONTEGO BAY, St James — Mending the bruised image of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) and restoring members’ confidence in the organisation will be high on the agenda for incoming President Leighton Johnson. “It is our mandate at this time to reposition the Jamaica Teachers’ Association and to repair the image of the association,” he told the Jamaica Observer after a church service in Montego Bay on Sunday to launch the JTA’s annual conference which will run until Wednesday. “We must, as much as possible, take the perspective of our members at heart and we must ensure that, as much as possible, our members feel a part of the association. That is a priority of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association,” Johnson added. Stormy negotiations with the Government during the compensation review process have left some members dissatisfied by the level of representation from the JTA with outgoing President La Sonja Harrison at the helm. Some have withdrawn their membership from the organisation and Johnson says that will be one of the areas to be addressed as he works on issues, such as compensation, that have been of major concern to the country’s teachers for years. “It has been evident. There have been members who have decided to pull their membership from our association. Notwithstanding that fact, we still remain strong and resolute,” he told the Observer. “There are matters that are unresolved regarding the new compensation regime and it is my intention to see those to completion. They are matters that are problematic and troubling to our members and those need to be resolved,” he added. Johnson was expected to officially take up the presidency on Monday during the JTA’s 59th conference being held in Negril. Part of his focus, he told the Observer on Sunday, is to do a better job engaging with members as the association works on their behalf. “We want to modernise the Jamaica Teachers’ Association’s approach to communication and we want our members to, once again, have faith in our association. I intend to continue with the strident advocacy to ensure that, as much as possible, our members’ rights are protected,” he explained. “I am basically looking forward to serving my members as much as possible, providing them with the kind of leadership that is open and transparent, one that will see the Jamaica Teachers’ Association remaining that formidable force that it is. And I intend to continue walking in the spirit of camaraderie, the spirit of conversation, a collegiality and collaboration,” Johnson promised.

BUSINESSMAN Andre Hylton has returned to his old stomping ground of St Andrew Eastern in a bid to gain the nod to run on a People’s National Party (PNP) ticket in the next general election. Hylton had previously represented the constituency from 2011 to 2016 after he defeated the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) Dr Saphire Longmore by just more than 250 votes in his first bid at representational politics. He failed to retain the seat in the 2016 General Election losing to the then JLP newcomer Fayval Williams. Following that defeat Hylton headed to St James Central where he was trounced by the JLP’s Heroy Clarke in 2020. But in recent months scores of PNP supporters in St Andrew Eastern have been calling for Hylton’s return and he was recently acclaimed as the constituency chairman. “I think it would be a no-brainer to think other than Andre Hylton will be ratified by the NEC [National Executive Council] as the standard-bearer going forward for the PNP in eastern St Andrew,” claimed one PNP source. But on Monday Hylton told the Jamaica Observer that no decision has yet been made, but he has indicated his interest in returning to the constituency he once held. “I would call it a homecoming. As you know I was the Member of Parliament from 2011 to 2016 and we lost the seat by 157 votes [161 according to Electoral Commission of Jamaica] and the people have been calling me to come back and, with the support of our party leader [Mark Golding] and general secretary [Dr Dayton Campbell], I will be back and I think we will be victorious in the next general election,” said Hylton as he rejected claims that he abandoned the constituency by switching to St James Central in 2020. “My going to St James was at a request of the then party leader [Dr Peter Phillips] because I have very strong roots there and we needed candidates there at that time and I decided to answer the call. It wasn’t really abandoning the people because by that time somebody [Venesha Phillips] had already taken up the role of candidate in the constituency,” added Hylton. Phillips failed in her attempt to unseat Williams losing by more than 2,300 votes in 2020 as the JLP retained the seat. That margin of victory has made some political watchers, including people in the PNP, sceptical that Hylton will be able to provide a real challenge to Williams, a now two-term MP and the current minister of education and youth. But the businessman is undaunted as he dismisses claims that the JLP now has a stranglehold on what was long termed a ‘swing seat’. “It is a seat that the People’s National Party must win and I am going to do all that I can, with the support of my team, the people and the party’s leadership and I know we will be victorious. We have done it already and we will do it again,” said Hylton as he ignored the margin of defeat for the PNP the last time around. “My deficit is a little over 100 votes and I know how to turn that around. I don’t think it is fair to look at the last result. We must observe it in the context of how the 2020 election was won by the other party and understand it in that way. My number that I use is what I lost by in 2016,” declared Hylton. He told the Observer that St Andrew Eastern is a constituency where he is intertwined with the people and one where he worked for many years long before he was elected the MP. “I enjoy serving people, I enjoy trying to make Jamaica a better place and the people have said they want me to continue the work that I started when a lot was done in terms of uplifting people while the infrastructure and the development of the constituency was at the forefront of my efforts. “You know that St Andrew Eastern is a predominantly middle-class community and we won back the middle-class votes in 2016 for the first time in that constituency since 1976. We served persons from all spectrum and because of my personality, and the relationships that I have developed, I am comfortable with all the residents,” added Hylton.

MANDEVILLE, Manchester — As some motorists eagerly await the opening of the May Pen to Williamsfield leg of Highway 2000, work is ongoing to put on the final touches while discussions are taking place about the toll rates. Stephen Edwards, managing director at National Road Operating & Constructing Company (NROCC) — which is responsible for overseeing the design, construction and maintenance of Jamaica’s highways — said NROCC and TransJamaican Highway (TJH) are discussing the operations of the toll road. “The project is on track to meet the August 31 milestone. The contractor is currently working on various aspects of the project to include but are not limited to: asphaltic paving, road markings, signage, cat eyes installations, and toll operating system. The details about the opening of the highway will be shared as soon as they are finalised,” he told the Jamaica Observer via e-mail. “NROCC and TransJamaican Highway Limited are currently engaged in discussions. The details will be made public as soon as possible,” he added. Edwards was responding to questions posed by the Observer regarding the progress of discussions for an agreement between NROCC and TJH for the operation of the new leg. TJH is the company responsible for the development, operation and maintenance of Highway 2000 East-West, under a 35-year concession agreement granted by NROCC. The May Pen to Williamsfield highway project — which will reduce travel time from Kingston to Mandeville and other points west — was originally scheduled for completion in October 2022. This was then changed to March 2023 before a timeline was given for January 2023. The highway project includes the design and construction of approximately 23 kilometres of a four-lane, arterial divided highway on a new alignment, and the upgrading of approximately five kilometres of the existing Melrose Hill Bypass to a four-lane, arterial divided highway. NROCC had outlined last year that it had set aside land to build eight additional stalls on the westbound side of the highway, for vendors. Edwards said that aspect will be done in a separate phase of the project, and pointed to an underpass being constructed to allow pedestrian access to the yam park. “The Annex Melrose Yam Park is planned as part of another phase of the project. In the interim the area will be prepared to facilitate parking so that westbound commuters can easily access the existing Melrose Yam Park via the pedestrian underpass. Eastbound patrons will be able to enter the Melrose Yam Park in the usual manner,” he said. “The pedestrian underpass that is being constructed in the vicinity of Melrose Hill Yam Park will have lights installed,” he added.Edwards said the contractor of the project, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), is responsible for any damage caused by the construction of the highway. “The contractor conducted pre-blast surveys before any blasting was done. The contractor also conducted post-blast surveys, which are compared to the pre-blast surveys to determine if structures in the vicinity of the works were affected. The vast majority of the post-blast surveys have already been completed. The contractor has a responsibility to remedy defects caused by the work. The process is ongoing and residents are constantly kept informed,” he said.

OCHO RIOS, St Ann – Minister of Local Government and Community Development Desmond McKenzie, who was visibly upset about the decrepit condition of the St Ann’s Bay Infirmary during a recent tour, has given local authorities one week to provide an estimate for a new kitchen. The kitchen was one of the areas that he highlighted as being in need of repair when he made it clear that he intends to hold someone accountable for the state of the facility that houses 84 of the parish’s indigent. While he conceded that the building is old and its geographic location leaves it at the mercy of corrosive seawater, McKenzie noted that inadequate upkeep has also been a factor regarding its current state. “If I tell you that I’m pleased I’d be lying. I’m disappointed about the condition of the infirmary; the maintenance is exceedingly poor. This is an old building which is next door to the sea so the seawater has affected the area, but despite that the maintenance could have been better,” he said. He noted that despite efforts being made to relocate the infirmary, the repairs needed are so urgent that the Government will pump $50 million into the existing structure even though the Administration is prepared to spend double that amount to relocate it, as soon as land becomes available. McKenzie has expressed concern about the structure’s ability to withstand a hurricane. The Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1 and is to end on November 30. “We just going to have to spend the money. It’s gonna take a good amount of money, especially for the kitchen; we gonna have to put down, literally, a new kitchen. We have to ensure that the building is sanitised because it’s an old building and it is infested with chi chi [termites], so that is one of the first order of business,” he said. “We gonna pay some attention to the bathroom in the male [section] of the infirmary. The ministry is going to be providing $50 million at the outset. The permanent secretary will have direct responsibility for how that $50 million is going to be executed, working with the municipal corporation in executing the funds,” he added. He has ordered that the estimate for the work to be done on the kitchen be provided to the permanent secretary. “I’m giving them a week to have this estimate prepared so that we can start work on the kitchen,” McKenzie said. Noting that all infirmaries have maintenance teams, he said he intends to seek answers from mayor of St Ann’s Bay, Sydney Stewart about the inadequacies seen at the St Ann’s Bay facility. In response, the mayor said much of the focus has been on relocation. “We do have a maintenance team in place but the facility, at times you fix this and that goes out. The visit of the minister is welcomed and the announcement made by the minister, we’ll be looking forward to see that it transforms the current facility that is here. It’s true that there are discussions going on that we will relocate the infirmary… That discussion is high on the agenda and once we can relocate we’d be able to, of course, construct and maintain a state-of-the-art facility,” he said. Matron for the facility, Alicia Drummond-Knight said she is grateful for the work to be done. “We have been having several issues as [McKenzie] mentioned and I am very hopeful now, based on what he said, that we will get the help that we need here. The visit is welcomed and I am hoping that the result of the visit will also be good,” she said.