$116M to be spent on comprehensive review of education system discloses Jamaica's Minister

The government is to spend more than $116,000,000 over four years to undertake a comprehensive review of the education system, Education Minister of Jamaica Senator Ruel Reid has disclosed.

While interacting with journalists at a post-Cabinet media briefing at Jamaica House in St Andrew Reid said that cabinet gave approval for Jamaica to participate in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) to be undertaken by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information starting in 2021.

A worldwide study by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, PISA evaluates educational systems by measuring the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old students in the subjects of mathematics, science, and reading. It measures problem solving and cognition.

The assessment was first performed in 2000 and is conducted every three years.

Its aim is to provide comparable data with a view to enabling countries to improve their education policies and outcomes.

Reid said that the decision was taken against the background of several factors.

He pointed out that in 2004 a task force was established to undertake a comprehensive review and evaluate Jamaica’s education system. Since then, however, there has been no similar exercise.

“PISA’s reach globally has steadily increased from 42 to 80 countries,” he noted.

“It will facilitate the evaluation and ranking of the Jamaican education system with other countries, notably Trinidad and Tobago is the only other state in the English-speaking Caribbean currently participating in PISA,” he said.