Transcript The New Model of Child Protection in Jamaica

th
7
nd
2
Meeting and
Interamerican
CSR & Early Childhood Meeting
October 11- 12 2012
Marie Archer Hitchins
Barita Education Foundation (BEF)
Kingston, Jamaica
1
Demographic Overview
Jamaica is a small island in the Caribbean
Population approximately 3M
Official Language – English
Spoken Language - Jamaican Creole
2
Economic Overview
Moved from what was mainly agrarian
economy to a service oriented economy
GDP Per Capita – US$5,562 - 2011 (WB)
Unemployment – 14.3% - 2012 (STATIN)
Debt to GDP Ratio – 128.3% - 2010 (PIOJ)
Global Competitive Index 2011-2012 ranked
Jamaica at 107 out of 142 countries
3
Global Competitiveness
Why are we here & How do we increase our
competitiveness?
Have we invested enough in human & social
capital?
Is our economic underperformance tied
educational underperformance?
What can we do about it?
4
Educational Challenges
Children underperforming at primary and
secondary levels.
Thirty Percent of primary school graduates
can illiterate
Fifty Five Percent innumerate
National Council on Education (NCE)2009
5
Implications for Development
A service economy requires a labour force that
is:
Literate
Numerate
Able to think critically
Able to communicate effectively in English
6
Hence the Need for a highly
developed ECE programme in
Jamaica
7
Overview Early Childhood Sector
2,000 pre-schools & day-care centers
Ninety Percent Enrollment in pre-schools
Churches heavily invested in pre-schools &
primary schools
This indicates that parents have bought into
the importance of education at the early
childhood level.
8
Community Schools
99% of the pre-schools and day-care
centers are community based and privately
operated
Schools must have a Board of Management
The Operators are Members of the
community
Operators & teachers inadequately trained
9
The Model
Community-based
Privately owned & operated
Low-cost
Delivered by untrained personnel
High coverage nationally
99% enrollment
Community & Parent support
Policy Support
10
Is The Model Working & what are the
Policy Implications?
11
Government’s Commitment
2004 established Early Childhood Commission
(ECC). An inter-sectoral body comprising
health, education and social welfare services
Responsible for:
1. Developing Policy & Regulations
2. Regulating Programmes & Services
3. Establishing Standards
4. School Inspections
12
The Early Childhood Commission
Establishment of a comprehensive legal,
regulatory and policy framework:
Early Childhood Act and Regulations, 2005
National Plan of Action for ECD
National Strategic Plan for ECD
National Parenting Policy
National Parenting Support Commission
13
ECE as a Social Contract
The Early Childhood Programme in Jamaica is a
tripartite arrangement between the:
Community
Government
Private sector
.
14
Barita Education Foundation
Managed by a private sector company
Engaged in ECE
Critical Player
A model for CSR in Early Childhood
Education
15
BEF Board & Students with Former
Minister of Education/Prime Minister
16
Barita Education Foundation: Vision
Students acquire strong foundational skills in
Literacy and Numeracy
 Students transition successfully to Primary
School
Teachers equipped with skills in Numeracy
and Literacy instruction for effective teaching
Parents equipped to support their children
Optimum educational outcomes for Partner
Schools
17
The Friends & Barita Investments
• Five-year community based literacy project
managed by three businesswomen
• Barita Investments Ltd., the oldest stock
brokerage firm in Jamaica, principal sponsor
• Programme assumed by Barita Investments
Ltd.
• Foundation established in 2004
• Focus on training, skills transfer & instruction
18
Barita Education Foundation:
Board of Directors
19
The Programme
The BEF Programme is a Two-year intervention
which focuses on:
Literacy
Numeracy
Parenting support
Using an integrated Agenda that incorporates
Teachers & Parents
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Barita Education Foundation
Enhancement Programme
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Literacy
Enhance the knowledge and instructional skills
of Pre- School teachers in:
Letter knowledge
Word Recognition
Phonics
Comprehension
Penmanship and Writing
22
Building Fluent Readers
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Numeracy
The B.E.F. Teachers lead the guided learning
sessions with demonstrations that connect
knowledge and application.
Classification
Seriation
Number sense
Measurement
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Life-long Problem Solving Skills
25
Parenting Support
Social workers arrange discussions and
activities to:
Promote parenting awareness
Improve parenting skills
Encourage participation in school’s activities
26
The BEF Team
27
School Selection
Need-based
Process of Evaluation
Weakest schools selected
Most vulnerable schools selected
28
Evidence-based Implementation
Every child is assessed. A programme of instruction is
developed in order to:
 Improve the level of learning for each child.
 Train the classroom teacher in the most current
approaches & strategies in planning, instruction &
class management with special emphasis on reading
and arithmetic.
 Each school is allocated one trained teacher who acts
as a Mentor Teacher.
 The Mentor Teachers are supervised by the
Programme Coordinator.
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Outcomes
Students engaged in the learning
process
Students learning at the pace and at
the level required for their age group
Teachers empowered with new
knowledge & technologies
Parents encouraged by the process
Community benefits
30
Results
31
Best Practices
 Assessment
 Training
 Active Engagement and Supervision by the
Board of BEF
 Signed contracts of agreement between
the school and BEF.
 Consultation with Parents
 Parents advised of the programme’s
implementations
32
Challenges
• Inability of the host teacher to carry on the
programme and transfer knowledge after BEF
exit.
• Modified the programme to address these
needs.
• Included a monitoring mechanism.
33
Corporate Social Responsibility
1. National Engagement
2. Private Sector awareness
3. Private Sector commitment
 Financial Support
 Technical Expertise
 Management Support
34
Corporate Social Responsibility
In Jamaica we have now come to the point
in our development where companies
are beginning to understand that CSR is
not charity, but rather an investment in
their communities which over the long
term will redound to them.
35
CSR in Early Childhood Development
the Cornerstone of economic
development.
Let’s Make A
Difference !!!!!!!!!
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