Despite a lack of classroom space and concerns about teacher shortages expressed by some headteachers, Chief Minister Andrew Holness says the Sixth Form Pathways Program will go ahead this academic year.
Holness, who was speaking at a Ministry of Education and Youth Town Hall meeting at Jamaica College in St Andrew on Friday, acknowledged there have been concerns and complaints about the program.
However, he asked school administrators and the ministry to cooperate to make the program successful.
“There are some real concerns about this because there has always been a traditional sixth form and how does this traditional sixth form which is well established compare to the other two years,” Holness said.
“Is it the same thing? Should it get the same resources? These are all issues that I think are within our purview to resolve, but we cannot deny the basic intelligence behind extending the school years from five to seven,” he said.
According to him, it is important to enroll more children in school and “keep them there as much as you can”.
The aim of the new sixth form program is to offer students completing Year 11 an opportunity to enroll in and engage in skills-based or other academic courses alongside the traditional sixth form curriculum where the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) is offered.
Students have the option of leaving the program with a diploma, certificate or professional diploma, or an accredited associate’s degree through the Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica (CCCJ) or the University Council of Jamaica (UCJ).
However, some educators and school administrators have expressed concerns about the lack of classroom space to accommodate students.
The latest school administrator to express concern about the program is Errol Bascoe, principal of Tacky High School in Gayle, St Mary.
Bascoe, who spoke to the media last week, made it clear that his school will not be taking part in the Sixth Form Pathways Program due to a lack of space.
He explained, among other things, that he needs to operate another campus of the school to accommodate seventh graders because more classrooms are needed at the main campus.
Linton Weir, the principal of St Catherine-based Old Harbor High School, said in a radio interview three weeks ago that he is facing a similar challenge in finding more space to accommodate students who apply for the trails program.
Also, he said that additional teachers are required for the program.
“We’re not going to be able to absorb them (students) because we don’t have the space to accommodate them and, two, we don’t have the teacher staff to accommodate them,” Weir said afterward.
But at Friday’s town hall meeting, acting chief education officer Dr Kasan Troupe said if schools did not have the spaces available then sixth form coordinators should direct students and their parents to other schools or tertiary institutions that are part of the Sixth Form. Roads program.
The troupe was responding to a parent who said her child’s school does not have the space to accommodate him in the sixth form.
“To my surprise, I go to school today (Friday) for him to enter sixth form now and I was told that he has to have three subjects to continue. So I want to know, who was it for?” asked the parent.
In response, Troupe said, “We know that not every child will move at the same pace and thus, learning programs must be created for them.
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“So routes one is the traditional sixth form – five or more subjects… Route two will be for those students who have four (subjects) or less, with or without CSEC maths or English,” she said.
“… And if you haven’t taken (the KSZH subject) at all, there’s a third path for you, and we’ll put you in that language and literacy program.
“We will make you complete your CSEC coursework and you will get two more years of study to improve your score and score in society,” Troupe said.
Promising the parent to help after the town hall meeting, the Troop also reminded sixth form pathway coordinators that there are spaces for students in tertiary institutions.
“Not all secondary schools will be able to hold all our students and we have said this from the beginning.
“This is the reason why we have a partnership with the tertiary sector. Our tertiary sector is underutilized. When we audited the space, we could accommodate over 25,000 students in the tertiary sector,” said Troupe.
“So there is no need to build it. What we need to do is partner, to maximize resources, and that’s what we’ve done.”
The troupe said sixth form pathway coordinators have mapped out tertiary institutions located close to secondary schools.
For his part, Holness said more communication is needed between stakeholders to get relevant information about the program to parents and the general public.
