The Safe Schools’ Programme

The programme was launched in 2004 as a direct response to the urgent demand to reduce

incidents of violence and antisocial behaviour affecting the nation's schools. It is a multi-sectoral

initiative being coordinated by a Task Force established by the Ministry of Education, the

Ministry of National Security, the Ministry of Health and the Jamaica Constabulary Force.

The Safe Schools Programme was designed to suppress school-based violence by placing law

enforcement officers at troubled institutions. It aims to get other stalk holders involved by

providing additional training for parents, students, teachers and guidance counsellors in areas

such as mediation, conflict resolution techniques and life skills which will strengthen the public

education aspect of the programme.

The safe school programme has been successful in tackling four main problems in the

schools:

I. Use of narcotics

II. Possession of offensive weapons by students

III. Truancy

IV. Intrusion onto the school campuses by outsiders.

These successes are based primarily on the use of lectures, counselling and constant

patrolling of the school compounds. The administrators of these programmes visit the schools,

and find out what problems the students are facing and provide counselling for both students

who are victimized and students who are considered to be offenders. For offenders in particular,
details of the reasons for their actions is researched and if there is a situation at home then home

visits are done to get the parents involved so they can be aware of the situation regarding their

child’s behavior. If it is a very serious case, the name of the student is placed on an incident

report card and follow up visits are done to ensure that the situation does not re-occur.

The problem of crime and violence in our Jamaican schools has become one of deep

concern. School grounds have become battlefields and cemeteries. Both teachers and students

have become extremely fearful at school for their lives; due to crime and violence and gang

feuds. The place that was once considered a place safety and an institution to foster learning,

development and growth is no longer seen has that. Hence, the intervention of The Ministry of

Security and the Jamaica Constabulary Force to quell the increased of violence in schools must

be commended. This initiative by the government has proven to be extremely successful; with

the police force having direct contact with the schools, by establishing temporary posts on the

school grounds. Instead of having to call the police and wait for a member of the insecurity force

to intervene in these quarrels, a life maybe lost. Therefore, the rapid response of these Resource

Officers makes a whole lot of difference in these schools.

In order for effective teaching and learning to take place the environment needs to be

conducive to that. Seeing that the programme has been successful in reducing violent and

antisocial behaviour in schools, there will be more productivity among teachers and students, the

level of illiteracy among students will decrease, and students will be better able to develop the

knowledge and skills necessary for them to become functional members of the society. Through

counselling sessions offered for victims and offenders, students would be sensitized about their

rights and responsibilities as students and citizens. There will also be less conflict among
teachers and parents because parents are also stake holders in the programme and are cognizant

of the objectives and the role they play in reducing violence in schools.

Even though the programme has been successful in the many schools that the Safe School

Programme has been established, there is not enough money to extend it into other schools that

may be experiencing violence, and that is a serious limitation. So some schools are still at lost

and is not benefitting from this programme.

 The School Feeding Programme

Good nutrition is important for the physical, social and mental development of the

individual. It is especially important for children in the formative years as poor health coupled

with poor nutrition diminish their cognitive development either through physiological changes

and or by reducing their ability to participate in learning experiences.

The programme was developed as an effort to ensure that the less privileged of the society

access and benefit from the educational experience in order to break the cycle of poverty. The

programme is a fundamental part of the Ministry of Education Welfare Programme. The main

objectives of the programme are:

I. To encourage greater and more regular school attendance

II. To alleviate hunger, and enhance the learning capacity of the

students providing a meal and or a snack

III. To educate the children on the value of food through nutrition

education classes

IV. To encourage the children to grow their own food by establishing

and supporting schools gardens

The School Feeding Programme has two components:-

(i) The Nutritbun and Milk/Drink Programme

(ii) The Traditional /Cooked Lunch Programme

 The Nutribun Component:

The Nutribun programme is principally the responsibility of Nutrition Products Limited, an

agency of the Ministry of Education. It aims to produce and distribute nutribun snacks which

are comprised of milk and a solid (bun, rock cake, bulla, spice cake, cheese bread) to

approximately 136,000 students. There are three factories strategically located to ensure easy

access to the schools island wide.

Students are asked to make a contribution of $2.00 per snack. However, where a child is

unable to pay this, he/she is not deprived of a nutribun snack as there is provision for free

snacks.

Traditional Cooked Lunch Programme

They are 175,000 beneficiaries in 636 schools. The Ministry provides the following

comodities:-

• Long grain rice

• Cornmeal

• Flour

• Vegetable Oil

• Corned Beef

• Mackerel

In addition to a feeding grant a subsidy of $350.00 per annum for these students in infant,

primary, all-age, primary & junior high and some high schools. The beneficiaries in recognized
 basic schools receive a nutrition subsidy of $250.00 per year per child and the Ministry

provides the same commodities listed above for 86,000 on these basic school children through

the School Feeding Unit.

Participating students are required to make a contribution to each meal. This contribution

together with the subsidy paid by the Ministry assists in the payment of cooks, the purchasing

of fuel, meat, vegetables and other items not supplied by the Ministry. There is provision for

students who are unable to pay, to receive a meal free of cost.

The PATH Programme

The School Feeding Programme also provides funds intended to assist with nutritional

assistance for students on the PATH programme. The Programme of Advancement through

Health and Education (PATH) is a programme funded by the Government of Jamaica and the

World Bank aimed at delivering benefits to the most needy and vulnerable in the

society

In an effort to improve the programme the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the

Inter-American Development Bank/GOJ Reform of the Social Safety Net Project contracted the

Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute (CFNI) which created the following for a pilot which

took place in St. Catherine in 2003:-

• Operations and procedures manual

• Menu and recipe manual

 The recommendations emanating from this pilot were submitted to the Cabinet Office and are

to be implemented.

These manuals have since been supplied to all schools on the cooked lunch component to be

used as guides in the preparation of well balanced meals.

1. In 2005 the ministry prepared and distributed to all schools, Guidelines for the Operations of

Tuck Shops and Canteens in Public Educational Institutions. These guidelines were intended to

streamline the operations of canteens and tuck shops island-wide by ensuring that operations

were standardized, transparent, and efficient and provided healthy meals/snacks to students.

2. The guidelines indicate that ‘schools should provide a variety of foods including fruits and

that they should use proper menus which will provide balanced meals and/or snacks thus

encouraging healthy eating habits.

Advantages of The Schools Feeding Programme

Having a Schools Feeding in schools is an extremely important in both the development

and performance of the school and the students. The body tends to perform below its

required level when a person is hungry or is mal nourished. Every child must have

accessed to adequate amount of food. Therefore this programme is effective in the

sense that:
 I. It increases Students attendance.

II. Enhance learning

III. Youths are made more aware of the benefits of proper nutrition.

Limitations

Though this programme has its positive it does some negatives as well. Not every school

has an active Feeding of PATH programme established into the schools. It must be given

proper screening as well, so that the neediest children get an opportunity to utilize this

programme. The PATH programme is does not provide lunches for the entire week instead

only for three days. What learning will take place on the remaining two days if the parents

cannot manage to provide lunch money and prepare breakfast?

 THE MICO UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

Teaching For learner Empowerment

Critique local programmes and or initiatives that have been instituted to support the development

of the learner at the primary and secondary levels.

Rochelle Kelly, El Madia Green, Ann- Marie Lewin, Ricardo Chang, Ruth Robinson and Thais

Williams.

THE MICO UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

Mrs. Beckford

October 19, 2010

 Reference Page

1. www. Moeyc.gov.jm/divisions/ed./welfare/index.shtml