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Stories by Andre Poyser

Blame on Chinese - Sugar industry players say foreigners' lack of expertise failed sector

Published:Wednesday | March 30, 2016 | 12:00 AMAndre Poyser

The divestment of the Government's assets in the sugar industry to Chinese investors was expected to result in a turnaround in the fortunes of the ailing sector in Jamaica.The sugar industry, however, remains in a precarious position, a situation...

Extension of high school only applicable to students in need of academic support

Published:Monday | March 28, 2016 | 12:00 AMAndre Poyser

The Ministry of Education has indicated that the extension of the period of secondary schooling, which was announced by Minister of Education, Youth and Information Ruel Reid, will only be applicable to students who need further academic and skills...

Has Easter lost its true meaning?

Published:Sunday | March 27, 2016 | 12:37 PMAndre Poyser

For many Jamaicans, Easter is about bun and cheese, time off to relax or to have a fun-filled getaway, or even go on an Easter egg hunt, which is now seeping into the Jamaican culture. The commercial element has overtaken the religious aspect, with...

Equip students for the digital world - Ruel Reid

Published:Sunday | March 27, 2016 | 12:00 AMAndre Poyser

Minister of Education Ruel Reid is urging educators to be proactive in preparing students for an increasingly digital world."In this day of Instagram and cloud storage, we must ensure that students receive effective tools to deal with the new...

Government to begin consultations on diaspora voting

Published:Wednesday | March 23, 2016 | 12:00 AMAndre Poyser

The Government is to begin consultations aimed at examining the possibility of members of the diaspora being allowed to participate in the electoral process. Senator Kamina Johnson-Smith, minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade, made the...

Demographics do not support expansion of facilities at Padmore Primary-Ruel Reid

Published:Tuesday | March 22, 2016 | 12:00 AMAndre Poyser

A plea for the Ministry of Education to expand facilities at Padmore Primary has not garnered support from Minister of Education Ruel Reid.Reid is of the view that the demographics of the geographic area in which the school is located do not support...

Enabling Jamaica's green economy: Highlights of the UNEP green economy scoping study

Published:Tuesday | March 22, 2016 | 12:00 AMAndre Poyser

Enabling Jamaica's green economy:Highlights of the UNEP greeneconomy scoping studyPrime Minister Andrew Holness has, through his pronouncements on the Riverton disposal site, signaled his intention to leverage environmental issues as a catalyst for...

Don't panic, just prepare - Former Caribbean diplomats call on Ja to increase competitiveness as US-Cuba relations normalise

Published:Monday | March 21, 2016 | 12:00 AMAndre Poyser

When United States President Barack Obama stepped on Cuban soil on Sunday, he became the first United States president to do so in nearly 90 years.Another notable aspect of the visit is the army of business leaders and congressmen who accompanied...

Frustrated! - Padmore principal wooed by overseas job offers; discouraged by limited resources

Published:Sunday | March 20, 2016 | 12:00 AMAndre Poyser

Keisha Hayle, the Padmore Primary principal who engineered the turnaround of what was once a failing school, is seriously considering taking up several job offers she has received from other countries.She said she is also being wooed by more...

Bolt bets on O’Hara - Sprint icon confident that former Calabar star is potential world beater

Published:Saturday | March 19, 2016 | 12:28 PMAndre Poyser

Having announced himself to Jamaica as a schoolboy at 'Champs', athletics superstar Usain Bolt keeps a keen eye on the annual ISSA-GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships, watching for those who might follow in his footsteps, and...

Fayval Williams not worried about another global rerecession

Published:Monday | March 14, 2016 | 12:00 AMAndre Poyser

Despite all indications that the world may be headed for another global recession, Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and Planning Fayval Williams has said it is too soon to worry about such a prospect."Yes, we acknowledge that in the...

GSAT last lap - Students confident of success in penultimate phase of exam

Published:Wednesday | March 16, 2016 | 12:00 AMAndre Poyser

A total of 39,129 students - 18,875 boys and 20,254 girls - will sit the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) today and tomorrow in 1,090 centres across the country. When they do, it will mark the beginning of the end of an era of testing in Jamaica....

Sanctions coming for non-compliant schools in feeding programme

Published:Sunday | March 13, 2016 | 12:00 AMAndre Poyser

The Ministry of Education has indicated that it will be taking sanctions against schools that continue to remain non-compliant in regards to their financial obligations under the School Feeding Programme.A 2013 audit of the programme, conducted by...

Students experiencing burnout after GSAT - psychologist

Published:Tuesday | March 15, 2016 | 12:00 AMAndre Poyser

Educational psychologist Kellie-Anne Brown Campbell has raised concerns that students starting high school are experiencing burnout. This, she says, appears to be the after-effect of a high level of stress associated with the Grade Six Achievement...

Burchell Whiteman disappointed with high-stakes, stressful GSAT ... Reflects on 17 years of the exam

Published:Monday | March 14, 2016 | 2:10 PMAndre Poyser

The educator who led the Ministry of Education when the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) was first administered in 1999 says that he is disappointed that it has become a high-stakes test that has resulted in a high level of stress for students...

Ardenne hosts students from Quebec

Published:Friday | March 11, 2016 | 12:00 AMAndre Poyser

For one week, 22 students from the Polyvalente La Samare High School in Quebec, Canada, are being infused with the 'Optima' spirit. The students are participating in an exchange programme that is exposing them to the school culture of Ardenne High....

International summit on profession holds lessons for Jamaica on improving teacher quality

Published:Sunday | March 13, 2016 | 12:00 AMAndre Poyser

Andreas Schleicher, special adviser on education policy at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), says the recently concluded International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) can provide many valuable lessons for...

Riverton jobs - PM looks to landfill for employment-creation opportunities

Published:Sunday | March 13, 2016 | 12:00 AMAndre Poyser

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has identified the Riverton City disposal site as a possible avenue from which employment and new industries can be generated.Addressing yesterday's first meeting of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Area Council One since...

PNP lost the cyber war - Analysts not sure how the 'articulate minority' impacted JLP's win

Published:Friday | March 11, 2016 | 12:00 AMAndre Poyser

The political battle in the lead-up to the February 25 general election reached fever pitch on social media with facts mixed with rumours, innuendos, and dirty lies battling for prominence in cyberspace.But analysts are divided on the impact of this...

From Munro master teacher to minister of education - the Ruel Reid story

Published:Tuesday | March 8, 2016 | 12:00 AMAndre Poyser

Ruel Reid did not discover his passion for education until after he left university. In fact, he had, completed a first degree in management studies and had his eyes set on a career in corporate Jamaica - but something was missing.To find the...

Wolmer’s only boys' school in top 10 - Need for further intervention for boys

Published:Sunday | March 6, 2016 | 12:00 AMAndre Poyser

In the 2016 edition of the Educate Jamaica's Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) rankings, only one all-boys institution has made it into the top ten.Wolmer's Boys School moved up two places and was ranked ninth for its performance in...

Violence is greatest threat to student's educational outcomes - Miller

Published:Sunday | March 6, 2016 | 12:00 AMAndre Poyser

Professor Emeritus in the School of Education at the University of the West Indies, Errol Miller, has raised concerns about what he describes as the crippling effects of violence on the educational outcomes of students."Children, including boys and...

Prioritise investment in higher education, Holness - Beckles

Published:Friday | March 4, 2016 | 12:00 AMAndre Poyser

Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Professor Hilary Beckles is adamant that the prosperity that Prime Minister Andrew Holness seeks for Jamaica can be found through greater investment in higher education."The prime minister...

Andrew Holness the friend: Fabian Brown shares professional friendship with new PM

Published:Wednesday | March 2, 2016 | 12:00 AMAndre Poyser

When Prime Minister Andrew Holness was sworn in yesterday, Fabian Brown was quietly working behind the scenes to ensure that everything went smoothly.Brown, who was a key member of the protocol team at the inauguration ceremony, has been a confidant...

Wine Club goes Greek!

Published:Tuesday | March 1, 2016 | 9:55 AMAndre Poyser

President at The Mico University College, Dr Ashburn Pinnock, has argued that teacher-training institutions should begin exploring ways to diversity their programme offerings in order to attract more young people to the teaching profession.In an...

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