Gov’t intensifying investment in early childhood education, says Crawford

State Minister in the Ministry of Education Rhoda Moy Crawford says the Government is pursuing a multi-pronged strategy backed by significant investment to strengthen the quality of early childhood education across the country.

Crawford, speaking at the Professional Development Institute (PDI 26) conference hosted by the Early Childhood Commission at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James on Monday, said the Government continues to make substantial investments in the early childhood sector as part of efforts to achieve positive societal transformation in Jamaica.

The conference, which runs from May 18 to 21, is focused on early childhood development, teacher training and child rights.

She stated that the Government recognises early childhood education as the foundation of learning and national development.

She explained that the Early Childhood Commission serves as the Education Ministry’s special-purpose vehicle for early childhood education and noted that the commission’s work is supported by the central Ministry through infant schools, infant departments and students in grades one to three at the primary level.

“For this reason, approximately $30.8 billion, representing about 19.5 per cent of the Ministry’s recurrent budget of $196.7 billion, has been dedicated to the early childhood sector, which caters to children from birth to eight years old. This represents a foundational investment in Jamaica’s human capital pipeline, not a marginal allocation,” Crawford said.

She added that the allocation reflects a deliberate policy commitment to strengthening access, quality, staffing, training, maintenance support, and caregiver development across the sector.

Crawford said the Holness administration remains committed to ensuring that each institution registered with the Early Childhood Commission has at least one trained teacher, in keeping with the requirements of the Early Childhood Act.

The minister disclosed that 108 new teachers have already been announced and that the Ministry is awaiting additional details from the Commission to address gaps in the system.

“It is to be noted that approximately 81,000 learners at centrally led infant schools and departments, as well as in the lower primary grades one to three, are exposed to a trained teacher,” Crawford stated.

She said more learners across the country now have access to trained teachers through approximately 500 infant schools and departments and 766 primary-level institutions with grades one to three.

Crawford also highlighted the contribution of private early childhood institutions, revealing that approximately 24,000 learners enrolled in fully private institutions are also being taught by trained teachers.

Additionally, the minister said the Education Ministry provides approximately $10 million annually in professional development scholarship support to help upgrade untrained practitioners, with the programme being managed through the Early Childhood Commission.

- Andre Wiliams 

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