Chairman’s Report March 03 – February 04
This has been another busy year, with more progress made to enable Jamaica 2K to be better placed to meet our organisations stated aims and objectives.
This is the third and final year of the support that Jamaica 2K has received from the DfID “HE Links” project. This has supported a programme of exchange visits between Adult Educators from the UK and Jamaica since 2000, to enable the development of training programmes. Year 3 of this “Training the Trainers” programme continued the focus on:
• Curriculum development - understanding the issues related to teaching Jamaican Language speakers to gain competence with literacy skills in Standard English.
• Family Learning - exploring options to enable the University of the First Age to train in Jamaica
• Workplace Learning - with the Post and Telecommunications Department and the JAMAL Foundation
• ICT - in the community and workplace.
The following exchanges took place during the year:
Liz Millman - Jamaica 2K Caribbean Languages, FL and Workplace*
Sue Barnes – University of the First Age
Herbert Nelson – Workplace Basic Skills
Shereece Williams – the Jamaica Computer Repair Centre
Melvah Blake – Jamaica 2K and Workforce Development
Blossom Rose - Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture
Freda Jones - Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture
Dr Las Lewis – Chairman of the JAMAL Foundation*
Elaine Fergusson - Project Manager of Hi-scope - the JAMAL Foundation
Stephen Brooks – Chairman of Jamaica 2K*
Dr Pauline Christie – Caribbean Languages (March 03)*
The schedule of visits between the UK and Jamaica went according to plan, with a balance of visits each way. The plans were deliberately open ended, as we were unsure which would be the best way to carry the themes forward in the third year.
The management of the visits went very smoothly. The support we had from the DfID Office in Kingston was exemplary and made it easy to get more out of these visits than we could have anticipated. Our thanks got to the staff there and especially to Nicola Johnson.
The DfID “HE Links” funding enabled Jamaica 2K to work in collaboration with:
South Bank University and the London Language and Literacy Unit
The UK Workplace Basic Skills Network
The JAMAL Foundation’s Workplace Basic Skills Programme, and the High School Equivalency Programm
The Jamaican Post and Telecommunications Department Postal Training Schools
The Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture relating to Learning Support and Family Learning, following up on work done in the Jamaica All Age Schools Project
Collaboration with UK community groups and the UK Jamaica Teachers Association on the ACKEE Project, developing Basic Skills / ESOCL / ICT programmes to use in community learning centres.
Unexpected outcome shave been:
The development of links with the University of the West Indies, Patios Personnel and the UK Institute of Linguists on the development of the inclusion of Jamaican in the portfolio for the UK Diploma in Public Service Interpreting
The establishment of the Jamaica 2K Training the Trainers team in the UK
We are seeking further funding to continue exchanges. This project has enabled Jamaica 2K to establish itself in the UK and Jamaica as an organisation with a specific range of activities, and we are not as dependant on the support of major organisations as we were.
Jamaica 2K has started to build a partnership with City College Birmingham during the year. This enabled Stephen Brooks, to join Liz Millman and colleagues from City College Birmingham, at the Association of Jamaican Community Colleges Conference held in Oche Rios in January 03. During this visit Stephen and Liz met with the Chairman, Board Members and the Executive Director of the JAMAL Foundation to discuss how Jamaica 2K could best work in the future with the JAMAL Foundation. JAMAL will be invited to send a representative to the Jamaican 2K Steering Group chaired by Melvah Blake in Jamaica.
The three way partnership of the JAMAL Foundation, City College Birmingham and Jamaica 2K is also being explored.
During the past year we received confirmation of continuing support from the Jamaican High Commissioner Maxine Roberts CD. Thanks also go to Delores Cooper the Jamaican High Commission’s Community Development Officer.
We have continued to explore ways to progress ICT support for Community Learning Centres in Jamaica. Shereece Williams from the Jamaica visited the UK and sorted out the PCs and monitors that she felt would be able to be used in Jamaica. The majority of these have been shipped over from the UK and are in the reception centre set up by Shereece in Kingston to prepare them for use, they are currently stored awaiting arrangements to be made re software.
Visits have been made by Melvah Blake and others representing Jamaica 2K to organisation who want to work with us in Jamaica, including:
Paul Mountain School
Tarrant Baptist Church
The International School of Jamaica
Bluefields Community Association
Work was also undertaken during the year by Liz Millman, to follow up interest generated during the Family Learning and Learning Support training sessions she undertook in Jamaican in February 2002, under the Jamaican All Age Schools Project (JAASP). Teachers and Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture Officers identified the University of the First Age as a potential model for learning support in Jamaica. Discussion in the UK with UFA was successful and Sue Barnes from the University of the First Age joined Liz in April 03 for a research visit to Jamaica. She was able to meet teachers and officials from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture to discuss possibilities and options. Extensive discussion and support from Blossom Rose and Freda Jones from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture, will enable UFA training to go ahead in Jamaica in July 04.
Melvah Blake has established links between Jamaica 2K and her employers: the Post and Telecommunications Department. Plans are being considered to support the PTD in the establishment of Training Centres which will allow the public access for use of computers and lifelong learning.
The local group in Wolverhampton gained funding support from BME Project to undertake a range of activities to raise awareness of Caribbean Languages, especially Jamaican.
We are also continuing to explore ways to progress ICT support for Community Learning Centres in Jamaica. Shereece Williams from the Jamaica visited the UK and sorted out the PCs and monitors that she felt would be able to be used in Jamaica. The majority of these have been shipped over from the UK and are in the reception centre set up by Shereece in Kingston to prepare them for use, they are currently stored awaiting arrangements to be made re software.
During December we hosted a visit from Dr Las Lewis, Chairman of the JAMAL Foundation, and Elaine Fergusson, Project Manager of Hi-scope, the new initiative being developed by the JAMAL Foundation. This enabled them to take part in a Research Symposium organised by Lancaster University: The contribution literacy programmes in developing countries can make to adult literacy and numeracy work in Britain, from 4-6 December 2003. The aims were to examine the relevance of the experiences gained by developing countries for policy and practice in adult basic education in Britain; and to promote international exchange and debate on issues relating to adult literacy and numeracy that are relevant across countries and contexts.
Dr Las Lewis was invited by City College Birmingham to officially open the first “Skills for Life Centre” at Aston Cross, near Birmingham City Centre. Stephen Brooks also attended the opening on behalf of Jamaica 2K.
Stephen Brooks, Chairman
