One-Minute Reads: News from across Jamaica

Education ministry not facilitating general transfer of students

The Ministry of Education and Youth (MOEY) is informing parents/guardians whose children will attend high schools through the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) exam that it does not facilitate the general transfer of students from one school to another.

The ministry said it will only assist with transfers in cases of proximity where a student may have been placed at a school in which he/she would need to travel long distances from home to school.

A bulletin issued by the ministry states that in other cases where parents/guardians are seeking transfers for children already placed in schools through the PEP placement process, these parents/guardians are being reminded that it is their responsibility to contact a school that is willing to accept their child/children.

Outlining the procedure for transfer, the ministry said that the accepting school should provide the parents/guardians with an acceptance letter, while the school where the child was originally placed must provide the parent with a release letter. The parent/guardian is then required to write a letter addressed to the permanent secretary, MOEY, requesting approval for transfer. This letter must be accompanied by the acceptance and release letters and should be taken to the respective regional office. Through the regional offices, the ministry will send approval letters to the accepting and releasing schools within one week from the date received.

For further information, persons may visit the ministry offices, which are open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays, and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays. Queries may also be submitted to pepaction@moey.gov.jm or call the regional directors.

Nearly 9,000 kilograms of marijuana seized

Commanding Officer for the Jamaica Constabulary Force's Narcotics Division, Superintendent Jervis Moore, says that between January and June, 8,771.97 kilogrammes of marijuana were seized.

Moore, who was informing National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang at a recent tour of the division's Kingston offices, added that the quantity of cocaine confiscated during the period rose to 1,610.37 kilogrammes, up from 206 kilogrammes for the corresponding timeline in 2022. Additionally, 108 persons, including 19 foreign nationals, were arrested in connection between January and June this year. Eighty-seven seizures were made from courier services at the international airports as well as six conveyances confiscated, including three boats.

Chang disclosed that the ministry will be taking steps to upgrade the offices housing the narcotics division as well as the Major Investigations Division (MID).

During the tour, which included the MID offices, Chang observed the facilities' existing state and gathered feedback from the staff.

"These are two very fine units in the police force. They are doing extremely important work and they are doing it with a lot of energy and sincere commitment to make our country safer. So, we have to give them the support they need," he said.

Jamaica has more access to foreign markets

More local fruits and ground provisions will be able to reach international shores, as Jamaica now has export market access to several additional countries.

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Floyd Green, said among these is Barbados for pineapples.

"We [also] now have market access to Cayman for frozen ackee, soursop, sweetsop, breadfruit, plantain, yam, sweet and Irish potato. We are now allowed to export all of those to the Cayman Islands," he informed. The minister was speaking during the recent launch of the 2023 Denbigh Agricultural, Industrial and Food Show at Hi-Pro Ace Supercentre in St Catherine.

He further advised that "we've been working with Trinidad [and Tobago where] we now have access for bananas, and we've been working with the United States of America, and we now have access for June plum and soursop". He urged that producers must make use of the new opportunities.

"It means we have to ramp up our production. All of these markets can give us significant returns. What we have to be able to do is to fulfil that demand," the minister implored, adding that the nation "must be bullish about exports."