189 school labs to be transformed

The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth, and Information is set to transform 189 laboratories in secondary schools across Jamaica as part of its efforts to enhance students' skills and learning experiences.

Portfolio Minister, Senator Dr Dana Morris Dixon, announced that approximately US$30 million will be invested under the Jamaica Education Project to equip these labs.

"Agriculture is built on the core sciences, and our students deserve the equipment to hone their skills. I go around to a lot of schools, and I'm really disappointed when I see labs - the Biology lab, the Chemistry lab, the Physics lab - with zero equipment. And that is a problem, so this year my commitment has been that we are going to fix the labs," she said.

Morris Dixon delivered the keynote address during the Inspirational Motivational Day event at the College of Agriculture, Science and Education (CASE) in Portland on January 25.

She highlighted that one objective of the project is to ensure that CASE receives students who have gained hands-on experience with scientific experiments in high schools.

"So, hopefully, when the students come here, they will be better equipped with their formative science training," the minister said.

Morris Dixon noted the importance of integrating technology into agriculture to modernise the field and enhance agricultural careers.

"While the benefits of integrating technology in agriculture are evident, challenges such as equipment maintenance costs, the need for data standardisation, and a lack of skills to utilise the tools remain. To achieve food security, it is essential to address these issues to ensure that technological advancements are accessible and beneficial to all farmers," she emphasised.