KINGSTON, Jamaica - Jamaica's government says it will be spending an estimated J$2.4 billion (One Jamaica dollar=US$0.008 cents) to provide scholarships to students from low-income homes over a five year period.
Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke (sixth left), with some student-teachers at the launch of the $2.5-billion Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education scholarships, held today (June 29), at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in New Kingston. Also pictured with the student-teachers are President of The Mico University College, Dr. Asburn Pinnock (seventh left), and Executive Director of the Students’ Loan Bureau (SLB), Nickeisha Walsh (third right). (Photo courtesy of Adrian Walker via JIS)The Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, said through the Students’ Loan Bureau (SLB), it will be providing 2,250 scholarships to boost the country’s capacity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) over the next five years.
The STEM Scholarship Programme was launched on Thursday, through which full tuition scholarships will be granted to an estimated 1,250 new student-teachers at The Mico University College.
The program, which was born out of a partnership between the SLB and The Mico, was first announced by Finance and the Public Service Minister, Dr. Nigel Clarke, during his budget debate presentation in March.
Clarke said the government believes Jamaica’s workforce must increase its level of STEM attainment to ensure that the nation is globally competitive.
“We must fill the maths and science teaching and learning gaps in schools at all levels and systematically build out capacities to accommodate the transition to full STEM integration. This will power the new schools that will be constructed and, in addition, generate sufficient resources to expand STEM competencies across a wider range of schools,” he noted.
He said that with the government providing opportunities in the field, there is expected to be an uptick in the number of STEM enrolments at the tertiary level.
“A recent project with the Ministry of Education and Youth shows that teacher training intake in the STEM area would increase by over 100 per cent if scholarships and other incentives are offered. We must move to prepare ourselves through the deliberate and urgent supply of well-trained teachers with the skills and values to drive STEM implementation across all schools,” Clarke said.
The authorities said that another aspect of the STEM Scholarship Programme for students at the University of Technology (UTech), will be launched on July 6.
They said through the SLB, a total of 1,000 scholarships will be provided more than five years at a cost of J$2.4 billion, to benefit students from low-income households.
