PM GOLDING BREAKS GROUND FOR J$6.2M EXPANSION AT JAMAICA COLLEGE:

October 15, 2009

PM GOLDING BREAKS GROUND FOR J$6.2M

EXPANSION AT JAMAICA COLLEGE:

Prime Minister Bruce Golding this afternoon broke ground for the $6.2M construction and expansion of an entrance gate and the re-establishment of ‘Holy Ground' at the Jamaica College campus in Kingston.

The re-establishment of ‘Holy Ground' is in honour and memory of the Jamaica College old boys who died in World War Two. The expansion of the entrance gate will allow for the creation of a dual road for entrance to the school and proper walkways for students. At the ground breaking ceremony, Chairman of the JC old Boys reunion committee, Joseph Matalon, explained that the old boys wanted to leave a permanent record of their re-union and to give a special gift to the school.

Prime Minister Golding who was the guest speaker at the old boys reunion luncheon this afternoon commended them   for the role they have been playing in mentoring students at Jamaica College, which is also his alma mater. He also commended those who have been providing a support system to the school.

Mr. Golding said there was a time when Jamaica College was regarded as the school of the privileged. But he noted that this began to change,  in the ‘60's and 70's when the  whole world was  going though a process of realigning and dealing with issues to do with rights and entitlement. 

He said JC increasingly opened its door to the point where access was no different from access to any school.  ‘The  end result was that the entire education process suffered when in an attempt to expand access with which no one could quarrel, not sufficient  effort was made to sustain the quality so as we opened the doors to ensure that all who could get accommodated could come... our standards suffered', Mr. Golding said

He said JC had been through some terrible experiences but the school is   trying to pick up and to see how it can rebuild its high standards. Mr. Golding said what will hasten this repair are the tremendous support system and the kind of leadership that understands where the school has to go.

The Prime Minister said schools are challenged to deal with the wide cross section of students that they now take in and this is not something that the government can manage by itself.  He said the government wants to get private sector interest to take over schools and provide the management of some of these institutions in much the same way as churches and other organizations have successfully done in the past. Mr. Golding said government is in the process of developing such a policy to address this new direction.

‘I am particularly pleased with the kind of leadership being offered by the Principal of Jamaica College, Ruel Reid, so much so that I have had to lean on him to be special adviser to Minister of Education Andrew Holness ', Mr. Golding told the Old Boys.