United Nations Jamaica 76th Anniversary

The COVID-19 pandemic and consequent disruptions to schools continue to threaten decades of progress towards the right to Education in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 in the Caribbean. Data suggests that nearly 7 million students in 23 countries and 91,000 teachers have been affected by school closures. As schools in Jamaica closed, teachers had to adapt quickly to blended and distance learning modalities. This was particularly challenging for those in areas with poor or no connectivity and limited access to devices. Even in contexts with adequate infrastructure and connectivity, many teaching professionals lacked the training and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills to design and facilitate quality learning from afar. In January this year, in response to the significant needs of the education system in the Caribbean sub-region, UNESCO, Blackboard and the Caribbean Centre for Educational Planning (CCEP) at the University of the West Indies teamed up to launch the Education response to Covid-19: Distance Learning and Teacher Training Strategies in the Caribbean SIDS. With funding from Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), this year- long project aims to strengthen the capacities of teachers and school leaders on digital skills and blended learning solutions. The goal is to train 10,000 teachers in the use of online education tools, resources and platforms. With the additional financial support from UNICEF Jamaica, more than 6000 Jamaican teachers have been able to register to the course to prepare themselves and others for the continuity of learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Haynese Carlyle, a primary school teacher in rural Jamaica, was among the first of three cohorts of the training programme. When schools closed last year, poor internet access and lack of means to communicate with her students made it challenging to deliver the curriculum as planned. In an interview with UNESCO, Carlyle said that she also found the traditional methods she used in the classroom, such as games and signing, to be less effective online. However, through the course, which she completed at her own pace, Carlyle learned how YouTube could be used as a teaching tool and how a combination of synchronous and asynchronous approaches could benefit her students. Ensuring that students with learning difficulties were included and engaged - something made more difficult by the lack of visual cues and in-person interaction - had been another key concern for Carlyle as she moved her lessons online. But she has now “learned methods on how to integrate inclusive teaching into the online environment [and] make personal videos to motivate [students].” As intermittent lockdowns and school closures continue, distance learning remains key to reaching millions of children in theCaribbean region and ensuring their right to education. It also looks set to play a greater role in the future of education in emergencies. UNESCO commends the efforts of Jamaica’s Ministry of Education, Youth and Information (MOEYI) for its response to the unprecedented challenges to the education system during COVID-19, and remains committed to supporting Jamaica’s education sector to ensure the right to education for all. The rapid shift to distance education has opened our eyes to the power of digital learning – but it has also highlighted many challenges. Building Digital Skills for Distance Learning Among Teachers Saadia Sanchez-Vegas, PhD, Director and Representative of the UNESCO Cluster Office for the Caribbean 7 THE 76TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL FEATURE OF THE UNITED NATIONS IN JAMAICA