An educational and vocational programme to provide inmates at Her Majesty’s Prison’s with a structured curriculum has been launched.

The programme is based on the Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC) modular curriculum and will cover core subjects such as Mathematics, English, Social Studies and Science and will also include Plumbing and Electrical as the two main vocational courses.

Minister for Education and Culture, Hon. Myron V. Walwyn said that the programme has been re-engineered as a critical part of a rehabilitation programme to provide inmates with a structured curriculum which prepares them for eventual study at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels, and Alternative Secondary Education Programme.

Minister Walwyn said, “The Ministry of Education and Culture has worked diligently to ensure that the programme is aligned with the general education system so that upon release, there is an opportunity for inmates to continue their education or complete work started at the prison in the education programme with the Alternative Secondary Education Programme.”

The objectives are to provide inmates with educational opportunities by offering educational and vocational training through social learning to foster lifelong learning skills as well as to detect and address missing gaps in their education and learning skills.

Twenty-six inmates are presently enrolled in the programme, which runs from one to five years depending on the student’s pace.

Minister Walwyn added that the Ministry has established a very successful Youth Employment Services (YES) programme for persons who are desirous of moving on to the workplace. The YES programme, he said, will be linked with the vocational programme at the prison to ensure that young persons who are in the penal system who would have completed a certain level of their education, who are working towards a high school diploma or other certification can have assistance in finding jobs.

Inmates must undergo a screening tool to determine their academic level by using the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT) before registering for courses. The WRAT test is an academic skills assessment which measures reading skills, math skills, spelling, and comprehension.

The Ministry of Education and Culture is committed to providing high quality education and rehabilitative services so that everyone can have equitable access to educational opportunities. 

Minister for Education and Culture, Honourable Myron V. Walwyn delivering remarks during the launch of the programme (Photo credit: GIS/Franklyn Skerritt)