Government expands early childhood education investment, Crawford says

State Minister in the Ministry of Education Rhoda Moy Crawford says the Government is moving on several fronts, with major spending, to improve early childhood education throughout Jamaica.

Crawford made the remarks on Monday at the Professional Development Institute 2026 conference, PDI 26, staged by the Early Childhood Commission at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James. She said continued investment in the sector forms part of the Government's wider push for positive social change in Jamaica.

The conference is being held from May 18 to 21 and centres on early childhood development, teacher preparation and the rights of children.

Crawford said the administration views early childhood education as the starting point for learning and a key part of national development. She noted that the Early Childhood Commission operates as the Education Ministry's special-purpose agency for the area, while the wider ministry supports the work through infant schools, infant departments and children in grades one to three at the primary level.

According to Crawford, about $30.8 billion has been set aside for the early childhood sector, which serves children from birth to eight years old. She said that sum accounts for roughly 19.5 per cent of the Ministry's $196.7-billion recurrent budget and should be seen as a core investment in Jamaica's future workforce and citizens, rather than a minor provision.

She said the funding signals a clear policy decision to improve access, standards, staffing, training, maintenance assistance and caregiver development across early childhood education.

Crawford also said the Holness administration is still focused on ensuring that every institution registered with the Early Childhood Commission has at least one trained teacher, as required under the Early Childhood Act.

The state minister said 108 additional teachers have already been announced, while the Ministry awaits further information from the Commission to help identify and close remaining gaps in the system.

She added that approximately 81,000 children in centrally led infant schools and departments, along with those in grades one to three at the lower primary level, now have exposure to a trained teacher.

Crawford said access to trained teachers has expanded through about 500 infant schools and departments, as well as 766 primary-level institutions that include grades one to three.

She also pointed to the role of private early childhood schools, saying around 24,000 children enrolled in fully private institutions are being taught by trained teachers.

In addition, Crawford said the Education Ministry gives roughly $10 million each year in professional development scholarship support to assist untrained practitioners with upgrading their qualifications. That programme, she said, is administered through the Early Childhood Commission.