Kim Gooding, one of the enumerators, with a group of the A Ganar Programme students yesterday morning at the St. Michael’s Secondary School.
The Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation is pleased by the number of success stories coming out of the A Ganar Programme.
Word of this came from Acting Director of the Information Technology and Quality Insurance Unit of the Ministry, Junior Burgess yesterday morning during an evaluation of the programme that was held at the St. Michael’s Secondary School.
“We’ve seen the effects and results of this programme and, yes, we can improve on it and that’s what the ministry is trying to do. But from the ministry’s perspective, we are satisfied … and happy to see the students coming through this programme and seeing the positive transitions that they are making,” he said.
Burgess revealed that since the programme’s genesis three years ago, they have seen just over 700 students graduate. He noted that at its completion students are either re-enrolled in secondary schools for an extra year to improve their academia performances, or are assisted in developing skills that would prepare them for the world of work. He added that in some cases they have had a few students start their own businesses.
“What heartens our heart is that in some situations, because this programme involves an internship where students have a job attachment, at the end of their attachment we’ve had a number of instances where the firm decided to keep on the students because they were satisfied with the work that they are doing,” he said, adding that “to our mind, this programme is worthwhile and valuable”.
Chief Enumerator of the A Ganar Programme, Dr. Veronica Evelyn mentioned that in a general sense, students would enter the programme because they exhibited certain behaviours that were unacceptable, however they would go on to learn things such as team work, self-confidence and ways to assert themselves without getting angry and, in so doing, their behaviour and standard of school work improved.
“There are teachers who would attest to this. The teachers themselves are quite surprised,” she said.