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The Jamaica Social Investment Fund’s

Contribution to Education
in Jamaica

By Michelle Moses, Monitoring & Evaluation Coordinator, JSIF

Introduction • Enabling a satisfactory learning environment at the
The highest percentage of projects undertaken by the Jamaica primary level
Social Investment Fund (JSIF) has been education related. This
attention had initially been directed mainly at the early childhood • Ensuring a physical environment in all schools that is safe
and primary levels, but over the years the organization sought and conducive to learning at all levels in the school system
to expand the scope of assistance to include other education
related interventions. • Expanding mechanisms to provide access to education
and training for all including unattached youth
JSIF’s activities align with national objectives and priorities
and consequently the organization aims to contribute to the • Strengthening the mechanisms to align training with
provision of world class education and training which is a demands for the labour market
national outcome for Jamaica within Vision 2030. As a result,
the organizations’ interventions addressing the issues affecting Since inception, JSIF has worked with the Ministry of Education
the education sector are grounded in a number of national (MoE) to address the challenges that were experienced by
strategies including: schools as it related to overcrowded classrooms, difficulty
• Ensuring that children 0-8 years old have access to of access by persons with disabilities, safety and security
challenges and dilapidated buildings. The Fund focused on
adequate early childhood education and development the expansion, construction and/or rehabilitation of school
programmes premises and the provision of furniture and equipment to
ensure that institutions met the required Ministry of Education
(MOE) or Early Childhood Commission (ECC) standards relating

Construction of the Bellas Gate Basic School in St. Catherine, funded by the Basic Needs Trust Fund, Programme 5.

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