Labour ministry donates mattresses to ECC
Published:Friday | August 5, 2022 | 12:06 AMSonae Rose/Gleaner Writer
MINISTER OF Labour and Social Security Karl Samuda has donated 300 mattresses to the Early Childhood Commission (ECC).
At the official handover of 50 mattresses on Wednesday, August 3, the minister revealed that the number is to be increased as he is aimed at helping children at the early-childhood level.
“Fifty at this stage, in my opinion, can be increased considerably when you consider that they need 300. We in the Ministry of Labour are responsible for reaching out to the most vulnerable in our society, helping those who can’t help themselves. I can think of no better place to focus our attention than in a system of development for our infants, many of whom are coming from challenged communities,” he said.
“If we’re going to develop a nation of learnt, highly stimulated, confident children that will grow into mature and responsible adults, it has to start at the youngest possible age where they get the type of professional help and could be stimulated appropriately to lay a foundation to go on into primary, secondary and tertiary education,” Samuda added.
The minister also said that the decision to donate the mattress was made after consulting with the Ministry of Education.
Samuda explained that he developed an affinity and appreciation for the work of the ECC during his time as the education minister. He said the ECC is doing a good job in creating a safe and responsible younger generation who will contribute to Jamaica’s development as adults.
The community relations manager of the ECC, Tanisha Miller, thanked the minister for his donation and said it would “go a far way” in helping early childhood institutions (ECI) that are in need of mattresses.
“To say we feel happy is an understatement. We’re very elated because we came here expecting fifty mattresses but only to know that we will be walking away with three hundred. The need is really there for the 300 mattresses and we’re happy for that. It will assist early childhood institutions because as is, we have our sick bays and our isolation areas with our ECIs and most of them are without the bed, they’re without the mattresses. Some of them just have the bed base, no mattress,” she said.
Miller added that the mattresses would help the ECIs to meet at least five of the 12 legal operating standards for the institutions.
“The 12 legal operating standards help with the certification of our institutions. So, if it is that the institutions do not meet legal requirements, then they can’t be certified. What certification means is that they would have met the 12 legal standards and gained 100 per cent marks,” she explained.
Miller said the ECC already had a list of schools in need of mattresses from inspections made by its officers. She added that the commission would be ready to distribute them as soon as possible.