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The Jamaica Government is calling on more corporate companies to partner with the island’s educational institutions in a bid to boost their outputs.

The call came from Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Floyd Green, during the EduCom Co-operative Credit Union Limited 2016 scholarship awards ceremony, held at The Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston yesterday.

“We have to continue giving and helping to support our educational system. We all know that it needs partnership to move education forward and to move our country forward. No matter how much the Government does, we need strong corporate support,” he said.

The state minister said that although partnerships are vital at every level, emphasis must be given to early-childhood institutions. He urged companies to adopt these schools so that they can become certified.

“We know that if we get it right at that level, it will be better all along the spectrum of education,” he added. Green commended EduCom for their contribution to the education sector, noting that through their contributions, they are “making dreams into reality”.

In the meantime, he said the Government will continue to ensure that every child has access to a quality secondary education.

“It is a policy position of the Government and that’s why we have said that the fees must be contributory, because no student who cannot afford to pay should be told that they cannot attend,” he said.

He urged the recipients to continue excelling in their studies, irrespective of the institution they will attend in the new academic year.

During the ceremony, 91 bursaries and nine scholarships valued at $1.3 million were awarded to secondary- and tertiary-level students.

The bursaries and scholarships will allow students to pursue studies locally at various universities and teachers’ colleges as well as at a number of high schools.