As parents, caregivers and educators across Jamaica prepare for the start of the new school year, the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund has confirmed the completion of perimeter fencing at 10 early childhood institutions (ECIs), providing safer and more secure spaces for young learners to play, learn and grow.

The $15-million project benefited institutions across Kingston and St Andrew, St Catherine, Clarendon, Manchester, Hanover, Trelawny, St Mary and Portland, reinforcing the importance of safe and secure learning environments during the critical early years of a child’s development. The initiative forms part of CHASE Fund’s longstanding commitment to the advancement of early childhood education in Jamaica. Through sustained investment in the sector, the fund has supported the upgrading of infant schools, the provision of educational resources and technology, and improvements to the physical environments in which young children learn and develop.

The perimeter fencing project represents another important investment in this ongoing programme of support. In addition to enhancing the security of school compounds, the improvements will assist the institutions in meeting Standard 8 of the Early Childhood Commission’s certification requirements, which focuses on maintaining safe and secure environments for children, staff, stakeholders and visitors.