Students from Lannamans Preparatory School performing a cultural dance during the Clean School competition launch on Wednesday. The function was held at the Hilton Kingston hotel in St. Andrew. - Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer
In a bid to protect the environment and minimise the disastrous effects of global warming, the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) on Wednesday launched the 2007-2008 Clean School competition for primary and preparatory schools.
The competition seeks to inculcate the values of proper solid waste management in the psyche of the next generation.
Joan Gordon-Webley, executive director of the NSWMA, said the competition allows students and teachers to not only ensure that their surroundings are clean, but to engage their creativity in utilising waste to produce works of art.
"With the advent of global warming, we have been experiencing more hurricanes and warmer summers. It is therefore evident that we need to change our practices," Mrs. Gordon-Webley told the gathering at the Hilton hotel in New Kingston.
"We are confident that this competition amongst others will effectively launch an intensified approach to making our surroundings much cleaner, and will help in bringing awareness to our people," she added.
The Clean School competition started in 2006 in 200 schools islandwide.
In his remarks, Doran Dixon, president-elect of the Jamaica Teachers' Association, said the provision of hygienic and clean surroundings was important in the learning environment. He noted that this competition will go a far way in enhancing that objective.
The competition will run from November 2007 to April 2008. Awards will be made on Solid Waste Management Day, which will be observed on June 6.
Schools are expected to ensure that the school plant is pristine, identify environmental ambassadors, produce and perform a cultural item about waste management and prepare and present a waste-to-art project.
Institutions will be judged on the absence of burning, containerisation, display of environmental messages, recycling projects, among other things.
