OVER 1,000 persons are said to have registered for North West St Ann Member of Parliament Dr Dayton Campbell’s Second Chance Initiative aimed at giving adults in his constituency a second chance at education.

Addressing last month’s orientation exercise at St Hilda’s Diocesan High in Brown’s Town for the programme which is now in its third year, Dr Campbell said education was the way forward.

He encouraged the youth to make use of the opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty.

“No politician that comes into your community and buys you liquor means you well,” Campbell said.

Several persons who attended the orientation exercise lauded the MP for taking the step to empower his constituents through education in spite of criticism levelled against him when he started the programme.

“We congratulate you and thank you for this initiative,” Delroy Redway, councillor for the Brown’s Town division said.

Classes are scheduled to be held across several locations in the constituency.

Grade Six Achievement Test classes will also be held on Saturdays at the Brown’s Town, Servite and Bamboo Primary schools and Runaway Bay, and Discovery Bay All Age.

Dr Campbell said the classes are free with the only thing expected of students is for them to show up.

A second component, he said, is the literacy and numeracy programme. Dr Campbell noted that this component was included to assist persons who are not at the matriculation level to enter skills training or to do Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) subjects.

“There is an opportunity for you to come and get your literacy or numeracy up to grade nine level,” he said, adding that they can then filter into CSEC classes or skills training programme.

For this year’s programme, English and mathematics are to be offered at the CSEC level to those who wish to sit the subjects, while skills training will also continue across the constituency.

According to Dr Campbell, he has also partnered with Brown’s Town High School to have skills training in areas of aeromechanics, plumbing and furniture making. These skill areas will be added to several others including bartending, merchandising and cosmetology.

Dr Campbell said the programme will also be going a step further in providing capital to assist persons to start businesses.

–Renae Dixon