The West Indies relies upon the church schools to provide the moral and social foundation for the education of children,Jamaica’s Minister of Education said last week at a national service marking the start of the academic year. Speaking at St Luke’s Anglican Church in Kingston on 6 Sept 2015, Ronald Thwaites noted “the Church, along with the school and family, is one of the pillars of socialisation. In this regard, we call for members of the wider church community to establish closer relations with schools on a day-to-day basis.” he said. Primary and secondary education in Jamaica is overseen by the government, but the bulk of the school’s are owned by the Anglican and Catholic churches, along with the Baptist, Moravian and United Churches.and leased to the government. The minister called upon the church to ensure that every child within its orbit attended school. “Around 20 per cent of our students attend school irregularly, some of whom eventually drop out … . It takes a village to raise a child, so we invite all well-thinking persons in the community, including church members and the police, to ensure that all children are present when school is in session,” he said.