The Intersection of Gender, Culture and Education: Jamaica: The Next 50 Years!

Easter is one of those religious festivities which conjure a bitter sweet flavour. The bitterness comes because we often reflect on Jesus’ trial and subsequent crucifixion yet it is sweet since Jesus overcame the grave and now lives in Glory making intercession on our behalf.   “Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “sit here while I go over here and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “my soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” - St. Matthew 26:36-38. Easter continues to have a very powerful and indeed personal meaning to many Christians. It is that time of year when Christians enter a period of reflection. It is also that season when God-fearing Jamaicans from all denominations pack the pews of churches in observance of Passion Week which embodies the trial, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus

I like to think of myself as a male who chooses to live and explore life to the fullest without restricting myself to labels, so says Sam, a colleague who responded to my question on the issue of the metrosexual male and masculinity.   Metrosexual means different things to different people.   According to the Cambridge Dictionary a metrosexual is a man who is attracted to women sexually but who is also interested in fashion and his appearance. The online interactive WebMD, states that a metrosexual male is straight, sensitive, well-educated urban dweller who is in touch with his feminine side. The online publication goes on to state that the metrosexual male may have a standing appointment for weekly manicure and has his hair styled by a stylist rather than a barber. The metrosexual male often wears jewellery, loves to shop and pays attention to how he looks. He may work on his physique at a fitness club as against having gym membership.     Sam opines that as far as the metrosesexual

Homeschooling is not a sprint, the process is indicative of a marathon. Homeschoolin g is a parent led home-based educational practice which has grown tremendously over the years. Homeschooling involves the parent undertaking the responsibility for the education of their child in the controlled surroundings of the home. Homeschooling is often motivated by parental desire to exclude and shield their children from the traditional school environment, which over the years has become a battleground of sort characterized by bullying and negative peer pressure. Unfortunately, an increasing number of parents are home schooling their children due to health purposes. For example, some children may have severe food allergies and as such it’s best that such children are educated at home. Additionally, there are some parents who prefer to give their child/children a more religious based educational experience which home education facilitates more than being educated in the traditional public school

“Health is not valued till sickness comes”-Thomas Fuller According to the World Health Organization (WHO), US $6.5 trillion dollars is spent globally on health care. The WHO states that total expenditure per person per year stands at US $948.   The issue of health care financing is of concern to all governments however, the problem is of more concern to poorer nations due to budgetary constraints.   According to WHO, many countries need to use available funds more efficiently and raise more funds from domestic sources, but these measures would be insufficient to fill the current gap in the poorest countries. The WHO adds that only an increased and predictable flow of donor funding will allow poorer countries to meet basic health needs in the short to medium term. It is critical that we establish partnerships, whether public, private or government to government in order to tackle the issues associated with the health care sector. The proposed Chinese government support of US $46 mi