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

“Education will be profoundly transformed by AI,” “Teaching tools, ways of learning, access to knowledge, and teacher training will be revolutionized.”- UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. Many boys are turned off from the formal education system. For many boys they have identified less stressful and more lucrative pathways to provide for themselves and their families than to engage the education system. The truth is the education system is not attracted to boys. This disconnect is rooted in many variables. Unfortunately, policy makers continue to push an education system which by default caters more to girls. This gendered divide from the formal education system has antecedents in the period of colonialization. Boys by design are more tactile learners while girls are more auditory or visual-based learning often a result from their overall socialization and specifically gender socialization. The sit, talk and chalk approach that is predominant in our classrooms favours girls more ...

“It takes a village to raise a child. It takes a child with autism to raise the consciousness of that village.” – Elaine Hall. Globally, it's estimated that approximately 1 in 100 children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Autism is significantly more common in boys than in girls. This skewed sex ratio has been recognized since the first cases of autism were described in the 1940s. One of the most comprehensive analyses of autism’s sex ratio, published in 2017, drew on data from 54 prevalence studies worldwide. That analysis estimated about 4.2 boys with autism for every girl. Each story regarding autism is unique. While we must accept the similarities concerning autism, equally important are the uniqueness within this community. Many individuals with autism are misunderstood. This lack of understanding results from an overload of information, much of which contains myths and misconceptions surrounding this behavioural condition. Raising a child with autism requir...

“These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.”- Isaiah 29:13. Have you ever critically examined the meaning of worship? Worship occurs when we give our deepest affection and highest praise to something or someone. True worship is a valuing or a treasuring of God above all things. Are you a true worshipper? Sadly, there are those who worship their possessions. There are many gods of this world both tangible and intangible. What is the face of multiple gods? There are those for whom their career, a prized title or education is their god. For others it could be their car, or a home, or any object that they value and give their overwhelming attention. As followers of Christ worship should begin with and end in true worship. However, some of us tend to negotiate with God regarding our worship. Our worship experience should never be boring. We shoul...

“The theme of this year’s World Water Day reminds us of a cold, hard truth: glacier preservation is essential for security, prosperity, and justice. Glaciers are nature’s vaults, holding a precious resource: nearly 70 per cent of all freshwater on Earth.”- António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations. Nearly 2 billion people rely on water from glaciers, snowmelt and mountain run-off for drinking, agriculture, and energy production. The World Meteorological Organization states that in 2023, glaciers lost more than 600 gigatons of water, the largest mass loss registered in 50 years. Glaciers are melting faster than ever. As the planet gets hotter, our frozen world is shrinking, making the water cycle more unpredictable. For billions of people, melt water flows are changing, causing floods, droughts, landslides and sea level rise. Countless communities and ecosystems are at risk of devastation. As we work together to mitigate and adapt to climate change, glacier preservati...

“I'm special like everyone else. I do not let people judge me for having Down syndrome. The important thing is how I feel about myself. On the inside, I feel beautiful.” – Edward Barbanell. Down syndrome continues to be the most common chromosomal disorder among humans. People with Down syndrome are born with an extra chromosome. Statistics from Caribbean countries estimate that one child with Down syndrome is born for every 800 to 1,000 live births. In 2012, the General Assembly of the United Nations declared March 21st as World Down Syndrome Day . This year’s theme is “Improve Our Support Systems," which emphasizes the need for inclusive support that grants individuals with Down syndrome choice, control, and dignity. Down syndrome occurs when an individual has an extra partial (or whole) copy of chromosome 21. Down syndrome exists in all regions across the globe. Down syndrome commonly results in variable effects on learning styles, physical characteristics and health. A...

“Reading and exposure to words helps kids maximize their language and cognitive capacity. Even the tactile experience of holding or touching a book supports babies’ cognitive development.”- Laura Phillips, PsyD. The literacy crisis currently facing the nation has taken longer than expected for a lasting resolution. Perhaps the approach to improving literacy skills is the missing part of the equation given that so many approaches and strategies have been tried over the years. What has remained constant is that more and more of our students are not reading at their grade levels. Equally important is the fact that a significant number of our students do not see a future in education. Many students have disengaged themselves from the rigors of education, this is especially so given that there are so many attractive alternative pathways to success and respect. Our boys in particular given their propensity as tactile learners have switched off their learning mode a long time ago. However, ...

“When you have burnout, you’re coming to work with a very negative attitude and very negative energy,” and kids are so empathic that they feel your negative energy, and that spurs their negative energy, which causes more behavior problems and challenges.”- Donna Christy, a school psychologist. Teachers face high levels of work-related stress, impacting their mental health and potentially leading to burnout, anxiety, and depression, which can influence their well-being and the quality of education. Increasingly teachers are being asked to take on non-teaching tasks. In many instances this additional work is selectively applied to some teachers while others who find favour with administration are not so burdened. The disconnect between administrators and teachers regarding job responsibilities appears likely to persist without a revised Education Act. The classroom experience can become toxic. In fact, it is rather toxic for a growing number of teachers and students. Unfortunately, we...