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

“Me glad fi see yuh come back, bwoy, But lawd, yuh let me dung Me shame a yuh so till all a Me proudness drop a grung.”- No Lickle Twang by Louise Bennett Coverley. The English Language was not the Mother Language on the African continent. The enslaved Africans were stripped of their dignity, including their language during the period of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The English Language was imposed upon them. As a result, for many in the African Diaspora, English Language is the language of oppression. The African Diaspora refers to the widespread dispersal of African peoples across the globe, particularly to the Americas and Europe, primarily as a result of the Transatlantic Slave Trade from the 16th to the 19th centuries. The struggle is real and constant regarding language, especially our Mother Languages. With anywhere between 1000 and 2000 languages, Africa is home to approximately one-third of the world's languages. Swahili is the most widely spoken African language. It i...

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. For most of us justice is a fleeting and elusive ideal. Justice often feels like a catchphrase grounded in academia, far removed from the lives of most citizens. What is more common and relatable is injustice. The cries of “We Want Justice” are far more common in a world characterized by chaos and injustice. The lack of justice is traumatic and oftentimes is generational. Injustice is frequently rooted in racial and religious discrimination, as well as misogynistic views. Structural inequalities persist, affecting access to decent work, social protection, healthcare, education and a life free from discrimination. This duality in systems is global. Such duality fosters corruption and privilege, allowing only a small percentage of citizens to benefit from government resources. Respect is not afforded equally. Constitutional authority, inherited power, wealth, and privilege often combine to undermine ju...

Do you have a physical radio at home? In a rapidly changing world underpinned by artificial intelligence, the radio is often dismissed as old- fashioned and obsolete. Yet, for more than a century, radio has been a powerful medium, uniting people across borders, cultures, and generations. On February 13, 2026, the international community will once again come together to observe World Radio Day . World Radio Day (WRD) was proclaimed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2011 and later adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012, making it an officially recognized international observance. Each year, we pause to honour the broadcasters who deliver the news, amplify voices, and share stories that matter. World Radio Day commemorates the establishment of United Nations Radio in 1946, established in the aftermath of World War II as a symbol of global communication and cooperation. Since then, radio has remained a trusted companion...

Global education systems often create barriers for girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Data clearly states that such discrimination is both systemic and persistent. Unfortunately, the historical legacies of exclusion and discrimination still shape the present where women are underrepresented in areas such as engineering, science and physics. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), women comprise about 35 per cent of STEM graduates globally, a figure that has remained stagnant for over a decade. In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), women comprise less than 30% to 40% of the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) workforce and graduates. While 60% of tertiary graduates in the region are women, they are significantly underrepresented in engineering (under 31%) and Information and Communications Technology (ICT), with only 14% of girls expecting to work in STEM. Underrepresenta...

Never outsource your health to the surrogates of those who own the plantations. Too often many of us turn a blind eye to our personal health. The consequences of such actions can be devastating and many do not live to tell the tale. However, there are many realities in this space. In many instances where there are no trade union representations employees often lose a day’s pay should they not report for work. This reality becomes more impacting when one has a family. Needless to say, if one is unwell, one’s productivity in the workplace will diminish. One’s state of wellness is not only physical, but mental health impacts our overall physical wellbeing. Given our history of enslavement and colonization many countries are indeed shaped alongside a plantation-like system. Within the plantation system the owners and or their surrogates are primarily concerned with profit. Health advice is shaped more by profit motives than by genuine care. Michal Jackson, in his song, “They Don’t C...

“What the hand does, the mind remembers.”- Maria Montessori. As educators we have a wealth of untapped knowledge and anecdotal evidence regarding education systems. Unfortunately, global education systems operate on a top down approach and the experiences of educators who serve in the trenches are rarely taken into consideration. This misguided top down approach renders students merely as statistics. Sadly, within this space the human element is sacrificed on the altar of curriculum expediency. Boys, in particular are often overlooked as the education system reinforces a one-sized approach to teaching and learning. Boys are tactile learners. Tactile learning is an approach that engages a learner's sense of touch to explore and understand the world around them. It is grounded in the understanding that sensory experiences are crucial to cognitive development, particularly in the early years. This learning style involves the direct handling and manipulation of objects, allowing lear...

Today, 250 million children and youth are out of school, and 763 million adults are illiterate. Their right to education is being violated and it is unacceptable. In addition to the troubling statistics the learning loss associated with Covid19 is now further compounded by the educational deficits following natural disasters such as Hurricane Melissa which made landfall in Jamaica on October 28, 2025. The conversations surrounding education have been many. Regrettably, there is a culture of puppetry in global education systems that suppress critical thinking. Yes, there have been attempts to reform education systems. Yet, in many parts of the world there is a duality in global education systems. Globally, both access to education and inclusive education remains elusive for millions of children. What about those students who are functional illiterate? Does the United Nations data capture such demographics? Literacy is defined as the ability to understand, evaluate, use, and engage wi...