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

Jamaica’s two major political parties, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), and the People’s National Party (PNP), have for far too long evaded the issue of campaign and party financing.   This avoidance of disclosing the source of campaign funding has fuelled and strengthened the perception in the society that politics is dirty, self-serving and corrupt. The recent developments in the court proceedings in Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) involving the head of a ponzi scheme has highlighted and exposed the dire urgency for both political parties and civil society to engage in dialogue with the primary purpose of addressing the issue by crafting the necessary legislation to deal with the matter. The time has come for all law abiding and civic minded Jamaicans to demand more from, and hold our politicians to a higher standard than what currently exists. Transparency and accountability have always taken a back burner in the Jamaican society, and we must ensure that in a new paradigm of go...

The right to be informed is one of the basic rights of any consumer.   However, to be informed one must be proactive and educate one’s self about one’s rights and responsibilities as a consumer.   However if we fail to inform and educate ourselves we usually make decisions that reduce our financial resources and in some instances harm our health. The search for consumer related information is usually made more difficult by manufacturers as they try and hide certain aspects of data necessary for us as consumers to make informed choices. How many of us for example are aware that harmful chemicals are used in household furniture? Many of us have cushions, sofas and upholstery type furniture in our homes yet we know very little about the makeup of these furniture. Flame retardant foams are usually placed inside many types of upholstery type furniture and research is now showing that exposure to these retardants is responsible for a wide range of illnesses and disorders fro...

Disturbing news emerged recently that some female students were held at gunpoint and assaulted by an intruder at a St. Catherine based high school. This most vicious act shows the extent to which violence against females is still very much a cause for concern in the Jamaican society. Despite being a signatory to the Convention on the Elimination of All Form of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) Jamaica continues to experience high levels of violence against our women and girls. It appears that our government has fallen short in terms of putting in place mechanism and systems to protect our women folk from the almost daily assault on them. The society is shocked ever so often by the level of violence especially sexually assault meted out to the female sex in the society. However, in this latest despicable incident not much has been said publicly condemning this crime. We all should be disappointed and disgusted at the lack of public outcry and condemnation by civil society. Where ar...

Jamaica is rich in customs and traditions. Like most Jamaicans I look each year to celebrate and commemorate those mores which have added significantly to the quality of our lives. The pantomime which opens on its traditional December 26,(Boxing Day) is one such custom.   Over the years the national pantomime has become a main attraction for many Jamaicans especially for those visiting home during the Christmas period. The pantomime usually pokes fun at life in the Jamaican society and provides much comic relief on what are usually serious issues in the society. This gives us an opportunity to laugh at ourselves forgetting our problems even for a few hours. The pantomime has been a training ground for many of our best actors/actress and it continues to produce outstanding talents in the field of theatre and the performing arts. Jamaicans are very talented and creative people; in fact our sons and daughters have dominated in various fields globally ranging from sports, medicine...

The tradition of sending postcards at Christmas is nearly as old as the celebration of Christmas itself. Sending postcards may seem like a waste of time to some especially in today’s society when one can easily and instantly share one’s experiences with friends and family through the various social media, such as, Facebook and Instagram. However, there are many traditionalists in the society who prefer to adhere to this fast eroding practice in the digital age in which we live. In recent time the pleasure of sending postcards has become burdensome and time consuming because of the number of stamps that are required for international postage some destinations.   On a recent visit to the post office it took me quite a while to complete placing a significant number of stamps on postcards. This was primarily because the post office either did not have stamps above $100 value or they were out of higher value stamps regardless of the reason we need to look into it. At this Yuletide tim...

In the aftermath of last week’s tragic incident in St. Elizabeth in which a teenager was allegedly killed by her child’s father the time has come for the police high command to establish minimum guidelines for response time for our law enforcement officers. While this occurs in other jurisdictions Jamaica is once again lagging behind where this is concerned. This guideline should be for all police stations across the island regardless of location. I am very much aware that staffing the police force is extremely challenging, more so in this period of recession and financial constraints, however, it is very clear that we must find additional resources to adequately equip our police officers in order for them to do their job. It is only after this has been done that we can hold them fully accountable for not responding promptly. Minimum response time should become a part of standard operational procedures in the future and should be a part of the curriculum at the police ...

Internet penetration is the percentage of a population using the internet. Jamaica’s rate of internet is not very encouraging. Despite significant progress made over the last decade Jamaica continues to have a relatively low internet penetration rate.   In fact St. Lucia at number 11 is the only Caribbean island listed among the top fifty countries with highest internet penetration rate. St. Lucia has an internet penetration rate of 88.5%. Jamaica on the other hand has an internet penetration rate of 54.7%. Iceland is ranked number one with a 97.8% internet penetration rate. There are many factors which have negatively impacted Jamaica’s level of internet penetration rate.   One such factor is clearly in the realm of economics. It is simply too expensive for the average Jamaican household to purchase a laptop or any device with internet capability. A CPU for example, cost roughly $60,000. Recently I checked a few stores in the corporate area to enquire about a Cen...

THE GOVERNMENT has signalled its intention to rid the Jamaican society of all gangs and dismantle all garrisons in the wake of the assault on west Kingston. While this seems to be an ambitious and commendable task it should not end there. The Government also needs to tackle the issue of squatting and the emergence of unplanned settlements throughout the entire country. There is a clear connection between garrisons/dons and unplanned settlements. When these unplanned settlements are allowed to develop it inevitably calls for a leadership issue, and this usually ends up with a don emerging. It is the abandonment of the State to provide basic needs for the citizenry that has led to the emergence of dons and garrisons. Second, there is the issue of the commercialisation of residential areas, especially where sidewalk garages are concerned. This social problem adds greatly to the erosion of the quality of life for law-abiding citizens, as well as create an opportunity for area leaders...

It is imperative that as a society we reflect on the successes of the education system and learn as much from its failures with the aim of improving the system. While most of our children continue to do relatively well at the secondary level, there are many others who have been given a disservice by the stakeholders of the education system especially those students who attend non-traditional high schools. The stakeholders of the education system including the Ministry of Education has been rather short-sighted in not doing enough to ensure that all students leaving high school leave so with some form of certification. The Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC) examination for the most part is widely misunderstood by both educators and students. The CCSLC examination was developed by the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) primarily to prepare individuals to participate fully as productive members of Caribbean societies throughout the region. The last three year...

Not very often do we come across an issue which has the ability to ignite and sustain a public debate in the Jamaican society such as the issue of the age of sexual consent. In criminal law, the age of sexual consent is the age at which a person is considered to be capable of legally giving consent to sexual acts with another person. An individual who engages in sex with someone below the age of sexual consent commits a crime called carnal abuse. In Jamaica the age of sexual consent is sixteen (16) years old. In many other jurisdictions the age of sexual consent ranges from as young as twelve (12) years old to as old as twenty (21) years. Mexico is one of few countries with the age of sexual consent being at age 12. In the United States Of America the age of sexual consent ranges from a low of thirteen (13) years old (New Mexico) to a high of eighteen (18) years old (California). Legal and Cultural Attitudes Legal and cultural attitudes have over time influenced the age of sexual c...

 In recent times the call for the abolition of the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) has gotten louder. From the halls of academia to the verandas of the average Jamaican there has been and continue to be a growing body of public opinion calling for the Ministry of Education to find a replacement measuring tool to place our primary school students into high schools. The Grade Six Achievement Test is a placement examination, that is, regardless of the score of the candidate that individual will be placed at a high school. The areas of concern I have regarding the GSAT examination are twofold. Firstly, the GSAT examination is elist at best and secondly, the exam is not a true reflection of the candidate’s scholastic ability. The elitist nature of the GSAT exam is reinforced by the Ministry of Education in two ways. The top performers of the exams are sent to a limited number of high schools and candidates with the lowest scores are also sent to limited number low performing high scho...

Technology has changed people and their lives. The past century has seen the most significant changes to our lives than any other period in history due to advance technology. Not to be outdone the church has embraced the technological advances of the time and may I say the church will never be the same again.  Having said that it has been tested and proven time and time again that whenever an institution moves away from its core function failure is never too far behind. The church as we know it was established to spread the Gospel of Christ and in so doing to win souls for the kingdom of God. However, in recent times the church has been moving more and more away from its mandate founding principles and by so doing the impact of the church has diminished. How else can you explain a man being shot and killed at the altar of church or criminal stealing church equipment? It is indeed very troubling and frightening to see where Jamaica has reached in her journey from Emancipation ...

22 And Jesus answering saith unto them,  Have faith in God. 23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. 25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

Yes, we all had an option about the Volkswagen Super Bowl advertisement featuring a white male American office worker with a Jamaican accent.  In viewing the advertisement one was immediately reminded of the Jamaican proverb which says “wi lickle but wi tallawah”. For a major automobile manufacturer such as the German carmaker Volkswagen to use our dialect in a major advertisement it speaks volume of Jamaica’s greatness and influence despite her relatively small size on the map.  Like any controversial topic there are arguments for both sides of the debate. Those who object to the advertisement argue that the advertisement is racist and offensive to Jamaica and Jamaicans. However, we tend to forget that although the majority of Jamaicans are black and are from an African heritage Jamaica is a pluralistic society with many ethnic groups represented. There are Chinese Jamaicans; Jamaicans of Indian descent and of course white Jamaicans.  Additionally, there are also Jews in...

For the most part our school age boys and young men refuse from taking part in extracurricular activities.  Involvement in uniform groups especially for our males has become a rarity in the Jamaican society. It was a rather refreshing sight to have seen a young man dressed in full scout uniform making his way to school last Friday while on my way to work. This occurrence signalled to me that all is not lost in Jamaica despite the harsh economic times and the struggles we face daily as a people. As a society we need to revitalize the scouting movement in Jamaica and encourage our children especially our young men to get involved in positive extra-curricular activities such as this. Scouting was started in the early 1900,s by Robert Baden-Powell and is still very much relevant today as it was back then. The Scouting organization works towards giving young men the knowledge, skills and life lessons that will help them mature and succeed as they become adults. In an era when many o...

It is time for men to take center stage. International Men’s Day is an annual global event celebrated on November 19. The focus of this international occasion serves to highlight the various forms of discrimination and challenges our males face, as well as, to celebrate the positive contributions, accomplishments and varied experiences of being male.   For far too long this very important day has not found the buzz it deserves in the Jamaican landscape. However, this can be explained because we live in a society and indeed geographical region where the rights and issues of males are not historically viewed as important and therefore men’s rights are hardly taken seriously more so discussed in a meaningful manner.  The theme for this year “Keeping men and boys safe” is rather appropriate and timely given the on-going debate regarding how neglectful  some of our males have become regarding the lack of attention they pay to their health and other supporting issues neces...

AS we continue to struggle as a society with issues of values and attitudes, the time has come for us to examine the possibility of introducing the teaching of character education into the school curriculum at both the primary and secondary levels of the education system. We need to stop and take a serious look at the society, since it appears that we lack the fortitude and wherewithal to produce men and women of good character. February 2013 was one of the most embarrassing for the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). In two instances, six of their members were arrested and another is on the run for their alleged involvement in harbouring a criminal, robbery, and facilitating the escape of a prisoner. It should be very clear to all of us that without positive and good character, corruption intensifies. The teaching of character education should be compulsory in all public institutions of learning at the early childhood, primary and secondary levels of the education sys...

 Published Monday, November 04, 2013-Jamaica Observer Tweet BEFORE we rush to condemn we should all try and remember the numerous times we have had lapses in judgement in our younger days. He or she that is without fault please indicate now. The overarching tendency in our society is to be characterised by short-term memory. We oftentimes forget that each generation of Jamaicans, like in any other society, tries as much as possible to push the envelope regarding decency and acceptable behaviour.   Having viewed the footage from the two-year-old Maggotty High School "bashment" video, I did not react with the typical jaw-dropping, knee jerking, shock and awe response as was the usual reaction from a significant portion of the Jamaican society. We live in an over-sexualised society, in which we are constantly being bombarded by sexual images and nuances by a media more concerned about their profit line than what is broadcast. One only has to ...