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

Gone are the days when members of the disabled community would be locked away from the wider society. Disability affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Research shows that between ten to fifteen per cent of the world’s population lives with some form of disability. Interestingly, the disabled community is the largest minority grouping in the world. Having a physical disability does not mean one in unproductive. In fact, there are many individuals who live rather enriched and productive lives. It is abundantly clear that the Jamaican society has not done enough to protect and facilitate this important minority group in order to have full access all public facilities. Recently while driving through the parking lot of a major shopping mall in Half- Way- Tree I saw a young male struggling to get a wheelchair- bound middle- aged looking woman from the paved asphalted area to the elevated passageway of the shopping mall. After a few failed attempts two men came to her rescue...

Where is the justice? One judicial system, yet two different outcomes One law for the rich and politically connected The other for the voiceless and marginalized Is justice for sale? Going Once Going Twice Sold! To the highest bidder Not guilty!   Despite the glaring evidence How much are you willing to pay? How much is your freedom worth to you Jungle justice everywhere! Where is the justice? In this land of ours For all her people Why does justice elude some? Why does social class determine my level of justice? Why is injustice so pervasive? A slow and corrupt justice system in need of urgent reform How many more roads must be blocked, how many more innocent lives will be lost? When will justice be finally served? Extra judicial killings on the increase Police and eye witnesses views differ Malaise and apathy everywhere Botched investigations and missing evidence Where is the justice? Justice delayed and denied We demand justice.

The world is once again teetering on the verge of yet another military stand-off. However, this time it is between Russia and the West. Ever since the public demonstrations in Ukraine which resulted in the ouster of the elected president, the region has been plunged into chaos despite diplomatic overtures. While the Russian president is adamant that the move to seize Crimea was done to protect the minority Russian population, however, his strategic manoeuvring has driven a wedge in the relationship between Russia and EU/USA relations. The move by the Russian president has been denounced by many world governments and also triggered the debate as to whether Russia has a sinister ploy to annex other countries which were once part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). It can be argued that this stratagem by Russia was long coming ever since the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to include states which were once included in the (USSR). Realistically, ot...

The disappearance of the Malaysian Airlines flight M370 is both bizarre and frightening. The flight which originated in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur was heading to Beijing, China with over 200 passengers and crew when it simply vanished into thin air. This most unfortunate incident has stunned the aviation world as the governments of many countries including China, USA, India and Malaysia have joined in an international search effort to locate the plane. As it expected many theories are being circulated regarding what might have happened to the plane since its disappearance just over a week ago. Many experts and the ordinary man in the street have been asking themselves and wondering whether this incident was a case of mechanical difficulties with the plane or a more sinister ploy of piracy. The Malaysian government for the first time has said that the missing jetliner had its communications systems deliberately turned off. As a result a hijacked theory is now being viewed ...

Cemeteries have been around since time immemorial. Our cemeteries serve varied purposes, including being the final resting place or burial area for the dead. In addition cemeteries yield significant information about our society’s social, religious, artistic and cultural heritage. Our cemeteries also serve as outdoor museums and monuments to the past. Additionally, our cemeteries can provide many exciting career opportunities; careers in archaeology, specifically bio-archaeology should be explored by our students. The May Pen Cemetery in Kingston is one of the oldest public cemeteries in the English speaking Caribbean. However, over the years and despite successive governments, the May Pen cemetery continues to be in a state of disrepair. In recent times the chapel and other parts of the cemetery have become a haven for the many homeless individuals in and around Kingston. An entire generation of Jamaicans has been brought without appreciating and respecting the space of the dead. In...

Do you think our schools have sacrifice the emotional safety of our students in favour of their physical safety?  Emotional safety is simply defined as the freedom to express one’s self without repercussion from others. There are some in the society who continue to lament the ban on corporal punishment in our schools. While this view maybe controversial, it is my opinion that corporal punishment was responsible for creating a set of emotionally damaged Jamaicans who now finds it difficult to fit into a modern society. Research now tells us that social and emotional safety is just as important as physical safety for our students in order to ensure the holistic development of the child. Feeling safe is a basic and fundamentally important need for all human beings. When children do not feel safe because of the fear that they will be flogged it hinders the teaching/learning experience and no one benefits. As a society we need to strive towards the creation of a culture...

Males by virtue of their biological sex face many challenges in all spheres including their education.   Boys are more likely to be both the perpetrator and the victim of fights. In fact research indicates that boys get into fights twice as often than girls. Accordingly, boys are six times more likely to be diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).   Boys are also more likely than girls to be diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).   More than ten (10) per cent of school age boys in the United States of America have been diagnosed with this behavioural disorder. Without a doubt there is clearly a strong association between the behavioural disorders ADD and ADHD and the ability to learn. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) manifests itself differently between the sexes.   Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is characterized by three major symptoms which are usually more pronounced in boys. Boys are more lik...

Sexually explicit text messages Oversexed! Indecent! Spreading like wildfire Is there no escaping it? A total stranger or someone of familiarity Sexting! Old and young alike, middle aged too Men, women and those transgendered   Everyone’s finger busy at work Senators, congressmen, and the commoner too Public spaces! Private sphere! Sexting! Unwanted messages Unrequited proposal “I wish you were here with me”..., is that what I think it is on your phone child? Horrified parents Secretive teenagers Sexting! Obsession or is it admiration? Humorous or repulsive? Illegal in some jurisdiction Is it a feature of modernity? What is the solution? The answer lies within your fingers. Sexting! © Wayne Campbell  

The recent death of a Jamaican student athlete in Trinidad and Tobago is both untimely and tragic.   My condolences go out to the family of Cavahn and the St. Jago High School family. On the other hand, we should not allow Cavahn Mc Kenzie,s death to be vain and as such we must revisit how our students’ athletes are treated. The time has come for us to put in measures to protect our student athletes. Firstly, is there a medical insurance scheme for our students athletes to assist them to cover medical costs whenever they get injured if no, why not? Additionally, we need to ask whether there is a group life insurance scheme for our student athletes to assist their families in the event of death. If this is not yet in place surely now is as good a time for such a scheme to be implemented. Oftentimes we tend to forgive that death can come at any time in one’s life. The sacrifices and glory to school and nation by our student athletes should not go unrewarded. The least we ...