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

12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 14  If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

 Reflection Reflecting on a life that could have been. Alone, sitting on the sofa, hands on the remote with crossed legs, Sipping away at some June Plum juice with ginger. My taste buds are alive The silence is deafening however, Still I hear Voices of my past Voices of the present I hear footsteps outside my window Walking briskly, going about their business. © 2014 Wayne Campbell

Before you use an untruth to assassinate someone's character be mindful that your lack of character and integrity will be exposed by the truth. The truth is always self liberating.-Wayne Campbell

"Freedom is meaningless if people cannot put food in their stomach"-Nelson Mandela

2 Timothy 1:7   For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

“I cannot conceive of a greater loss than the loss of one's self-respect.”- Mahatma Gandhi Have you ever wondered for a moment or perhaps two, the reasons why the Jamaican public has lost respect for the nations teachers?   I have and have concluded that there are two broad based explanations for the rapid decline in respect for the nation’s teachers. Too many of our teachers have lost respect for themselves. This lack of self respect among teachers has led many of them to enter into inappropriate sexual relations with students. The profession of teaching has been brought into a state of disrepute by these individuals. This fact was highlighted by a news report of May 8, 2014 with the caption “Pervert Teachers”. According to the Children’s Advocate some teachers are exhibiting predatory sexual behavior towards children in schools. Disturbingly, the Children Advocate added that other members of staff including the school leadership are choosing to cover up these cases of child abu...

In law a man is guilty when he violates the rights of others. In ethics he is guilty if he only thinks of doing so.- Immanual Kant I invite you to join me on this journey and fast forward to 2044. There is a sense of mistrust between those who govern and those who are governed. To say all is not well within the Jamaican society would be an understatement. Yes, it’s rather a daunting picture. However, thirty (30) years is not too far away. The positive news is that we still have time to change the ending of this narrative. The recent Bill Johnson polls show that the majority of Jamaicans believe that the country is heading in the wrong direction. Among the issues facing the country in 2044 are a leadership crisis, a balance of payment deficit, a high youth unemployment rate, a high inflation rate, a spiraling of boys’ underachievement in our schools, uncomfortable levels of crime and domestic violence. Its 2044 and Jamaica is now a Republic having replaced the Queen as head of state. ...

The admission by a Deputy Superintendent of Police that the police are not equipped to handle coast smugglers is much very frightening and should be cause for grave concern for all Jamaicans. In recent times a disturbing trend has developed where a number of nationals from Central America, namely Costa Rica and Nicaragua, have entered Jamaica illegally. Alarmingly, a lack of a paper trail has rendered the authorities helpless in knowing how long the Central American nationals have been staying in Jamaica given that they did not use the country’s legal ports of entry. Undoubtedly, Jamaica’s national security is at risk in view of the fact that we already know that there is an on-going guns for drugs trade.   It well documented that in this trade Jamaica provides drugs in this lucrative business in exchange for guns.   Despite Jamaica’s budgetary constraints, the country needs to redouble its efforts to monitor and protect its borders.   Jamaica is a relatively small isl...

The start of the academic year is typically greeted with an air of expectancy and promise.   However, this positive outlook is usually short lived as soon as the grim reality sets in bringing to the fore unforeseen, as well as recurring problems to all the stakeholders involved in the business of education. Each year, thousands of Jamaican students either graduate from, drop out of school or are expelled from various educational institutions. Sadly, many of those students leave school without any form of certification rendering them helpless and almost hopeless in a globalized and competitive world. In this regard we have failed our students. Recently, I came across some interesting and informative information regarding the work of The Jamaica Foundation for Lifelong Learning (JFLL). The JFLL has started a High School Diploma Equivalence Programme as of September 2014. The High School Diploma Equivalence (HSDE) programme is geared towards students 17 years and older and pr...

Early morning pain, Mid day too Late at night Does pain defines you? I rub your back And joints too, I see your tears,  I feel your pain. Heart broken to see you writhe in pain Helpless and hopeless, I am not ashamed One day soon you will be free Pain free! © 2014 Wayne Campbell

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me. Teach me to do they will: for thou art my God: thy spirit is good: lead me into the land of uprightness.

All across the world, in every kind of environment and region known to man, increasingly dangerous weather patterns and devastating storms are abruptly putting an end to the long-running debate over whether or not climate change is real. Not only is it real, it's here, and its effects are giving rise to a frighteningly new global phenomenon: the man-made natural disaster.   - President Barack Obama We should all remember the sheer destruction and subsequent displacement and suffering of hundreds of thousands of Filipinos resulting from super- typhoon Haiyan and the impact of climate change of our environment. These images should serve as the catalyst for us to move with a sense of urgency to find lasting and meaningful solutions. The massive typhoon which hit the Philippines was one of the most powerful ever on record, with winds exceeding 200 kilometers per hour. Some estimates have placed some 10,000 deaths in one village alone, with the figure expected to increase as governmen...