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

"The world today is indebted to us for the benefits of civilization. They stole our arts and sciences from Africa. Then why should we be ashamed of ourselves."- Marcus Mosiah Garvey. The International Day for People of African Descent is observed on August 31 annually. This day of celebration was created by the United Nations to acknowledge the diverse heritage and several contributions of people of African descent. The African Diaspora has long been recognized for its spirit and contributions to art, culture, science, and other fields, and it continues to mark a distinctive presence and positive impact in several parts of the world. According to the United Nations international days reflect the values that society shares. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and have the potential to contribute constructively to the development and well-being of their societies. Any doctrine of racial superiority is scientifically false, morally condemnable, social...

“Testing children until they cry is a bad idea. It is an educational malpractice.”- Diane Ravitch. Singapore has long been recognized as having one of the best education systems globally. The island state has long been an educational high-achiever, endorsing rote learning and long study hours to propel school children toward examination success. However, this successful nation has re-branded their approach to education and students are no longer ranked by examination results. In a history of high performance Singaporean students were absorbed in a highly competitively charged educational environment which is rather characteristic of other Asia-Pacific societies such as China, South Korea and Japan. In 2004, the government developed the “Teach Less, Learn More” initiative, which moved instruction further away from its early focus on rote memorization and repetitive tasks and toward deeper conceptual understanding and problem-based learning. Singapore’s current priorities for its educat...

“Indigenous women help protect the fragile territories in which they live. Indigenous women are crucial transmitters of knowledge related to sustainable environmental management to future generations.”- Victoria Tauli-Corpuz- Former United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Oftentimes indigenous peoples are absent from the discourse concerning the protection of their rights and status. The tendency is for non-indigenous people to speak on their behalf. The United Nations estimates that there is an estimated 476 million indigenous peoples in the world living across 90 countries. They represent less than 5 per cent of the world's population, but account for 15 per cent of the poorest. They speak an overwhelming majority of the world’s estimated 7,000 languages and comprise 5,000 different cultures. According to the United Nations (UN) globally, 47% of all indigenous peoples in employment have no education, compared to 17% of their non-indigenous counte...

“What a time to be Jamaican, Beauty of the Nations, Make all my other worries fade away.” – ‘No Weh No Nice Like Yaad’ by Sacaj; Festival Song Winner-2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xra3DsNEzKE. Jamaicans both home and overseas will be celebrating Jamaica’s 60th anniversary of political independence. Independence has many variations, so while Jamaica is politically independent we are still very much economically dependent. The totality of full independence is an extended journey which cannot be achieved with the stroke of a pen. Notwithstanding this, sixty years is a significant milestone. The theme for Jamaica 60 is Re-igniting a Nation for Greatness . Jamaica is the third largest of the Caribbean islands, and the largest English-speaking Island in the Caribbean. Jamaica is situated 90 miles south of Cuba, 600 miles south of Florida, USA, and 100 miles south-west of Haiti, Jamaica is approximately 146 miles long, 51 miles wide, and has an area of 4,411 square miles. The capit...

“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”- Marcus Garvey. Jamaica is often viewed as a Christian nation yet; many of us turn to sources other than God for protection. Disturbingly, even in the church there are members who adorn themselves with items of protection as they seek to shield themselves and their families from negativity such as bad luck and influences of evil among other things. If ever there were a paradox, Jamaica is a prime example. Whether we agree or disagree, obeah is part of our African retention given that most of us can trace our ancestral lineage to the continent of Africa. It is often said that obeah is a thriving business in Afro Caribbean societies, and surprisingly the belief in obeah spreads across all socio-economic and educational levels within the society. Obeah is sometimes referred to as ‘science’. We have all heard the phraseologies, ‘someone inna yuh life’ or ‘go look bout yuhself.’ Defin...