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

"Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted."- St. Matthew 5:4. A funeral is a structured ceremony, with a beginning, middle and an end. Many of those who attend funerals are not mourning. A significant number of the so called mourners are there for the food. Of course they will give the customary greeting ‘I am sorry for your loss’. The reality is they are being polite. Very few are truly sorry and will grieve with you. In fact, even some family members put on a performance worthy of an Academy Award. However, such is life. We each grieve in separate ways. There are no manuals which say there is one size fit all regarding grief. Some will bawl while others mourn silently. Oftentimes, we use our biases and prejudices regarding how one should mourn to cast judgment. Each time we attend a funeral we become or should become more conscious of our own mortality. Performance . We are always performing. One just has to examine our use and misuse of social media; ev...

“When a child learns to read, they don’t just decode letters on a page, they begin to dream bigger, think more critically, and imagine a future beyond what they can see.”- Marshall Tuck, CEO of Ed Voice. The fact that a significant number of first formers are reading below their grade level is cause for national concern. However, despite all the talk regarding literacy intervention programmes there is the feeling that there is no national consensus concerning how to adequately address the reading crisis we face as a nation. A related issue on display is an exclusive education system. The reading crisis is multi layered and therefore the solutions must adhere to similar principles. Undoubtedly, our schools must be the primary vehicle for achieving reading readiness for all students. Phonics should be compulsory at the primary level from grades 1- 4. The Primary Exit Profile (PEP) should be only for grade 5 and 6. Many students are ill-equipped by the time they reach high school to dec...

Dumb is problematic. There was a time when intelligence was highly sought after. It appears gone are those days. Relationships are difficult. Those who are in relationships and those who seek to have relationships should always be mindful of being unequally yoked. Some men prefer their women to play dumb or to dumb down. Dumb down occurs when someone pretends to be dumb at the bequest of another person. This is a sign of disrespect. This often happens in relationships where men suggest or frankly tell their significant others to dumb down. Once this enters a relationship it is time to seek help. Such a relationship will become toxic especially for the party who has had to lower his or her intellectual capacity. Toxicity in any relationship is unhealthy and oftentimes lead to signs of anxiety and or depression. It is always better to walk away from such situations than to subject yourself to such humiliation and disregard. The idea of marrying down is not that appealing. Human sexuality...

“Child abuse casts a shadow the length of a lifetime.”- Herbert Ward. The summer has just started, well officially. We have neither autumn nor winter; instead we have summer like conditions all year round. In spite of the normalcy of the hotter nights and sweltering heat of this Caribbean paradise, some of the news emerging in recent times makes you sick to the stomach. There is no denying that we live in a hypersexualized society and indeed world. Sex is everywhere even in cartoons; there is always a sublime sexually suggested message as bait for children. Childhood should be fun and free from the stresses of adult situations. Our children are not being given the chance to be children. Child abuse is rampant; one only has to look at the statistics. Unfortunately, many of our children have had their innocence ripped out from their souls. Sadly, at times, the abuser is a family member who lives under the same roof. In many instances when students display maladaptive behaviour this...

“There is no one way to recover and heal from any trauma. Each survivor chooses their own path or stumbles across it.”- Laurie Matthew. Very often, we associate trauma with physical pain. Sadly, many of us walk around daily with mountains of trauma from various manifestations within our lives. Trauma can happen at any age. In fact, trauma can affect us at any time, including a long time after the event had happened. Outside of personal trauma, there are also collective and generational traumas. Generational or intergenerational trauma is a type of trauma that is experienced across generations of a family, culture or group. On the other hand, secondary trauma occurs when you witness trauma or you are closely connected to it. It is sometimes called vicarious trauma. Many of us as Afro Caribbean people are still traumatized when we watch slavery-inspired movies or films, such as ‘Roots’ and “12 Years A Slave". The movie 12 Years a Slave is a 2013 biographical historical drama...

“Dogs come into our lives to teach us about love, they depart to teach us about loss. A new dog never replaces an old dog, it merely expands the heart. If you have loved many dogs your heart is very big.”- Erica Jong. He was lifted one last time. After an agonizing consultation with my mother and brother a decision was arrived at. I knew this day was coming. Rover was no pup; he was ten years old with a growing number of health issues. He was no longer the frisky Rover, had became lethargic. In recent times Rover’s abdomen became extended. Upon examination the vet, ordered her assistant to draw fluid from his abdomen. The drawn fluid had traces of blood. Rover was not going to get better. His condition was one of management that would require him to be on a particular drug until death. I braced myself for Rover’s prognosis. In the last few weeks he had lost his aggressive and adventurous personality. Yes, dogs do have personalities. The panting almost gasping was more frequent. He h...

“A narrow focus of awards can lead to decreased motivation, increased stress and a sense of exclusion among students who don’t fit the traditional mold of what a successful student is supposed to be.”- Linda Iwenofu clinical child psychologist and assistant professor in applied psychology and human development at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. Congratulations to the class of 2025. Graduations are special events. What happens after the flash of the cameras go quiet, the balloons burst and the crowd disperses? In many instances, graduations are viewed as rites of passage. Rites of passage are important indicators of transition culminating in adulthood. Graduations are oftentimes grounded in great expectations not only for the grandaunts but also for their parents, guardians and well wishers. Many graduates over the years of formal schooling developed strong connections to both their educational institutions and friends. Formal schooling is much more than academics a...

“Decolonizing the curriculum is a “multifaceted process” that aims to tell the truth. At the heart of it is the aim to offer a rigorous, inclusive education that recognizes that our current systems of knowledge and education are products of specific historical, social, cultural and political contexts.” - Michael Mumisa, Cambridge Special Livingstone Scholar. The Caribbean has had a shared history of enslavement and colonization that has significantly shaped Caribbean education systems. Colonial powers established education systems that routinely prioritized the interests of the colonizers, limiting access and curriculum for the colonized population. This history has resulted in lasting impacts on the region's educational landscape, including disparities in access, curriculum, and overall quality of education. Sadly, current educational leaders in the Caribbean have done very little to right this wrong. Too many of us in the Caribbean region have felt the weight of generational ...

The Tropics are a region of the Earth, roughly defined as the area between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. Although topography and other factors contribute to climatic variation, tropical locations are typically warm and experience little seasonal change in day-to-day temperature. An important feature of the Tropics is the prevalence of rain in the moist inner regions near the equator, and that the seasonality of rainfall increases with the distance from the equator. The tropical region faces several challenges such as climate change, deforestation, logging, urbanization and demographic changes. Did you know that the Tropics host nearly 95% of the world’s mangrove forests by area and 99% of mangrove species? The Tropics have just over half of the world’s renewable water resources (54%), yet almost half their population is considered vulnerable to water stress. The International Day of the Tropics was initiated by the United Nations as an opportunity to celebrate co...

Globally, only 16.5% of engineers are women. Historically, the field of engineering has been a typically male environment. STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) at school were seen more as male subjects, while females gravitated towards the humanities subjects. Traditionally, women and girls were encouraged to study non-STEM subjects. The humanities are more a collection of disciplines than a single discipline. Disciplines that focus on the human condition, from a philosophical or artistic perspective, are generally included in the humanities. These include fine arts, performing arts, literature, philosophy, religion, and history. This gender biased perspective and reality must be interrogated. Regrettably, in some societies, such as Afghanistan, women and girls are excluded from accessing secondary and tertiary education. Disturbingly, the global community has been muted for the most part. Engineering is about innovation and problem solving. The field of ...

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited blood disorder. That means it is passed down from a parent’s genes. It causes the body to make abnormal hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to all parts of your body. When you have SCD, your body’s tissues and organs do not get enough oxygen. Sickle cell disease is a lifelong condition. Healthy red blood cells are round and move easily all over the body. With SCD, the red blood cells are hard and sticky. They are shaped like the letter C (and like a farm tool called a sickle). These damaged red blood cells (sickle cells) clump together. Sickle Cell Traits versus Disease . People who have sickle cell trait inherited a hemoglobin S gene from only one parent. They inherited a normal gene from their other parent. People with sickle cell trait typically do not have any symptoms of sickle cell disease. However, ongoing research may show that these people may have symptoms. Importantly, they can pass on the ab...

The world is ageing rapidly. The United Nations (UN) states that by 2050, it is estimated that 1 in every 6 people will be aged 65 or over, increasing the vulnerability experienced by older persons to violence. Unfortunately, abuse of elders is also on the increase. Elder abuse can lead to serious physical injuries and long-term psychological consequences. The fact, elder abuse is not confined to elders who are institutionalized. Many older persons are abuse in their own homes. Abuse oftentimes is not physical since those are more readily observed by family members and health care professionals. Abuses of elders frequently take the form of psychological ill-treatment. In many instances, those who work with elders are not paid well. In fact, many are not trained to work with older persons. Elder abuse can also take the form of financial mismanagement of the resources of the older persons. In some societies elders are revered and respected. On the other hand, there are societies wher...

Globally, it is estimated that one in seven (14%) of 10–19-year-olds experience mental health conditions, yet these remain largely unrecognized and untreated. The World Health Organization (WHO) adds that adolescents with mental health conditions are particularly vulnerable to social exclusion, discrimination, stigma (affecting readiness to seek help), educational difficulties, risk-taking behaviours, physical ill-health and human rights violations. Adolescence is a crucial period for developing social and emotional habits important for mental well-being. These include adopting healthy sleep patterns; exercising regularly; developing coping, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills; and learning to manage emotions. Protective and supportive environments in the family, at school and in the wider community are important. However, there are many factors that can impact the holistic development during adolescence. The WHO comments that multiple factors affect mental health. Importantly...

“Black dandyism is the strategic and often subversive use of style by people of African descent to assert individuality, challenge stereotypes, and reimagine black identity.”- Jonathan Michael Square- Professor of Black Visual Culture. Black history is oftentimes obscured and or manipulated. We live in an era where misinformation and disinformation are the order of the day. Unfortunately, many of us have succumbed to this skewed view of reality. Regrettably even the so called educated among us no longer do their due diligence. A lot has been said about dandyism, in particular black dandyism. Correspondingly a lot of what has been said is a distortion of the historical underpinning of this movement. Undoubtedly, the distortion regarding dandyism is rooted in a culture of enslavement, racism and white privilege. Black men have long used fashion, particularly flamboyant styles, as a way to express pride and resistance. Oftentimes this resistance is viewed as a powerful political statem...