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

Most of us in the Caribbean speak an English Creole as our first language.   Despite this, we are expected, and sometimes forced, to speak and write a standard form of English in formal situations, such as what occurs in the classroom. As a result, we are likely to learn a standard, Caribbean English as our second language. However, this process has become more challenging with the influence and interference of text language which has seeped into formal writing and expression. Text language is an abbreviated form of jargon and or vernacular which has gained acceptance by users of various social media platforms. It is widely utilized by users of cellular phones to communicate with each other. Some educators refer to the process of development which all second language learners experience as interlanguage. Interlanguage includes some forms of the second language, with a mixture of other structures from the first language as well as from environmental influences. Ever since the increa...

December 1 is celebrated globally as World Aids Day. As in previous years this year the call to action is for an expansion of antiretroviral therapy to all people living with HIV which is the key to ending the AIDS epidemic within a generation, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The day is also a way to demonstrate international solidarity for people living with HIV and to commemorate the spirit of those who have died battling the deadly disease. The theme for the 2015 “On the Fast Track to End AIDS” According to the World Health Organization (WHO) some 35 million people worldwide are living with HIV/AIDS, of this number 3. 2 million are children. Since the first cases of HIV/AIDS were reported in 1981 some 39 million individuals have died.   It is estimated that some 240,000 people in the Caribbean are living with HIV/AIDS. Jamaica has an estimated 32, 000 people living with HIV/AIDS. The Caribbean is second to Sub-Saharan Africa in terms of HIV prevalence. The WH...

Each year the United Nations commemorates November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against women. Historically, women have been disadvantaged and in many societies women are treated as second class citizens. Too many Jamaican males see women's bodies as an entitlement for them to do as they wish. Disturbingly, too many women agree with this narrative. We need to critically examine our agents of socialization and find ways for men to see women as equals. The widespread availability of pornography especially among our boys have led to a distorted image of women. This has resulted in more women being at risk for abuse. The homophobic nature of the Jamaican society also contributes to some men becoming violent toward women to hide their sexual orientation and prove their masculinity to others.  Violence against women is wrong.     ·          Violence against women is a...

Today, November 19, the global community will commemorate International Men’s Day. However, in many societies the issues affecting boys and men are not being addressed in a meaningful manner. This is usually so because males are viewed as the stronger sex and are expected to be tough and as such work through their problems in the private sphere. According to Jerome Teelucksingh, who conceptualized the day in 1999, International Men’s Day is about highlighting discrimination against men and boys, promoting gender equality and celebrating the contributions of men and boys to community and family. The theme for this year’s IMD is “working to expand reproductive options for men”. It is expected that this year’s theme will encourage discussion on ways to enhance cooperation in addressing reproductive issues that affect men such as, safe sexual practices, family planning and sexual health. According to the manual on Adolescent Reproductive Health Issues (August 2004) the mean age ...

"Discrimination has a lot of layers that make it tough for minorities to get a leg up". Bill Gates In light of the recommendation by the Office of the Public Defender that St. Hilda’s Diocesan High School reinstate Jade Bascoe as head girl after investigations revealed that her rights were infringed, it bear thought whether or not the rights of other Jamaican students have been abused in the past. The education system has many minority groups. We live in a society where the voices of those who are labelled as different are rarely heard. Apart from Jehovah Witnesses we also have students who are Seventh Day Adventist and Rastafarians. Are the rights of those students being infringed upon regarding their involvement in sports or any other school related activity? As far as I know, Sundays are not included in the regular scheduling of sporting events, such as, the Manning and daCosta Cup football competitions. The Inter- Secondary School Sports Association (ISSA) i...

It is out of sheer ignorance that I pen this letter to enquire of my learned colleagues to share with me and the wider society any research in any discipline where there is a co-relation between female students wearing long uniforms and increase educational outcomes. For all practical purposes having a skirt 11 inches below one’s knee is not practical on many grounds. In the first instance the fabric of many school uniform is made from polyester gabardine and with a tropical marine climate such as that of Jamaica these uniforms become extremely hot during the course of the day. Let us be reminded that for the most part Jamaican classrooms are not air-conditioned. Secondly, why should female students be forced to wear formal wear to school? Yes, formal wear. The length of some of these uniforms mimics those of haute couture gowns which are only worn to formal occasions. Having an uniform eleven inches below the one,s knee has nothing to do with education. We need to ask ourselves t...

Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today. Malcolm X There is a currently an advertisement on local television which is endorsed by the Ministry of Education which uses popular comedians Icy and Fancy Fat to highlight the importance of mathematics education in the general society. However, while this is commendable given the general fear of mathematics that a significant number of Jamaican students have this has done very little to curb the high attribution rate of teachers of Mathematics across the island. Given the low remuneration of teachers, and the general poor working conditions those teachers who specialize in Mathematics education are in high demand and are being enticed to leave the noble profession. Additionally, the high levels of indiscipline among students in which teachers have been verbally and physically abused is also another factor which is contributing to the exodus of teachers of Mathematics especially to more...