Jamaican Educational System & Declining Community Standards

[Tropicana]

I promised to do a discussion about the changing standards in boys' school in Jamaica but I believe the issue is broader and has implications not just for Jamaica but for other parts of the world. This is based on several conversations I have had as well as some observations.

I remember an older family member talking about when Jamaica was discussing opening things up to give scholarships so that young people from all backgrounds could have access to education based on merit.Prior to that there were Parish scholarships but there was a time when, if a child was born out of wedlock, they did not qualify. Correct me if I have got this wrong but I believe it was Bustamante who objected saying...

"How would you like it if your maid's child was in the same cl*** as your child and the maid's child was doing better?"

Can't believe the board blocks cl*** as in classroom.

On a sad but somewhat humorous note, the relative who told me about this also said that she applauded this proposed change but another cousin who already had a couple of children went on to have NUFF children from different fathers said...

"If everyone fe ride pon horse, who a go open de gate?"

Kudos to my grandmother who did help raise NUFF cousins, none of that cousin's children have been content "fe open gate". With many relatives pitching in Jamaican style they are a holding their own and some have done very well.

Dr Dudd had also spoken of the brown bag test. Fortunately things eventually changed but too little too late for my immediate family, some relatives and other Jamaican families that had to migrate to access educational opportunities.

Fast forward many years after the changes were made. I had a couple of interesting conversations with a guy who went to JC, He spoke of the old JC and the new JC. Once the changes came in, children from a backgrounds were attending school together. This was a good thing in many respects but it meant that there were differences in values. Some of the younger boys were more influenced by some of the negative values in parts of the ghetto (for wan of a better term). So instead of the boys from the ghetto areas acquiring more mainstream values, the boys from Upper St Andrew emulated the some of the negative values of some of the ghetto boys. My guess is that some of the negative values seemed more macho and cool to the boys and hence they were more appealing. I was never a boy so I can only guess.He said "We lost a generation?" He and his brother were only a few years apart but totally different in their values and mindset and this dynamic was repeated in many families.

I am interested in hearing perspectives from those who witnessed this transition. I am wondering if similar dynamics played out in the girls' schools based on some of the behaviour one sees today.

My questions are

• Where were the teachers in all of this?
• Was their focus only on book learning?
• Did they not make any effort to influence the young people from challenging life circumstances?
  
• Were there no social workers to assist the families with some of the real struggles they face?
• What were some of the positive aspects and results of children from different backgrounds going to school together?

Definitely there will always be generation gaps but, through the years, when I have met older Jamaicans from a variety of backgrounds they seem as if they are from a different planet from some of the young people They don't appear to be people coming from a shared heritage and historical background.

Fast forward many years and definitely there has been a decline in morals and values not only in Jamaica but also in other countries. Speaking of horses and gates, I am wondering if a serious opportunity for meaningful social change was missed and if it is now too late to close the gate after the horse has bolted.

Apologies for typos. Got a new keyboard yesterday and some keys aren't working.

If it weren't for cut and paste and spell check, that last sentence would read.....

"Apoogies for tyos Got a new eyboard yesterday and some eys aren't working " and there would be no periods.

It's back to the shoppe for me *sigh*

[Tropicana]

Spoke to a couple of teachers who taught in Jamaica during the 1950s. At that time to qualify for Shortwood or Bethlehem required you had to write a pupil teacher's exam and you would take 3 years of exams to do that. Individual's with limited means could qualify you for teacher's college for 2 years as an exterior student an write the second exam and then to go to college for the 3rd year. Alternatively, when the Jamaica local exams came in, once they were passed at the 3rd year level, that would prepare one to attend MICO for 3 years. (People from low income families would get private lessons to prepare for the exams.)

Mr. Mills at MICO, the Vice-Principal made a point of teaching the young men from various backgrounds about etiquette etc.

During the teacher training, there was no emphasis on understanding the needs of children from various socio-economic backgrounds. The emphasis was on teaching subjects.

One of the individuals to whom I spoke (my Mom actually) taught in one of the elementary schools in an underprivileged area in Kingston and children from Backto attended. All children during that era were, for the most part well behaved and she doesn't recall any coarse behaviour major disciplinary or attitudinal problems.

- So my question is, what changed, when and why?

The only issue is some children would come to school and need grooming as they did not have the facilities at home. (This was a stark contrast to country where children who came to school spic and span regardless of family income level.) The teachers would assist them and give them access to facilities to get cleaned up.

There was no expectation at that time to deal with issues beyond the classroom. It would be great to get an update beyond from the 1960s onward about whether or not there was a shift in teacher training or expectations.

By the 1970s, the focus did change and for sure nurses and doctors at UCWI were given practicum's to help them understand the backgrounds of their patients and identify when there was a need for extra help from social workers etc. Was that part of teacher training?