Letters from the Issue of November 5, 2009

Wayne 11/09/2009 4:55:00 AM

Issues within Jamaica's Education System With half way into the first term of the 2009/2010 academic year Jamaica's education system continues to be plagued by problems from the past. Chief among these are: the lack of adequate space at the secondary level, the high pupil teacher ratio as well as boys under-performance and under-achievement at the secondary level. Recently, the Ministry of Education had to delay the results of the Grade Nine Achievement Test (GNAT) due mainly because of the ministry's inability to place the over 11,000 students who sat this examination. The GNAT examination is used to facilitate the placement of students from junior high to high schools. What is so obvious is that the government needs to build more schools to accommodate the ever-increasing high school population. However,with the financial constraints being experienced by all include the government one wonders if the political will is there to invest such huge sums in building schools. In addition, more classroom space is needed to decrease the teacher-pupil ratio at the secondary level. In this regards we are far behind most if not all our Caribbean neighours. In Jamaica the teacher-pupil ratio is 1:35, the reality however in many Jamaican classroom far exceeds the 1:35 set by the Ministry of Education. In Barbados, the teacher-pupil ratio is 1:16, in St. Lucia 1:27 and in Trinidad and Tobago 1:23. Yet, we continue to bemoan why Jamaica's education system continues to lag behind. Masculinity and Schooling Enough research has been done over the years which have concluded that for many males education is not viewed as macho. This has become more and more evident in recent times as we continue the debate on the under performance and under-achievement of a significant numbers of our boys. There are two emerging schools of thought that have been forwarded with regards to boys' under-achievement. Firstly, there are those who claim that boy's under achievement is a direct result of the emphasis that has been placed on girls and women and Secondly, there are those who locate the problem in relation to wider social changes and how this impacts males,,particularly adolescent males with regards to their view of masculinity and schooling. I am in support of the latter. We live in a society whereby we continue to send mix messages to our students. On one hand we tell them to remain in school and do well at the academics,,yet our students see many examples of those who choose the opposite route doing very well,,some doing extremely well for themself and their families. This mix message is so potent especially for our males,,,who realize from very early that there are other avenues than pursuing an education to earn an income as well as to acquire those material assets that give prestige and power. After all these students see their teachers at the same bus stop in the evening competiting with them to get into the same bus. In December 2007, Professor Nigel Harris,,Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies stated that the ratio of males to females at the Mona Campus was twenty (20) to eighty (80) percent for the 2007/2008 academic year. This lack of interest at the secondary level is magnified and manifests itself at the tertiary level of the education system where females outnumber males across most if not all facilities. What happens to our males when they drop out of school? Researchers now believe that there is an association between masculinity and violence. This is so evident in our society where most of the victims and perpetrators of crime are males. The 2006 Economic Social Survey of Jamaica (ESSJ) shows that children as young as twelve years old are offenders of all major crimes. The survey includes thirty-four children of which thirty three were males in the age group twelve to fourteen years. This evidence give supports to the long held belief that adolescent males are responisble for a signifant portion of crimes committed in Jamaica. What can be done? We must find a way to make education attractive to our boys. For too many males, their school experience has become rather challenging for them. Firstly a re-socialization of the society is required. We must find a way to stop ridiculing those boys are performing. Parents as well as teachers should be encouraged to move away from the practice of gender socialization and instead incorporate a more comprehensive approach in the rearing of both males and females. Males have not benefitted much from how we are socialized in this society. Too much time and freedom is given to young boys vice a vice girls. As a result males do not acquired the necessary skills which will aid them in the educational pursuits as they progress throughout the education system. Secondly, it is evident that our boys are in need of positive male influence,it is against this background that I advocate for a national male mentorship programme. As a society not much is done for males to move them from boyhood into manhood. It is this lack of a initiation rite that many of our boys fall prey to early sexual exposure as a false notion to prove their manhood which leads to them becoming sexual irresponsible in an age of HIV/AIDS. Many males also fall prey to gang involvement,,these school gangs mirror the gangs in the wider society. Extortion is alive and well in many of these gangs and is therefore a feature of many school gangs despite the best effort of school administrators. What is a possible solution? That is easier said than done,,however, I do believe that a way should and can be found to incorporate and harness the popular culture of the day to assist in promoting good values and attitudes especially among the young. One only has to observe a youngster dancing to and saying the words of the latest dancehall song. While some of these dancehall deejays are known for lewd lyrics,,maybe,,just maybe we can encourage them to use their tremendous talent and influence to spread a new message,,a message of peace,,volunteerism and love. We will not and cannot have sustainable development if it is that one sex continues to lag behind. Wayne Campbell waykam@yahoo.com