Changing the view on education

Apart from food, shelter and clothing, education can be considered to be of utmost importance for each and every one in today’s society. So often have persons been emphasing the importance of earning for themselves a “good education” and the benefits that follow. The question that needs to be asked however is to what extent do Jamaicans prioritize when the issue of education arises?

Education to the average Jamaican seems to be quite an important concern in the earlier years of a child’s life. In my perspective, many parents put out all the effort they can in ensuring that the start of the school year finds their children in kindergarten school. It may be, as some parents may say, preparations for children at this level are not as hectic as when they are older. On most occasions, it is ensured that books, bags and the other school materials are bought as well as newly made uniforms well ironed, sharp as razors and clean as whistle.

The matter really boils down to getting and education at the tertiary level. Speaking from experience, I have seen whereby many children upon leaving their secondary institutions are forced by parents to “go fine wuk”. This has happened quite so often that it has become the norm in today’s Jamaican society. Children, after receiving a secondary education and has earned themselves CXC subjects, are pressured by parents to join the world of work. Their choices of achieving their dreams and goals once aspired during their earlier childhood days, crushed by domination and pressure. It must be reminded by parents however, that high school is not the end of an education. A high school diploma takes you nowhere in Jamaica. CXC subjects only allow you to get menial jobs in this our lovely country holding job positions wish get lower and lower in level by the second. The evidence of my point is clearly illustrated in supermarkets where some owners are asking for CXC subjects to ‘pack’ customers bags’. How more diminishing can this country get!

Parents and the Government body, I think it is time for a wakeup call. I therefore urge you to be the driving forces behind your children having a good tertiary level education, achieve the goal he/she has been longing to achieve and never stop climbing the ladder of success. I know that not all children can be Lawyers or Doctors but parents, a tertiary education does not only lead people in such positions. The doors have been swung wide open and the choices are unlimited. Erase from their minds that this level of education is only accessible by the upper class. Do not let children settle for mediocrity! Help them win for themselves scholarships to study in whatever fields they choose and do not keep them stagnant. Make use of available loans! Keep pushing, keep hoping for the best and their lights of success will shine upon you and make you proud.

Don't miss the summer's biggest reggae event, THE HARDER THEY COME, playing at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County. Making its only stop in the United States, THE HARDER THEY COME is playing from August 29 until September 13 at the Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House. Hailed by Time Out as “a real thrill…the band is tight, the clothes are right – it’s a sure-fire smash hit,” THE HARDER THEY COME features a cast of 16 Jamaican-born performers and tells the story of young singer Ivanhoe Martin (played by Rolan Bell) as he arrives in Kingston, Jamaica with dreams of becoming a reggae star.

Come and experience the musical based on the cult 1970s film that transformed reggae music and singer Jimmy Cliff into international sensations!

Tickets for THE HARDER THEY COME are on sale now. Single ticket prices range from $50 and $95 and can be purchased through the Adrienne Arsht Center box office at 305.949.6722 or online at www.arshtcenter.org. For information on group sales, please call 786.468.2326.

Holy Childhood High Class of '79 Announces 30 Year Reunion - June 26 to 28 in Kingston:
Please link to the below website address.

www.holychildhoodhsalumni.com

Love’s Blackness

Time was slowly passing by,
And the precious moments we shared,
Were spent quarreling beneath that black ceiling
We call home,
On that knitted quilt we call…our resting place,
In that cane field that was a place of growth [except for us].
Was it you or was it ME that stopped peace from flowing,
to get rid of the smoke that filled our tormented lives?
Or was it those people, who gossiped and talked of the women you had as your…mistresses?
Or, dear, was it just me?

Now you are gone in that black and dark night,
lonely,
With nothing.
Surely, you must be cold having no memory of a happy home, no taste of what really was love and peace…happiness.
Sorry, is such a small word to express my regrets.

But dear good bye…
though it’s hard to say.
That quilt that reminded me of our sweat,
Is not any more a quilt but a blanket with no
significance,
no meaning.
And now, I am as cold as it’s ever been and dear
That ceiling is still a dark one.

(Denise McDonald)
November, 12, 2008

My name is Carlis Rowe born in Jamaica June 29, 1985.

Our country right now is going through hard times. Crime is high and the people are jobless. I believe in free education, because education is the key to success. With education being free I know that we will have more educated people to lead the country to a brighter tomorrow. Jamaica did not wake up one morning with a high rate of crime. Crime is something that grew. We should ask our selves why a man would decide to kill another man. It could be because of anger, jealousy, poverty and we can go on and on.

What I am trying to show you is that a country with free education is a country that has a majority of educated people, people with good jobs and people that can afford the daily expenses. People that can afford daily expenses wake up in the morning with less to worry about. A person that has less to worry about starts a morning that has 80% possibility to finish the day with a smile.

I believe that with educated youths of tomorrow the country will change completely. That is why the only hope that Jamaica has right now is the future, and the future is the Youths. My personal opinion towards the politicians is that I think that they took money from the pot to benefit them selves and not the country. Jamaica has what it takes to be successful and to shine this is why year 2015 I Carlis Rowe will start my own party to run the beautiful country of Jamaica. And the first thing on my list is making education free 2nd clean up the ghettos and the streets and a lot more ideas that can bring our country back on it’s feet and get reed of all debts.

!!!I BELIEVE IN AN OPEN ECONOMIE!!!

Hi from a wet and windy uk. I am working on some research and have been told that Kent Village is also known as "Jacks Fruit". Is that accurate? If so, why? Is the "Cherry Oh Baby" bar still running? A really interesting site - great jokes too! - Thanks, Daddy T.

There is a great need for the black man to take a stand and not give in to the staggered structure of the government.I find more times than not that when one man comes up he is not too swift to help his brother to come up.If we would stick together than there is nothing that the government can do to break the bonds of unity."One mind and one heart", this is the way that we have to operate in order to flow in power.

I am writing in response to comments made by Radio Jamaica representative, Mr Bernard Burrell, on the BBC Dateline Programme dated 25 June.

Some of the areas under discussion by the panel (on which Mr Burrell was sitting) on Sunday were the proportionality of sentencing to crimes committed, the enforcement of custodial and non-custodial sentences, and possible reforms to address apparent defects of the current criminal justice system in England. Mr Burrell's take on the issue was that the problems of the criminal justice system is reflected in the way "immigrants", and in particular, "immigrants from his own country (Jamaica)" show complete disregard for the criminal laws and believe "they" can behave the same way they do in "their own countries".

I must say that I was left somewhat baffled and extremely disappointed by Mr Burrell's comments. Firstly, it was unclear why he felt such a discussion required the mentioning of “Jamaicans” or for that matter “immigrants”. It is even more upsetting to know that such remarks came from someone who is supposed to be educated and is a Jamaican citizen himself, though I imaging with the disregard he has shown to the wider implications of such unsubstantiated, unnecessary and stereotypical babble, he may also possess a British passport.

I am a Jamaican citizen living in England, who has worked really hard against all odds to get through law school and to embark on a career as a criminal defence lawyer. I have had experience in criminal law practice, and there is no empirical evidence showing any special link between immigrants and crime. In fact, the vast majority of criminal cases faced with on a daily basis involve British citizens. Maybe, that explains why the rest of the Dateline panel failed to advance on Mr Burrell’s point and instead displayed an expression that said “its better him saying it than us”.

It is difficult enough trying to evade stereotypes and discrimination against Jamaicans by the rest of the world, without having “one of our own” inventing further negativities and adding insult to injury simply to facilitate debate. As they say in Jamaica: “if u no ave nutten betta fi sey den shut u mouth”.

I must, however add that before the off-putting comment by Mr Burrell, I was proud to see a positive representation of a Jamaican, rather than the usual negative publicity that is always put forward.

Thank you

M.C Mac

Driving to the North Coast my husband always stops at Kent Village along the Bog Walk Gorge just as you pass Flat Bridge to buy jackfruit. It has become a kind of a family tradition over the years and now we look forward to it. It’s amazing but its seems that no matter what time of the year you go you can always get the fruit to buy. You must stop and eat it right away as the jackfruit carries a very high odor. Nobody wants to pluck the fruit as its extremely sticky and the only way to get the stains from your hands is to use cooking oil. Usually my husband gets that job and we all avoid him after as the smell tends to linger once you have touched it.

Read more »

A perfect example of the saying “lickle but talawa” has to be the Jamaicans at the eighteen Commonwealth Games in Melbourne Australia between 15 and 26 March. A record 22 medals, 10 gold, 4 silver and 8 bronze. The Jamaicans created history in the Track and Fields events winning both the men and the women gold medals in the 100 m, 200m, 100m hurdles and 4 X 100m relay. “Chat bout brilliant”.
Jamaica first competed in the Commonwealth games in 1934 in London and came away with 2 medals, 1 silver and 1 bronze. Our second entry in 1954 in Vancouver yielded only 1 medal, a gold. At the sixth Commonwealth Games in Cardiff in 1958 Jamaica won a total of 7 medals, 4 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze. Since then the maximum number of gold medals ever won by Jamaica was 4 in 1970, 1998 and 2002. In 1966 the eight Commonwealth Games were held in Jamaica. That year Jamaica got 12 medals, 4 silver and 8 bronze, but no gold. The seventeenth Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002 had been our best year with a medal tally of 17, 4 gold, 6 silver and 7 bronze.

Read more »