Mark Wignall | Trying to get by with little

I have known her for many years and, in that time, her response has always been the same. Not enough funds has been spent in the education ministry and, if this keeps up, the country will find itself being laughed at.

She has been involved in education administration just about all of her professional life. She is just a shade over 55. When I ask her exactly how old she is, she responds by saying to me that there are so many more interesting things to talk about. So, we move on.

“Jamaica is a high-sex society. When I tell people that, many of them want to tune out. I am trying to engage the community in our most concerning problems. So we can all tackle them.

“I don’t have to go to TikTok and Instagram to know what’s going on. I’m a school principal and I live it each day. Remember now, a lot of our female population in terms of girls in classrooms follow what they see, what they live. And that is, sex at all angles, around every corner. They see it, they live it.”

I wanted to know how she and her teachers were coping. “Our students are mostly from a single family household whereby most parents have no time to work with the students. Students go home with the homework and come back with the homework blank.”

She had a look of resignation on her face and her bent torso told me more. Watchman or security? None. Classrooms need to be partitioned. Teaching assistants needed for classes with more than 30 students.

“My school has no PE teacher, no literacy/numeracy specialist. We need a computer room to assist students with research. On top of that, the Internet service is scrappy.”

I wanted to know how her teachers were making it on a daily basis. Were they close to cracking?

“Our teachers rely on each other’s strengths. They sacrifice a lot of their personal time to ensure that students’ issues are dealt with.”

She impressed upon me that most of her students were from economically stunted backgrounds.

“I hate to tell you this, but a big percentage of our parents in 2024 are illiterate.” She agreed with me that it could be close to 55 per cent.

“With that, there is poor parenting skills, money problems and just a general lack of support,” she said.

I pointed out to her that, recently, a well-known lawyer from Guyana, a West Indian territory that is awash with oil money for at least five years now, spoke of his concern about the effective funding of education. “The most important and most fundamental aspect that will determine what kind of future we have is education. So let us agree on the best education model that will deliver the best quality education across the board, which includes making sure that those people who are not economically fortunate are given the means so they can actually learn,” he said.

BACKING UP EACH OTHER

He has one of the most dangerous jobs in Jamaica. He operates a taxi in a St Andrew community from about 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. She has been a teacher for the last 15 years. They have been married for 10 years. A few days ago came the tragic news. Heart attack. With assistance, it was final. She fell down. He felt empty inside. Totally.

We do not dabble in sadness in Jamaica. Sure we know that the finality of death is always lurking. But many of us know that the beach, the fish dinner and our favourite DJ to the right rhythm will do it. But we have serious work to do.

One of my readers has suggested that “Jamaican politicians have for decades violated the laws of Jamaica and behaved in illegal ways. They have walked all over Jamaica’s Constitution. They have gotten away with it with such regularity that it is as normal as the air we breathe. Jamaica’s judiciary and legal system is not strong enough or independent enough to deal with the illegal activities of our politicians. This emboldens them to continue their bad ways, and weakens Jamaica’s democracy. Until politicians and the rich and connected in Jamaica are held to account in the judicial system, we will have a dysfunctional society in Jamaica.”

BEATING BACK STRESS

I must confess that viewing our athletes compete via YouTube is one of my main stress busters. But it also tells me that Jamaican athletics is on a downswing. Our male stars are not shining brightly at this time. Our female giants have taken the time to sit out the next race while they sip cool water.

At times, it can be expecting too much from them. There is no happiness to be gained from the route taxi taken this morning. The letter from the school principal was ill-timed. You called. He did not answer. You texted her. There was laughter in the background. And, no answer.

Why bother worrying? What did Oblique Seville do recently? Simple. In less than 10 seconds, he gave us a rebirth. He made us forget about politicians and their connections to foreign shores. We wanted to cuss them just as much as we wished we had those travel papers.

DAREDEVIL CRIMINALS

It has not surprised me that gunmen took on an assistant commissioner of police (ACP) last Wednesday. Gunfire against him and his force driver in Whitehouse, St James.

First question to all of us. Was this a random shooting, as in, gunmen on a coke high licking some shot just for the heck of it? Or, could it be the ACP needed to be taught a lesson and he also needed to know that a new set of boys was around.

It is never easy for our policemen to know when an explosion is simply that, and when it means something else. In any event, a response must be planned, and it cannot be seen as just reading another chapter of what makes us feel quite ‘comfortable and soft’. Sometimes another feeling is needed.

Mark Wignall is a political and public affairs analyst. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and mawigsr@gmail.com.