Where are the incentives for the aspiring poor?

Dennie Quill, Contributor

ONE OF the positives in 21st century Jamaica is the zeal with which many young people are pursuing their goals as they reach for higher education. They understand that not many people can succeed in life without a good education, and that life has become much more competitive in the global environment.

Scores of students are enrolled in colleges and universities, often on a wing and a prayer, because they are from poor homes and their families do not have the resources. Many are finding it difficult to access a student loan because they cannot find acceptable guarantors. Of course, in a real way, their access has been blocked by delinquents who have failed to honour their commitment to repay their loans after graduation.

Every person that I know is helping someone in climbing the education ladder. They are either financing the purchase of books, paying for boarding and tuition and helping to provide food and bus fares. Those who are reaching out understand that an educated population augurs well for the future of Jamaica.

Corporate sponsors

Corporate sponsors are also doing their part by offering scholarships to ensure that bright, deserving children do not miss the chance to succeed in their education. Without these acts of generosity, many students would have seen their dreams wither and die before them.

Lately, I have been speaking to some of these students, and it appears that many institutions are filling their lecture halls faster than they can expand facilities to accommodate the fresh intake of students. Take the libraries for example. Everyone knows that, for the student who cannot afford to equip himself with the required texts, the library offers ready relief. But, I am told, hard-copy resources are in short supply in many school libraries and, in some cases, students are charged by the hour for using the books. But libraries also exist to support teaching and facilitate research and intellectual inquiry. This is the least that is expected from an institution of higher learning and if that does not exist, then the students are being shortchanged.

Life on some dormitories and halls of residence are reported to be quite challenging. In some instances, there are no facilities for doing laundry and where they exist, they are not enough to serve the needs of the students who want to use them. Overcrowded kitchens and dormitories also make life uncomfortable for some of these students.

Additional burden

In some instances, students are made to bear additional burden by adhering to dress codes. For example, in some faculties it is mandatory for women to wear skirts for some classes. Many of the students are hard-pressed to meet these additional requirements.

So, here we have these students who are eager to make good, but it seems that the institutions are not living up to their responsibility in ensuring that they deliver the required services. What kind of encouragement is this for persons who are struggling against the odds? School administrations should not only be concerned with the academics, they should consider the health and nutrition standards of the students, and the adequacy of the facilities they are being offered.

The concept of an education is multi-dimensional, meaning that the students are not only being tutored and are expected to produce good results, but their development and socialisation should also be taken into consideration. Institutions of higher learning should be student-friendly, instead of erecting roadblocks in the paths of the poor who are trying to rise above their circumstances.

denniequill@hotmail.com