That Eurocentric Jamaican education system

RECENTLY, YOUTHLINK contributors Jovan Legister and Biko Kennedy dealt with the issue of 'A Eurocentric Jamaican Education System' (July 12-18). The writers highlighted the move to use culture within our educational system through the 'culture in education' programme at the Ministry of Education. Also, they mentioned that the history of England, Spain and Europe, in general, has given way to a greater emphasis on West Indian history through the syllabus of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC). Nevertheless, the vast majority of persons who were interviewed in a vox pop thought our education system is still largely Eurocentric. For example, there is the exclusion of Patois from the formal education system. In fact, other languages are largely ignored and English is perceived as the only language necessary to survive in this globalised world.

It should, therefore, not surprise us that ordinary Jamaicans perceive the education system as Eurocentric, when our culture is saturated with European symbols, values and perspectives. Forty-nine years after political independence, Jamaica's head of state is still the Queen of England, through her representative, the governor general. Our courts open with a salutation to the Queen of England. Our final appellate court is still located in England where Jamaicans, who make an appeal there, would have to obtain and purchase a visitors visa. And Girl Guides, Rotary Club members and members of Masonic Lodges in Jamaica still pay homage to the Queen of England.

And, although there are improvements in the telling of our story, there is still much more to be done. For example, the CSEC still maintains that Lord Mansfield declared slavery illegal in England in 1772, while ruling on the James Somerset case, when, in fact, the ruling prevented Somerset's so-called owner from forcibly removing him from England to Jamaica. And although from the 1940s Eric Williams, leading historian and former prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago, in his book, Capitalism and Slavery, corrected the false impression the CSEC historians still teach otherwise.

Fortunately, the Honourable Barbara Gloudon, noted playwright and acting chairman of the Institute of Jamaica, has turned her pen to telling the story of the seven National Heroes through her Letters of Emancipendence, currently showing at the Little Little Theatre. She has undertaken a daunting task of telling the story accurately, while educating and entertaining the audience. She was able to capture the essence of the national heroes and I learnt things about Alexander Bustamante that I did not know. She rightly placed Bustamante in the workers' labour-related struggles and had the Marcus Garvey scene set in a classroom, while Sam Sharpe was in the church worship service. Her bias towards Paul Bogle was evident, with a scene at the statue in front of the Morant Bay courthouse, with a poem enhancing the depiction of his heroic stuggle.

Dealing with the issues

And the music was rich. Barbara Gloudon also did not ignore the myths surrounding Nanny of the Maroons and Marcus Mosiah Garvey, but tastefully and humorously dealt with those issues. She appeared also to be correcting the male language of one of the national heroes, making his references to the masculine gender to be inclusive of the feminine gender as well. It would be good that at the next showing of the play, the name of George William Gordon's mother, Ann Rattray, be mentioned, and not only his father's name. Gloudon has done Jamaica a great service and we should encourage the citizens to watch this play.

Some years ago, Louis Marriott wrote a play on the life of Bedward (1984) and Gloudon is continuing in this tradition; and these are important steps in the journey towards an indigenous history.

Devon Dick is pastor of the Boulevard Baptist Church in St Andrew. Comments to columns@gleanerjm.com.