The Small Island Developing State of Jamaica, in the Caribbean region, is facing significant environmental, economic, and social challenges. Violence has become a serious challenge for Jamaica and several other countries in the region; the level of violence against and among children is particularly disturbing. Perhaps even more troubling is the…

The Ministry of Education, Youth, and Information (MoEYI) in Jamaica engaged in curriculum reform, producing the National Standards Curriculum (NSC) for Grades 4-9. This paper reports on a content analysis of the Grades 4-6 curriculum to determine the representation of Climate Change (CC) content, pedagogies, and activities for supporting Climate…

This timely book features rich examples of students and teachers, defined as learning partners, disrupting hierarchy in education by collaborating on social change projects. At the book's core is Paulo Freire's theorization of students and teachers working together toward co-liberation. Co-written by learning partners, each chapter in this…

The field of teacher education is abuzz with a quest for innovation, with public and private stakeholders seeking ways to improve teacher efficacy, support equity, and address the countless challenges of education in the 21st century. Technology often dominates these conversations. From online learning to virtual reality, "innovation" is…

In Jamaica, schools are placed in six regions which involve one to three parishes, but in one instance, two regions are partially located in one parish. While schools in any jurisdiction should perform in accordance with stated standards and established criteria, there are many factors which seem to mitigate against this expectation. This failure…

Between 1960 and 2010, Singapore's real gross domestic product (GDP) per capita skyrocketed from $4,383 to $55,862, while Jamaica's barely increased from $6,417 to $8,539. It is plausible that differing rates of GDP growth are associated with differences in the development of education systems but causally the linkage is not well understood. Using…

The primary to high school student population in Jamaica has become more academically diverse, and schools are experiencing the pressures of implementing reform programs without adequate financial and professional development support. The schools facing the greatest challenges and needs in Jamaica are often those in the rural areas. Researchers…

The author of this paper considers the influence of Paulo Freire's pedagogical philosophy on educational practice in three different geographical/political settings. She begins with reflections on her experience as a facilitator at Freire's seminar, held in Grenada in 1980 for teachers and community educators, on the integration of work and study.…

Successful school leadership is an issue currently being debated up and down Caribbean territories. Key issues in the ongoing debate include: students' outcomes and participation in the regional Caribbean Secondary Examinations (CSEC); teacher recruitment and retention; teacher training and continuing professional development (upgrading); and…

A school improvement program that provided support to poor-performing schools on the basis of needs identified in a school improvement plan was implemented in 72 government schools in Jamaica, from 1998 to 2005. In this independent evaluation of the program, we use propensity score matching to create, post hoc, a control group of schools that were…

This book includes a range of community peacebuilding experiences from across the Commonwealth that have been applying open and distance learning (ODL) approaches. The case studies offer insights into the challenges as well as the kinds of interventions that have worked and how they can be built upon. They show that ODL can be an effective and…

Consistent with education reform efforts, the Jamaican Government invited The Commonwealth of Learning to participate in an on-site needs assessment survey. Previous examination results revealed a need to strengthen teaching and learning in English, mathematics, and science, as most primary school teachers required enhancement in both the content…

Describes Enos Nuttall's contribution to educational thought and practice in Jamaica. His beliefs on education for all (but differentiated according to individual needs and capabilities) are discussed, as well as his influence on educational reform and curriculum development. (SK)

The contents of this document are organized in six parts, as follows. Part I "IBW and the Vocation of the Black Scholar," includes "The Vocation of the Black Scholar and the Struggles of the Black Community," Vincent Harding. Part II "Colonial Ideology and Colonized Resistance," includes: "African Independence…

The Major Project in the Field of Education in Latin America and the Caribbean resulted from a consensus of the countries of the region concerning the necessity for a renewed, intensive, and sustained effort to meet unsatisfied basic educational needs between now and the year 2000. The five articles in this bulletin explore innovative alternatives…