For it is obvious that if a man enters the starting line of a race three hundred years after another man, the first would have to perform some incredible feat in order to catch up. So said Dr. Martin Lurther King Jr. arguing in favour of affirmative action in the mid 60s.
Common entrance examination
The common entrance examination (CEE) system as introduced in Jamaica in 1957 was a sort of affirmative action in education. It allowed that 60% ( increased later to 70%) of total places be awarded to children from primary schools who were largely children of the working class. Children of the more affluent parents not only attended preparatory schools but were exposed to structured learning at a much earlier age and therefore had a greater chance of success in the exam.
Elementary to secondary plan in 1944
The vision of the Director of Education, Hon. B. H. Easter in 1944 was for all children to have a simple sound and basic education by ensuring that they learn to read, write, count, think, know something of the world in which they live and be able to use their hands. To achieve this meant six years of compulsory education between the ages 6- 12, free books and mid-day meal (not necessarily free).
In 1944 elementary education absorbed 84% of the education budget, of which salary accounted for 84% and administration 6%. The number of pupils habitually taught by any one teacher could not exceed 30.
Secondary education was provided in twenty three schools of which two were government schools, ten trusts and eleven founded by religious bodies. There were 8 boys, 10 girls and 5 co-eds; almost 50% of the schools had boarding facilities. All the schools were fee paying but as a condition of the grants in aid from government they had to provide a certain amount of free places in addition to whatever available scholarships. Excepting that children must be between the ages of 11- 13 at the time of the award, there were no restrictions to locality or social class; the examinations were openly competitive. Unsuccessful candidates were required to pay tuition to attend secondary schools and the standard of admission was left entirely in the hands of each school, however, the fees charged by the schools were subject to the approval of the Schools Commission. The Commission also approved the time-tables and curricula and was presented annually with the audited reports of all schools.
Free education from secondary to university
On May 2, 1973 when Prime Minister, the Hon. Michael Manley announced free education in parliament, Mr. Edwin Allen a former Minister of Education in the JLP government crossed the floor and shook his hand. The immediate impact of the policy at the secondary level was not as significant as first appeared; of the total students that sat the CEE that year 22,680 failed to gain a place 2,000 had full places and 2,180 paid half fees. The incremental cost of the new policy was for the half paying students and the formerly unsuccessful ones who were admitted at full tuition. At the university level it was more profound, huge funds had to be diverted from other programs to fund it.
National Youth Service
Initially conceived in 1970 following the visit to Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia by Paul Miller, organizing secretary of the Jamaica Youth Council. By 1973 it developed into a voluntary program and became compulsory in 1974. As outlined by Michael Manley, the philosophy behind the service was to teach the meaning and nature of the concept of service. My own view is that it was somekind of a payback for free education given that the remuneration (allowance paid) was slightly higher that the government minimum wage. Mr. Edwin Allen was so disgusted with the idea that he walked out of parliament as he thought that it was injurious to school leavers and amounted to financial exploitation of young people by the government.
Cessation of free education at tertiary institutions
In February 1986, Minister of Education the Hon. Mavis Gilmour announced in parliament that students at the tertiary level would have to pay a part of the cost of their education. The cess was proposed at between 4% and 30% of the cost. Students at the University of the West Indies (UWI) and the College of Arts, Science and Technology (CAST) started to boycott classes, it culminated in the teargas by police and arrest of Lawrence Jackson, President of the UWI Guild of Undergraduates and ten others.
Cost sharing below the tertiary level
The public relations superiority of the Peoples National Party (PNP) again raised its head in May 1994 in what the Minister of Education and Culture, the Hon. Burchell Whiteman dubbed “cost sharing”. Its aim was to allow government to retain full responsibility for salaries and associated costs, approximating to 90% of the cost of running a school, with the remaining 10% (administration cost) shared among the student population as fees. Those parents unable to meet their obligation must indicate the degree of their inability to the school for assessment and consideration by the Ministry. The tribal nature of our politics exposes this process to some unseemly outcome.
Deregistration and expulsion at the tertiary level
Another protest engulfed UWI in October 2004, this time due to the threat by that institution adminstrators to deregister and expel students who were unable to pay their tuition fees. The view of the president of the University Guild of Students Mr. Damion Crawford was that “…. We won’t take the oppression anymore. If it takes marching around the campus until the walls fall down, we won’t stop. This is bigger than the University of the West Indies: this is a philosophy of the society designed to oppress a certain class of people”.
Not born to the queen
There is a mentality that is prevalent in our society that there are things to which we are by nature entitiled. Not born into “royalty” we all don’t have the same opportunities as a “prince william” and must come to accept our lowly state. It is no different when it comes to education. As a country we cannot afford free education from elementary to tertiary and hard choices must be made. Under colonial rule the focus was on primary education and competitive examinations; we must get back to it. The level of literacy attained at the elementary level prior to 1957 in some instances exceed the current standard for university matriculation.
Meritocratic society
We live in a very competitive world and compete we must, for jobs, markets and all else including educational opportunities. Like it or not the best will most likely win. Unfortunately, we have spawned a whole generation of people that believe they have a right to preferential treatment whether it be for bananas, sugar or education.
The very people who demanded education at the public expense barked at the National Youth Service. For them it is too onerous to work for a few years and save for their education, they want to graduate young and free (debt free), then command market wages. The payment of taxes is a burden to be borne by others, not them.
Student loan bureau
The student loan bureau was established in 1971 to assist Jamaicans to persue higher education. It has been plagued with problems partly because of the means-test bias towards the same class of people who feel entitled to more places in the CEE. That
mind-set transcends into accessing loans without any moral obligation to repay. The student protest in 2004 involved some students that could not on their own fund their tuition yet they failed to apply to the bureau. Where did they think their fees were going to come from?
Non-traditional export
Developed countries have long recognised that it is cheaper for them to import educated workers than incur the cost of training. America’s space program was developed largely by German engineers who were encouraged to emigrate after World War ll. Both the Soviet Union and Germany had programs designed and tailored to identify and fast track “gifted students” as a way to develop their country.
Jamaica on the otherhand has unwittingly created an industry to export it’s educated workforce with the hope of remittance inflows. It is said that upwards of 80% of new graduates migrate in search of employment.
With education funded largely by tax dollars, is remittance a good return on investment?
Sources: Jamaica Gleaner, World Bank Report
