Figure 1.--Here we see a Jamaican school class doing some kind of reciation in 1904. Public schools at the time were very basic and only attended by a minority of the black population. |
|
Jamaica was colonized by Spain, but seized by England (1660). It became the only British colony in the Greater Antilles. Thus it almot entire educatuinal history is British. The education system is modeled after the British system. Britain was not, however, a leader in public education. And into the 19th century, nost of the population was slaves. There were no schools for slaves and as far as we can tell most whites were educated at home. We have found little information about Jamaican schools before Enancipation. Many of the rich planters sent their sons, but rarely their daughters, back to the mother country for schooling. Others hired private tutors. Other whites sent their sons to one of the 'free' schools that were established, mostly from bequests donated by wealthy planters and merchants. The Act of Emancipation began the freeing of the island's slave (1834). A comprehensive free public education was not launced until a century aftr emancipation as Jamaica began toward independence (1944). Britain granted independence (1962). Jamaican educators after independence popularized the idea of developing 'homegrown' responses to economic, social, and political issues, including education.
The Amerindians who originally populated Jamaica did not have schools. The Spanisg who originally colonized Jamaica, may have a few, but we have no information about them. England seized control of Jamaica (1660). This was about the same time that the sugar industry had begun to develop in Brazil and the Caribbean. And as a result a major expansion of the Atlantic slave trade. As a result, Jamaica and other Caribbean sugar islands became primarily populted by captive Africans. The English founded some schools for the white colonists, but not for the slave children. Some basic schools were orgnized by the more enligtened slave owners and the missionryscocities who began the campign against slavery. After emancipation thre was no major effort to educate the former slaves. Gradully some effots, began, in part a reaction to the Morant Bay Rebellion (1865). Britain was not a leader in public education. Troughout much of the 29thcentury there was resistance to educating the English working class. A nation effort in England only began in the late-19th century (1870).
So it ws no surprise that thre was no effort to found public school systems in the colonies. A comprehensive free public education was not launced until a century after emancipation as Jamaica began toward independence (1944). Britain granted independence (1962). Jamaica became a fully independent country nNation and a member of the British Commonwealth. Jamaica becoming an Independent Nation, now meant that Britain, no longer controlled the affairs of the country.Jamaican educators after independence popularized the idea of developing 'homegrown' responses to economic, social, and political issues, including education. Educational methods and curriculum continued to be heavily influenced by Britain.
The post-emancipation education system in Jamaica emphasized skills that would help prepare children for eventual employment as estate workers. The primary grades of this schooling focused heavily on the proverbial three “R’s”—reading, writing and arithmetic—with some added education in religious training and some occasional lessons in geography and history. In addition to these lessons, boys were given training in agriculture and other manual arts, and girls received lessons in sewing and domestic science. These separate educational tracks for boys and girls were formalized in the Lumb Report of 1898. The report emphasized the necessity for agricultural training in order to counteract trends seen as threatening to the colonial economy and society: students were developing an aversion for manual labor and were moving from the countryside to the cities and towns to take up clerkships and other similar occupations. Although secondary schooling at this time was not free of cost, elementary schools began to hold annual scholarship examinations in order to allow some children to pursue education at this level—children who would otherwise not have been able to afford the fees. Educational historians characterize these movements as the beginnings of the struggle to change the secondary schools from "being comprised of students with the 'ability to pay' to students with the 'ability to benefit from' the education offered."
Jamaican education is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information (MOE). The modern structure of Jamaican education is similar to that of most countries. The schools are divided into primry, secondary, and tertiary systems. State primary schools in Jmaica are free. Instruction is in English. There are six grdes and the children begin at age 6 years. Most children finish at age 12 years. Attendance is compulsory through 11 years of age. There are noh state and private schools. The seondaty sere between the ages of 6 and 12. Schools may be state-owned, or private preparatory schools. The secondary schools offer a 5 year program. Children attend from the age of 12-17 years. The initial focus was on primary education, the Gpvernent is now working to improve the secondary systen and to increase the number of primry graduates continuing thhir education. This is obviously necessary in the modern world in literacy and mathematical skills are more importnt thn ever before. Schools are also improving their libraries and proving computers and internet access. The country's secondary schools are still strongly influencd by the British grammar school model. While the MOE overseas most state eduvtion institutions, the National Training Agency is responsible state vocational training centers and private academies. Vocational programs are availble in agriculture, automotive skills, beauty services, clothing manufacture, commercial skills, information technology, and building and construction skills. Once students leave secondary school their education ceases to be free.
Tertiary education is provided through five universities and a variety of community and teachers colleges. There are both state-owned and some privately funded institutions. Thy provide a traditional western-based curriculum.
Careful, clicking on these will exit you from the Boys' Historical Clothing web site, but several are highly recommended
Related Style Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[Long pants suits]
[Knicker suits]
[Short pants suits]
[Socks]
[Eton suits]
[Jacket and trousers]
[Blazer]
[School sandals]
Navigate the HBC School Section
[Return to Main Caribbean school page]
[Return to Main Latin American school page]
[Return to Main Jamaican page]
[About Us]
[Activities]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Debate]
[Economics]
[Garment]
[Gender]
[Hair]
[History]
[Home trends]
[Literary characters]
[School types]
[Significance]
[Transport and travel
[Uniform regulations]
[Year level]
[Other topics]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[Return to the Historic Boys' School Home]
