VICTORIA Mutual (VM) Group President and Chief Executive Officer Courtney Campbell says that there is a drastic need to improve the output at 75 per cent of the high schools in Jamaica.

Campbell was the keynote speaker at the David “Wagga” Hunt Scholarship Foundation presentation ceremony recently, where a total of 24 boys from Calabar High and Kingston College (KC) received scholarship grants.

VM has been a big contributor to the Wagga Hunt foundation since its inception in 2009 and Campbell spoke glowingly of the legacy of David Hunt, after whom the foundation was named, on the sporting landscape in Jamaica.

“David Hunt was not only strong in lifting others up,” Campbell said, “he was powerful, as he brought people together. He was a highly successful football coach and an exemplary football administrator and servant of the sport.

“He was a sportswriter and analyst, producing each year the always-anticipated Champs Preview.”

However, Campbell thinks that Hunt’s greatest legacy was bringing Calabar and KC together through football.

“For all his achievements, perhaps David’s most powerful move was his decision as a KC old boy to coach the Calabar football team and bring these two famous schools together,” Campbell said.

In his main address Campbell pointed to what he sees as inequity in the education system.

“We need a transformation in Jamaica’s education system,” he said. “It needs to be more inclusive and equitable. Based on outcomes, only 25 per cent of our just over 160 high schools are performing at the level required to properly prepare our young people for a prosperous future.

“In the other 75 per cent of schools, only two of every 10 students pass at least five CSEC subjects, including English and mathematics. As a result, only 19 per cent of Jamaicans aged 19-24 are currently enrolled in tertiary education, and only 15 per cent of the workforce have benefited from tertiary education.

“We have to transform the quality of our educational outcomes in the majority of our schools. We are leaving behind too many of our talented young Jamaicans; these are the potential data scientists, actuaries, engineers, bankers of the future. We are leaving them behind because of major and multifaceted weaknesses in our early childhood, primary and secondary systems.”

Campbell suggested a multifaceted approach to turn around the education system in the country so as to better impact the lives of our children.

“We need to commit to some substantial investments to transform this situation. Government, parents, communities, businesses have to come together and strategise on how we can achieve an audacious goal so that in 15 years at least 90 per cent of our 18-year-olds either matriculate for tertiary education or obtain vocational certification.”

He cited the example set by the Wagga Hunt Scholarship Foundation as one to emulate in bringing about the changes that he has suggested.

“You the leaders of [the] David Wagga Hunt Scholarship Foundation are setting a great example of how we can work together to make these much-needed transformational investments. You are what is right about Jamaica,” he said.

Campbell lauded the scholarship recipients and challenged them to remain focused as they navigate their school lives.

“Be proud of yourselves. Understand that this is a demonstration of the power of hard work, and allow yourselves to imagine what else you can achieve with continued focus.

“You are advancing to the next level of a very fast-changing world. You’ve already experienced so much in your young lives — a global pandemic, climate change, an accelerating digital revolution, shifting social norms and practices — all of which require you to be fully equipped and armoured to navigate successfully.”

He also spoke to three specific character traits — courage, discipline and perseverance — that are important to have to be successful in life.

“Courage is doing the right thing even when the right thing scares you. Discipline is doing things that you know must be done even when you don’t feel like doing it. And perseverance is working hard in the face of every obstacle, pressing on after every failure,” he explained.

“Nothing in life that is worth having comes easily. This means that if you want good things, you will need to be prepared to fail — perhaps many times — without giving up,” he continued.

Campbell explained that life will be filled with teaching moments which the scholarship recipients must be prepared to learn from.

“You won’t be successful without meeting up on occasional failures. You need to prepare yourself by becoming comfortable with the fact that every failure is a lesson learnt that brings you closer to your goals. It may not be easy, but if you truly believe in your dreams you will achieve them once you persevere through the challenging times.”

In closing he left them with the hope of a bright future that they will be able to embrace as adults.

“Every day the world is presenting more and richer opportunities for your generation — new professions are emerging, new business needs are being identified, new jobs are in demand today. By the time you graduate there will be some new and different ones,” he concluded.

The David Wagga Hunt Scholarship Foundation has provided scholarships to boys at the two schools to the value of almost $20 million since its inception.

— Dwayne Richards