Dear Editor,

As a teacher, who is married to a teacher, and a product of Jamaica’s education system, when I gaze upon the crumbling facade of Jamaica’s schools, I am struck by the haunting feeling that they stand upon the precipice of a great transformation — one they are unprepared to face.

These institutions, once bastions of knowledge and opportunity, now find themselves trapped in a liminal space, unable to move forward and ill-equipped to confront the tidal wave of change crashing against their shores.

The statistics are damning. Enrolment is dwindling, financial resources are drying up, and the very needs of society have shifted beneath the feet of these stagnant monoliths. Like a plant struggling to take root in arid soil, our schools wither, their growth stunted by the rigidity of outdated models and the resistance of those unwilling to heed the call of the new.

But liminality, that in-between state in which the old has lost its grip and the new has yet to take form, is not merely a curse to be borne, it is a crucible, a chance for rebirth, if only we have the courage to step into its flames. For within this volatile space lies the potential for transformation, for innovation, for a education system reborn to meet the demands of a world in constant flux.

Yet too many of our school leaders remain oblivious to this truth, clinging to the familiar even as it crumbles around them. They whip teachers without end, piling on the stress, crunching deadlines to mark endless papers so they can make numbers meet so that they may satisfy statistical requirements asked for by some administrator living in theory and abstraction. The goal is not truly the actualisation of a child’s potential but rather to appear to be doing so. Today’s school leaders are like the proverbial frog in the slowly boiling pot, unaware of the peril that envelops them until it is too late. And so our children, the future of this nation, are left to navigate a system ill-equipped to prepare them for the challenges that await.

It is time, then, for us to shed the shackles of complacency and embrace the uncertainty of this liminal space. We must look beyond the walls of our schools to industries that have navigated similar transitions and learn from their successes. We must invest in new technology, empower our educators, and foster a culture of adaptability and innovation.

Only then, with intentional leadership and a willingness to confront the hard truths, can we transform this crisis into an opportunity — a chance to forge an education system that truly serves the needs of our community, that empowers our youth to shape the future rather than be shaped by it.

The system is taxed, the centre cannot hold, teachers are overwhelmed and overworked, and continue to die at alarming rates. The pressure comes from top down. The uncertainty at the top is concealed by the downward exertion of power on those at the base of the system.

This needs to be amended with immediate effect. The time for action is now. Let us not be the guardians of a dying order but the architects of a bold new world.

Yannick Nesta Pessoa

yannickpessoa@yahoo