As political fever rises both here in Jamaica and the US, we have a grave warning about political tribalism.

After a statement by former US President Donald Trump during last Tuesday’s presidential debate repeating an unfounded rumour about Haitian immigrants eating dogs and cats, schools and a hospital had to be shut down after bomb threats.

The abusive adjectives describing political opponents is rife on Jamaica’s social media platforms. I heard a party adherent describing someone from the opposing party as “tainted” when that person was suggested for a post.

Jamaica has the distinction of initiating Universal Adult Suffrage in 1944, two decades before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in the US. We have closely monitored election activities and reviewed the Representation of the People Act to close certain loopholes. The system of voting and counting under the close watch of both political parties has ensured that we have had smooth transitions whenever there is a change of Government.

Our electoral officers and poll clerks have never been called out for dishonesty; therefore, we in Jamaica watched in disbelief when Georgia poll workers Wandrea “Shaye” Moss and her mother, Ruby Freeman, were accused of electoral interference. Even after their names were cleared, the harassment continued until they had to change their addresses and were successful in their lawsuit against a political operative.

One dancehall star confessed to entertainment journalist Winford Williams that he tried to keep his stage chatter clean, but he would only get a ‘forward’ from the crowd when he used curse words. This is the challenge to politicians on the campaign stage. Let them remember that cameras are everywhere and depending on how they handle these events, what they say can help or hurt their prospects.

As we ‘throw words’ on social media pages and talk shows, let us remember that there are ignorant tribalists that may take our diatribe seriously and create hardship for people of different parties in their communities and their families.

Choose your words carefully around your children; you are their strongest example. Negative political attitudes can result in bullying and school fights. If you hear them repeating offensive comments from school, explain to them our political system and how proud we should be that it has worked well for our country. We should applaud the brave folks who step up to be our leaders and celebrate our two-party system which gives us a choice at the polls.

Addressing low growth

At the quarterly press briefing of the Economic Programme Oversight Committee (EPOC), Chairman Keith Duncan congratulated the Government on our achievement of macroeconomic stability. The next step, he said, is to address the low growth of our economy. In a prescient statement, he urged the completion of the outstanding public sector wage agreement before the departure of Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke. A few hours later, Minister Clarke announced the signing of the agreement.

The challenge for the next finance minister, said Duncan, is performance management. He noted that the new wage agreement “cost Jamaica significantly, an increase of $100 billion over two years”, and called for “a true transformation of the public sector”.

“The people of Jamaica have sacrificed and created fiscal space,” said Duncan, and called for the allocation of funds so that the people of Jamaica can feel the benefits.

He said the factors needed to take us out of low growth are increased productivity, lowering the cost of doing business, improving the calibre of our workforce, as labour markets are tight. “Sixty-six per cent of our workforce have no certification,” he pointed out. “Therefore, when we look at the investments we attract, they are low value-added jobs because we don’t have the skills here: no biotech firms, no technology firms.”

“Our education system has to be addressed,” he emphasised. “…[T]here is no way that 33 per cent of our children are leaving primary school functionally illiterate.”

To break the cycle, he called for reallocation of funds for early childhood and primary school education, focusing on maths and English to ensure our children are literate. He suggested that funding should go to schools that have the lowest performance.

I would like to recommend the Literacy Is a Family Experience (LIFE) model created by Pat Rowe, nurse educator, and her husband Dr Fred Sherman. Their programmes in Jamaica and New York emphasise the participation of parents in the education of their children. We hope their tried-and-true method will finally gain acceptance.

Our prime minister has set a good example, gaining a doctor of philosophy (PhD) degree in law and policy. During the COVID-19 lockdown, he started the studies online and was awarded the degree last week. Congratulations, Dr Andrew Holness.

Coding campers’ advantage

Seventy-two students from five Caribbean countries will have an edge when they begin the new school year this month. They have been trained in coding and advanced IT skills at the IGT Coding & Robotics Rock! Camp conducted by Mona Geo-Infomatics (MGI). The theme of the camp was ‘Think It. Code It. Solve It – for Climate action’.

This was the fourth such camp sponsored by IGT, a global leader in gaming technology and innovation. The two-week camp was held virtually in Jamaica, Barbados, St Kitts and Nevis, St Maarten, and Trinidad and Tobago at IGT After School Advantage (ASA) Centres. Since 2011, IGT and its subsidiaries have opened 39 ASA Centres in the English-speaking Caribbean.

The students in Jamaica were based at ASA Centres in the Spring Village Development Foundation, St Catherine; The Women’s Centre in Manchester and Westmoreland; Mustard Seed Communities: Mary’s Child and Matthew 25:40, Kingston, and Jerusalem, St Catherine.

The Ministry of Education announced last week that it will be integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and adaptive technology into school curriculums. The ministry’s senior director for information and communications technology, Tyrone Anderson, noted at the event, reported by Andrew Laidley of
Jamaica Information Service, “As we take this leap, we are not discarding the foundational values that define education – the warmth of human understanding, the personal touch of a dedicated teacher.”

In collaboration with UNICEF and Book Fusion, the ministry is distributing digital textbooks. “AI-powered tools, like speech-to-text or text-to-speech software, are breaking down barriers and opening doors to inclusivity and equity, ensuring every student can access high-quality education,” said Duncan.

Flooding and safety

Three lives were lost in last week’s flood rain. We applaud “Sutherland”, who assisted a woman to escape the water in the gully near Molynes Road and send sympathy to the family of the young man, Rajhan Melbourne, who lost his life in an attempt to save hers.

Two people perished in the Wag Water River at Castleton after flood rain caused a high wave which swept a teen away. A man who attempted to rescue her also lost his life.

We need better public education on the dangers of flooding.

Jean Lowrie-Chin is a seniors advocate, author, and communications expert. Send comments to lowriechin@aim.com.

Jamaicans should be proud that its political system has evolved.