Some years ago I became concerned that the knife defences that were being taught in my martial arts class needed modification. I taught all the traditional defences to the traditional attacks, but they all involved attacks with the foot and hand being in a forward position. However, the robbery reports with a knife I was reading had the attacker with a knife in his back hand, and when attacking the knife attack was low, directed to the lower abdomen of the victim. This made defending the attack harder as the attacker does not really commit to the attack.

There was some debate about it, so in an effort to figure out the best possible defence to teach, I invited armed robbers I was trying to rehabilitate to my class to simulate how they robbed with a knife and how they attacked with a knife.

They agreed to be blindfolded on the route to my class so they couldn’t find it back, and the instructors I was teaching in the class wore ski masks so they couldn’t be identified in the future.

We had a very useful two hours of these two men showing us how they would rob and kill us if they were plying their trade.

Both, as I suspected, attacked from a rear hand in a low stabbing action without actually committing to the attack. Happily, we worked out defences for this attack.

I have always used this example to demonstrate that if something is not working the way you intended it to work, then you have to modify your approach to solving it.

So now let’s talk about education.

Jamaica has an incredible system of educating our children and young adults. Our primary schools are good and totally free. Our high schools are good, and again, free. You cannot be forced to pay a dollar for tuition.

HEART/NSTA Trust is not only free, but in many cases will pay you a stipend to attend all courses available, all the way to level four. Our universities are among the world’s most affordable, and the public ones are heavily subsidised by the Government.

The issue, however, is the system is dependent on parents to play their part in ensuring that the children are dressed properly, attend on time, and regularly. This is a reasonable anticipation; a partnership if you will.

The issue is that many don’t have the means to provide the bus fare and the lunch money required to complete the deal. Many more just don’t have the interest in the child to commit the effort to make it happen.

There are programmes to feed and assist financially, but that is often the equivalent of giving bread to the hungry and expecting them to transport it for you.

The harsh reality is that we need to go to a system that welcomes parental participation but does not require it. I am concerned because I am still interviewing too many young men who are illiterate or barely literate.

Almost every detained male I interview can barely write the standard sentence that is required as part of him being processed. Every last one of this group attended high school. Every last one speaks of irregular attendance and erratic punctuality practices. I am not going to stop speaking of this.

You cannot expect the level of responsible behaviour that is required to make this partnership work from a group this deprived or in some cases this disinterested.

I would like to believe that the vast majority of Jamaican parents are responsible and resourced enough to make this work. However, the numbers that represent the unable or unwilling are too vast to be ignored.

Our education, like my knife defences need modification. The approach needs to be redesigned with the challenges acknowledged, rather than ignored. It’s not working, and I see it manifesting itself every time I interview a criminal, and far too often when I interview an applicant for employment.

School buses, free meals, and free uniforms are necessary if we are to break this cycle. This is not communism or socialism, this is necessary.

It may not sound reasonable, it may not sound fair. I agree, but do you want to make the morally correct decision or do you want an educated populace? You tell me!

This is the one area that I don’t see improvement in our country. Life has improved in so many areas of Jamaican life. We have highways, we have greater access to purchasing motor vehicles, and we have so much more housing available. Our public transport systems, particularly in Kingston St Andrew and St Catherine, are night and day to the abomination in which I grew up. Yet adult illiteracy continues and I am not really seeing an improvement.

Almost all prisoners I interviewed a quarter century ago were illiterate and I’m still having that experience. This, by extension, makes their rehabilitation almost impossible if they are not convicted and force-fed a basic education.

These are exciting times in our lives. A lifetime of progress and change vs many periods in our history of internal conflicts and deteriorating social services. But we have to fix the glaring issues driving adult male literacy. We have to stop pretending that we can all make use of the educational model that we have developed. We have to save our children from irresponsible parents.

Education is not really attainable if you can’t afford to send your children. Bus fare, school uniforms, and nutrition are not free. Solutions have to be practical. You know you can’t just give people money to assist their children to attend school if they are destitute. You know enforcement is almost impossible. So find practical solutions: Provide the buses, provide the meals, and provide the after-school classes for the slow learners. Do what is necessary.

Feedback: drjasonamckay@gmail.com