A JAMAICAN CLASSROOM

I organized the desks in groups of four, because they say we learn better in communities. I added sight words from the first unit because frequency increases familiarity. I created a “safe corner” in the back right area and hung warm lights around the whiteboard because children deserve a calming and comfortable learning environment. I added posters to the walls for visual representations of biology concepts we’d cover throughout the year. And I created a “take what you need” bulletin board near the door so my students could quickly grab a quote about courage, hope, confidence, patience, kindness, and love. As I sat to gather myself before my first orientation as a high school biology teacher, the stack of barcoded textbooks glared at me. They had just been delivered from the library and there was no place for them. It didn’t make sense to put them in the cabinets because in two hours, students would waltz in to see their new science classroom and pick up their textbooks for the year. So, there they sat; on an out of place cart that disrupted the decor of my carefully curated classroom.

Instantaneously, a memory of my childhood flashed before my eyes. I could feel the heat from the Jamaican sun against my forehead, the ocean breeze against my cheeks, and the straps of my backpack sinking into my shoulders as I walked to school. Growing up in Jamaica, we did not have a classroom set of textbooks, much less books to take home. Students had to purchase their own books and bring them to school every day. So, there I was, 6 years old with an adult backpack carrying (what felt like) my weight in textbooks.

I carried that weight with pride. I strolled down the streets with glee. It was a blessing to be me. Most of the children in my class did not have textbooks. I was one of the lucky ones and it showed. I was always among the top of my class. My academic success was fostered by the financial resources that provided me with textbooks, healthy meals, clothes, and a comfortable home. My academic success was attributed to access to the elementary essentials to foster a child’s development.

Twenty years later, I was in my own classroom trying to figure out how to create the best learning environment for my students. I did not have to consider whether my students had the rudimentary resources for academic success. I knew each student was provided breakfast and lunch at school. I knew they had access to clothes, at least through the school’s “thrift shop” program. And I knew they had access to an abundance of supplies in my classroom. Although trivial, wondering where to place textbooks was my biggest concern for these students. On the other hand, as I reflected on the inequities endured by children in my home country, my concerns increased insurmountably.

Children in Jamaica do not have to pay tuition to attend public schools. Nonetheless, the effects of limited financial resources are evident in the learning outcomes. According to the World Bank and UNICEF, nearly 100% of Jamaican children are attending school up to age 16. However, only 68% of students in secondary school pass English Language in the 2018 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examinations. The results for Mathematics are more staggering, as only 47% of students pass. In the end, a child born in Jamaica today is almost half (53%) as productive in adulthood as they would have been with a completed education and full health. The Jamaican government continues to respond to the demands of the education sector by increasing fiscal allocations, but it is not enough.

If we recognize education as a universal human right, we must reinforce this notion with unequivocal support. We must extend assistance across arbitrary borders to ensure a more prosperous future for all children. We cannot be passive in our approach to increase access and equity in education. We must act diligently and invest our time, spread our knowledge, and share our resources in the betterment of the generations to come. Sometimes, we are so far removed from true suffering that we fixate on the insignificant rather that focus on the indispensable. Children suffer when they do not have a chance at a quality education. Humanity suffers when we squander the opportunity to educate developing minds. And ultimately, mankind suffers when we ignore the call to do our part in improving human welfare.

The call is simple: get involved! Invest your time. Spread your knowledge. Share your resources. Start locally. Start internationally. The point is: get started! There are children all over the world who are suffering, and with simple actions, you can help. You can volunteer with nonprofits, schools, and other education entities, you can teach, you can give back – anything at all will go a long way.

KAHLIA WILLIAMS is an aspiring renaissance woman with a passion for equity and accessibility in education and health. She is a founding board member of the Alphonso Scholarship Fund, Inc. and a graduate student pursuing a M.S. in Global Health at Georgetown University. Above all else, Kahlia is guided by a commitment to doing her part to help increase prosperity in her home country, Jamaica.