Urban Vine Media

The Case for Creative Education in Jamaica

The best singer I know is the girl who sat beside me in 7th grade. She also has the most crippling shyness I’ve ever seen. And because of that, her remarkable voice never joined the choir, never entered a JCDC competition, and never found its way out of our classroom.

It makes you wonder: in a country that punches so hard above its weight in music, sport, and art, why do we treat those very talents as optional hobbies in school?

Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science are the undisputed core in primary education, with PEP exams deciding who moves forward. There’s also an Ability Test for critical thinking. The emphasis is on finding and building great minds—and rightfully so. But why is competency completely tied to intellect in Math, English, and Science?

Of course, I don’t discount these subjects; they’re vital for functioning in society. Drill them in. But outside of these intellectual pursuits, very little emphasis is placed on physical and creative ability.

The “Extra” in Extra-Curricular
Sports, Arts, Music, and Drama exist on the periphery—optional extras. If a student shines on sports day, they might get recruited for development, but only if the school can find someone to train them. It’s pure chance.

It’s not until high school that students are properly introduced to creative arts, food and nutrition, or technology. And even then, real skill often comes only from clubs and societies. Again, it’s optional. No rules to join, no proficiency tests, no “you must engage.”

Social Hurdles
The problem isn’t just the curriculum.Social issues block the way, too. Fearing trouble, parents want children home right after school. The prestige of certain schools forces long commutes, killing any chance for after-school activities. And let’s not forget, public transport often discriminates against children traveling late.

Then there are the battles no one sees.

The Intrapersonal Battle
Like my brilliant, silent classmate—many children are overcome with issues of low self-esteem and/or confidence. Of course, not every talent needs to be mined for business. But it would have been nice if there were more deliberate, actionable efforts to build student confidence and self-esteem—so they could use their gifts, if they ever wanted to.

Jamaica is a breeding ground for superb talent. Yet when stars slip through the cracks to achieve greatness, their legacies often fade fast. Why? Because no true, systematic investment was made to capture and develop that skill from the ground up.

Looking Abroad: Systems That Nurture
Countries known for strong creative industries don’t leave it to chance. Japan has schools for anime and manga. The US, Canada, and the UK have specialist schools for creatives and athletes. Here, our saving grace is Edna Manley and, to a degree, GC Foster College. But success still boils down to if they make it beyond  the secondary level.

Some will say resources are limited, so academics must come first. But discipline from sports translates to focus in Science. Confidence found on stage can give a voice in English class. These aren’t separate tracks—they create the entirety of education.

We are diligent in building great academic minds. It’s time we applied that same diligence across the spectrum, to include the prospective creatives. The same effort placed on nurturing intellectual talent could be placed on nurturing the creative mind.

After all, what’s the use of building half a mind, when Jamaica’s future needs the whole thing? Our creative future, shouldn’t be left up to chance.

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What’s one small way we can start? This week, maybe ask a young person not just about their Math score, but about what they created or played today.

K L Williams
Writer, Urban Vine Media