JAMAICA’S LITERACY CRISIS: TEACHERS OVERWHELMED AS STUDENTS ENTER HIGH SCHOOL UNABLE TO READ

Opinion: Jamaica’s Crisis Runs Deeper Than Literacy—It’s Rooted In Inequality And Corruption

At the heart of every challenge facing Jamaica today—from the literacy crisis to the low-wage economy—lies one unshakable truth: as long as the socioeconomic inequality born out of our colonial past remains, nothing will truly change. The structures that were built to serve foreign interests and keep local people marginalized have never been fully dismantled; instead, they have simply evolved.

We see this most clearly in how our economy is run. Government after government continues to hand over prime land and resources to large hotel developers and foreign investors, while ordinary Jamaicans are left to fill mostly low-paying service roles: cleaning rooms, cooking meals, and waiting tables for tourists—all sold to us as “job creation.” I am not against tourism or foreign investment; they have their place. But an economy built almost entirely on low-wage service work can never offer real prosperity. Jamaica needs to develop strong, diverse industries—manufacturing, agriculture, tech, renewable energy—that can deliver decent wages, stable careers, and long-term opportunity, not just survival.

Education, which should be the great equalizer, is treated as a low priority in practice, no matter what politicians claim. While officials say 4 to 6 percent of GDP is allocated to education, the reality on the ground tells a different story: teachers remain drastically underpaid, classrooms lack basic supplies, and many schools are run-down and unsafe. When we see cases like Raul Reid—who tief di pickney dem money and get weh (stole funds meant for Jamaica’s children and walked away unpunished)—it lays bare exactly how corruption is woven into our society. Public funds meant to build a better future are too often stolen or misused, while the people who commit these crimes face little to no consequence.

This brings us back to the root of the literacy crisis we see today. How can we expect children to take school seriously, or believe education will change their lives, when they grow up seeing a system that is stacked against them? They see their parents working hard for low pay; they hear about public money being stolen; they learn in broken schools, taught by overworked, underpaid teachers. Why would they feel motivated to strive for success when the deck is already stacked against them?

Make no mistake: our education system is broken and desperately needs fixing. But it is not the root problem. Until we confront and dismantle the colonial-era inequality that defines our economy, and root out the corruption that rots our institutions from the inside out, nothing meaningful will change. We can reform lesson plans or buy new textbooks all we want—but as long as the system remains unfair and corrupt, Jamaica will keep running in place.

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