I recently visited Treasure Beach for the first time and in talking to residents, both locals and expatriates I was shocked to learn that illiteracy in the area is well over 70%.I was told that the main reason for this was a deeply entrenched attitude and commonly held belief that education was futile in a community where the only prospect of work was in farming or fishing.I'm a Jamaican and what took me aback was that the expatriates I spoke to had formed the view that their experience around this issue was a reflection of Jamaican society as a whole!!I'm middle aged from a humble family where education was valued and seen as a way of improving one's self.The families in our rural community where I grew up were like minded and made huge sacrifices to educate their children and I'm pleased to say they still do. That's not to say that there weren't families who didn't send their children to school, but they were a very small minority. I would love to know what the current official statistics are for literacy/illiteracy in Jamaica.

I don't know but the people need to learn to read and write and then jobs need to be open up so the Community and country can grow.

On my last trip to TB we were told that children had to pay for schooling. What is the state of free public education in TB? What costs are there for children in lower schools?

well believe it or not it cost $53.00 u.s. dollars a month to go to sandy banks primary school...that is alot of money for a parent to provide monthly and for more than one child!...it does include lunch but really they can not attend basic gradeschool without that $53.00...anybody can donate or better yet sponser a student...norma moxam can be reached at 876-965-0505...she knows her students and will direct you in the right way...look up the community groups site at the top of this page and you'll get contact info...and please remember that education needs to be provided past primary age!!!

On top of that hefty tuition, some have to find taxi money to boot. No big yellow school buses there! =)

When I think of the door to door stopping that I do in my school bus, picking up these pampered kids, and who have absolutely NO concept of walking for any distance, and no appreciation for their ride, OR their FREE education it reeeeeally p!sses me off.

If they only knew, eh?

Just a point of clarification, tuition in Jamaican schools has always been free, what isn't free are books, transport to/from school,uniform, lunch money and extra-curricular activities which can push up costs for parents.I've obtained some official statistics for literacy in Jamaica:88% overall, which means that illiteracy is 12%(www.factmonster.com).It's pretty much what I would have expected.If what I've been told about Treasure Beach is true it has an illiteracy rate approximately six times the national average.This is alarming and quite unacceptable.Why this inequality and what have successive governments done to address the problem? Are there any initiatives in place to improve this situation?

There are no school fees for grade one through six at public schools in Jamaica. However, if you want to send a child to basic school (kindergarden) or high school, the fees are more than most families can manage for their children. Add to this uniforms, books, shoes, bookbag, lunch, transportation, etc. etc. etc. and you can understand why so few children end up being able to read or write. The problem is, indeed, very serious. Statistics are often misleading because many children pass from one grade to the next without grasping even the basics. Few are held back or tutored. I also know many high school seniors who attended school every day for twelve years and still have trouble with their ABC's.

Ohhhh..Easter Sunday and memories of rough Jamaican boys school life.

Disfunctionalities: cash flow and it's attendant shortalls and shortages.

Reliance on parrot learning.

Authoritarian rule over pickney born in sin and will turn to sin in a quint.

Attendant use of pain and worst humiliation as a means of applying rule.

Non recognition of specialised skills and learning problems.

Yet! check on the amount of high contributors to the healing, creative and management arts that have thrived; sometimes in spite of the above.

I hope the old tendancies are fading and our children are increasingly being guided and encouraged by well trained and well meaning people.

And please those teachers that do, stop terorrising the pickney dem!!!

Turey is about time some teachers stop terorrising the pickney dem, and mek dem fraid the school yard, one head master was the bigeest abuser in Treasure Beach.

Yes love yard a person can create problems and pain when they are given power over others and they are not equiped mentally and emotionally to handle that power.

With my kids, apart from PTA, I wish the schools had been more open to parents/caregivers participating in daily runnings.

I allways wondered why students are not encouraged to give feedback. Rigid and authoritative organisations do not tolerate 'facetiness' from their charges.

The 'give us your kids and go home and make us mold them' is primitive.