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jamaicajamaicajamaicajamaicajamaicajamaicajamaicajamaicajamaicajamaicajamaica i miss you :(

Australia, Jamaica, England, Italy, and France.

Maurice Smith argues in favor of increasing the length of time students in Jamaica spend in school. It's an issue I've been thinking about for some time now. Given the low quality output from the system and the fact that the school plant is unoccupied for a full two months, while teachers still get paid, why not make use of the chance to help kids learn some more?

I miss this place :/

Paint does dry so nothing sticks.
But memories are driven into its
Colours. To see walls torn down and fixed,
Floors ripped up to restore; but lives
Stay to haunt the place. A soul
May remain forever till Dooms Day
And live on thus formed.
Dust on carpentry danced a waltz
With small currents of wind.
Memories can’t be so removed.
They live in Space Time.

At a time when many a Jamaican is concerned about the death of traditional art forms, the Braata Folk Singers reminded us that we can relax, as that will not be happening anytime soon.  The New York based group presented ‘Wheel an Come Again’, which could not have been a more appropriate name for only their second concert season.  The twelve member group delivered folk song after folk song with such poise and passion that it is obvious why they got their name, as they left the audience wanting more…Jus a lickle braata.

Led by the talented Andrew Clarke, who performed as a chorus member, the group walked us through classics such as “Liza”, “Sammy Dead”, “Banyan Tree” and “Love is a funny likkle ting”.  Songs such as “Betta Woman Dan Yu” and “Why Woman Grumble” had the audience in laughter. 

Andrew Clarke (Director), getting into the spirit.

The stage was cleverly designed to incorporate many typical elements of Jamaican culture, such as the coal stove with the dutch pot on it, the coconut stand, and various simulations of market stalls.  The use of colour was adequate and the costuming very appropriate.

The twelve singers delivered a balanced sound, and neatly executed the choreography with great expression.  Outside of a few missed entries, the blend of voices was exceptional.  Soprano, Dianne Dixon, seemed to have the crowd in the palm of her hand with every antic and expression she shared.  Andrew Clarke featured many times with his clean tenor voice.  This was supported by an ensemble cast of church goers, and shoppers in the market, not to mention the cute Matthews sisters, Courtnae and Joelle.

The singers could not have done so well without the support of the amazing and competent band, comprising of keyboardist, Garnet Mowatt (who contributed to some of the arrangements created by Andrew Clarke), Matthew Silpot (Keyboard), Marcus Williams (Percussion), Palomin Hassad (Percussion) and the legendary, Carrot Jarrett (Percussion).

Overall I give the Braata Folk Singers an ‘A’ for a concert well done.  I definitely got my money’s worth, not to mention the complimentary food provided in the intermission, and the souvenir program provided on entry to the theatre.  I would encourage you to support this talented group as they move forward, ensuring the maintenance of our heritage in the New York/Tri-state area, and I’m certain soon to the rest of the world.  The group also has CDs and t-shirts available at a minimal cost.  Mi definitely waan braata of the Braata Folk Singers.

Find Braata Folk Singers on Facebook (Like their page): http://www.facebook.com/pages/Braata-Folk-Singers/220816651267952

Photos Courtesy of Wide Vision Photography (marcia@widevisionphotography.com); Band photo by Mario Guthrie Photography (http://megphotos.tumblr.com)

The Opportunity Gap

“The opportunity gap disproportionately impacts students of color who come from low-income backgrounds. The demographic inequalities black and Hispanic students in the United States face in comparison to their white peers put them at a disadvantage before they even enter school. When combined with the educational disparities known as the achievement gap, students of color often have to overcome more challenges to have an equal chance at life’s opportunities.”

This is so true.

This is so true.

Education Emergency

Pakistan is suffering an education emergency, with at least 25 million children denied their constitutional right to an education.

Few of those children who do go to school receive the quality education they need to prosper in the modern world. The economic impact of the emergency is catastrophic – billions of rupees a year – while the human cost is much greater.

Let’s join together to force Pakistan’s leaders to finally get serious about providing every child with a decent school and a committed teacher. Sign our petition to make ending the education emergency the country’s no 1 priority.

3 Reasons for signing this petition

• Because the cost of not educating Pakistan is the equivalent of one flood per year.
• Because we have the money. 26 countries are poorer than Pakistan but are able to send more children to school.
• Because a country cannot thrive in the modern world without educating its children. It is a fundamental right under our constitution.

To Pakistan’s Prime Minister and Chief Ministers

We call on you to make education your number one priority in 2011 – the Year of Education – and to set out plans for giving every child their constitutional right to education. At a time of fiscal crisis, we ask you protect education budgets and to explain how, and when, they can be increased to at least 4% of GDP.

http://educationemergency.com.pk/

Education is the right of every kid. Please sign this petition. It won’t even take a minute. Thank you so much!

Professor apologizes for live sex demonstration

A Northwestern University professor - J. Michael Bailey has apologized on Saturday for a live sex demonstration on campus last month in his sexuality course for more than 100 students.

He said that he would not have any such demonstration for education but he would definitely give an F to students who disapproved of this live sex demonstration as they were unable to give any solid reasoning for their disapproval as yet. He said that students passed comments like "went too far", "was inappropriate" or "was troubling". These statements are not logical enough an explanation according to Bailey.

Bailey has been under trouble since Feb 21st when the news became public. More than 100 students from his human sexuality class watched this optional, after class demonstration in which a woman got undressed, laid down on a towel and allowed her fiance to penetrate her with a device that looked like a machine powered saw but with a phallic object attached instead of a blade. The purpose was to study and discuss kinky sex and female orgasms.

Bailey is sorry that the university's reputation suffered because of this event. He taught for 18 years but never had any such demonstrations before nor will he conduct anything of the sort in the future. Though even in his apology statement he did defend the demonstration because he felt it was relevant to the topic in his course.

In fact he said that his students were older than 18 years and were legally old enough for voting, enlisting in military and consuming pornography. Well too bad for Mr. Bailey...perhaps he should have informed the university before hand if he was planning to do a practical demonstration for his students. 

Discrimination runs in the blood

That teacher’s story reminded me of another unfair tale. I was in 10^th grade when I heard about it & I was quite pissed off. They say teaching is a very noble profession but I do have my doubts about it. Over the years, I’ve seen strange educationists - those who believe in discrimination & have no shame whatsoever about their fucking beliefs.

This story is about 2 little boys of a sweeper. I don’t know the names of the boys but I knew his parents. They were really very cute & adorable kids & it’s not an exaggeration, cause I have never been a fan of kids. I can only notice a kid, if he/she happens to be genuinely cute.

These boys were admitted in a good school, thanks to some Government servant. Anyhow, the staff did not know they were the kids of sweepers. When the principal inquired from the boy about the 2 people who accompanied them to the school every morning, she was enraged. She had a meeting with that civil servant & she very plainly said that they cannot allow the kids of a sweeper to study with the kids of other people.

The question that has always bothered me is that: what do you expect of such educationists & do they have any moral? Are they even answerable to their own conscience? (But I guess it must be dead.)The thing is…education doesn’t open minds. I’ve been aware of it for too long, cause I know too many educated people who are nothing but illiterates with degrees. They have one rule for themselves & another for others.

Whatever it is…I believe education is the right of every child. It doesn’t matter where he is born. But I don’t think we have come far ahead. We are still standing there. These very educated people breed discrimination. Such closed minds are running schools. What do they teach students? That you must discriminate as we discriminate & please continue this barbaric business till the end of time!

Discrimination is an abuse & when people who are supposed to make this world better indulge in this kind of discrimination, we are left with no hope. They say that the younger lot is worse. I don’t agree with them. They are rotten themselves. Those 2 boys could have had better lives. But some people very strongly believe in the concepts of inferiors & superiors. How can any fucking educationist believe in class difference? This idea itself is repugnant, but it’s being followed quite religiously everywhere.

PS Some people have issues with me, cause I use the (unethical) word fuck in my write-ups. See I’m a blogger/writer…when I see a genuine harami, I won’t go in search of another word to make him/her look less harami.

Education is your right

“Is it possible to doubt the utility of education? If it is good for you, why not for everybody?”
Leo Tolstoy

Education is the basic right of a person anywhere in this world. Unfortunately rather than working on this cause, we have people who blow up educational institutes. On top of it, we have educated jahils in abundance as well. I have even met folks who think that education is not that important. It’s actually a waste of time & so they believe that the lower classes shouldn’t study. This is sheer discrimination. These are the people who went abroad for higher studies, but this is how they feel for the underprivileged.

I believe education does open your mind & when it doesn’t, the mind must be too thick & full of crap. But this doesn’t mean that people should stay illiterate. It’s saddening that schools were nationalized & so many kids were deprived of what was their right. And this has given rise to Urdu medium & English medium crap. Angrezi ka complex would invariably stay strong in our part of the world. If wannabes would not look down on their mother tongue, how else will they be called broad-minded, to begin with?

We are a complex nation beyond any doubt, as we have places where only people from specific institutes are being hired. I’m so sorry but I don’t know how else to look at it. Some people also believe that those who have done their Os & As are the only ones who went to school & the poor ones who have done their matric are illiterates. I fail to understand this biased viewpoint as well. Although I have written on these things earlier on, but whenever I think about it, it seems unfair. No one has the right to look down on anyone – that is the 1st thing humans ought to learn. And this can be done at home.

You are not my judges

“I have only one judge – myself - & I acquit myself.”

Jean-Paul Sartre

We all have stories. We all have problems. We all have had bad experiences. However, not everyone wants people to sympathize with him/her. I believe we encounter tough times for a reason…so that we become better & strong individuals. I think we don’t need courage to die; we need courage to live.

Anyway, there is no such thing on this planet as an absolutely right view point. If a person analyses anything from all the possible angles with honesty, it is quite a task to arrive at a single conclusion. Moreover, our background & experiences are accountable to a greater extent in shaping & forming our opinions.

In Moll Flanders, the protagonist said:

“In the next place, when a woman is thus left desolate & void of counsel, she is just like a bag of money or a jewel dropped on the highway, which is a prey to the next comer; if a man of virtue & upright principles happens to find it, he will have it cried, & the owner may come to hear of it again; but how many times shall such a thing fall into hands that will make no scruple of seizing it for their own, to once that it shall come into good hands?”

Daniel Defoe

Actually this passage has nothing to do with what I have in my mind, but it triggered me to think. Owing to discrimination & how problems are being depicted, it’s difficult to say whose problem is the biggest. However, problems are problems…they could be insurmountable & may not have any solution. I think men, women, old people, children, eunuchs, sluts, animals – they all have genuine problems.

Work place harassment is nothing new. In fact, harassment of any kind is not new. And I don’t know if at this point, I should say that people ought to understand. They say education could make a difference. I don’t know. I have seen innumerable educated jahils (illiterates). They say education could bring about a revolution. My question is: how is it possible? Education in our part of the world does not guarantee change of mental outlook towards life.

When I was in the university, we used to hear about cases of harassment. Teachers blackmailing students, cause grades were in their hands. Almost every department had one such exotic (read corrupt) piece.

During the 2nd semester, one of our professors was being very, very, kind on me. Naturally you get to know when things aren’t right. Although he never hurt me in any way, besides showing interest, but he stopped teaching us in the classroom & started talking about irrelevant stuff. I told my friends & thanks to them, the entire class knew it. Students were pissed off as he was a good teacher & he wasn’t teaching but babbling shit.

As usual students were discussing & a day came when one of my seniors called me & said that the teacher has gone off his head…he can’t concentrate, & they all think the right step is that I must leave the university. And she even asked me if it was a case of sexual harassment. I was quite pissed off. The next day, I went to the Chairman & narrated the entire story. This was a story in which students played an active role by discussing & presuming & wondering if it was something sexual. Yeah I know it’s my hard luck. I always get attention from the wrong kind of people. And no I didn’t have any fun whatsoever. As if people enjoy getting unwanted attention!

Anyway, I said to the Chairman that if anybody ought to leave the university, it should be the teacher, not me. And I even suggested that there is no need to teach students Tess of the D’urbervilles, as it doesn’t make much of a difference on their brain cells. They are the ones who love to ask juicy questions; they are the ones who can’t help giving new dimension to a problem; they are the ones who said I was being favoured & I got good marks that I didn’t deserve. Although it didn’t occur to those nitwits that I used to get good marks in all the subjects. And other teachers were not crazy after me.

I was lucky in the sense that the Chairman & another female teacher supported me. That professor was warned. It wasn’t easy for me to face the problem at that time though. I wanted moral support & I didn’t get any from my friends & best people. However, I got that support & protection from 2 teachers. One of them is dead & it's a great loss. He said to me that it’s our duty to inform about such incidents & he was thankful for that as no one ever had the courage to report about that teacher’s colourful nature.

My story is nevertheless not that scary or creepy, but there was pressure on me all along & I haven’t forgotten that. The point I want to highlight is that people around you make sure you have no peace; people around you make sure that you know what others are talking about you; people around you invent baseless stories; people around you know what you should do with your life & if accidentally you ask them what do they plan to do themselves…they might not have any answer, cause they are busy thinking as to what steps others should take. No wonder we haven’t stepped in the 21st century. It’s another thing that people are shedding clothes in our country. It’s like they equate nudity with progress. But they don’t know what’s the progress of mind.

“People only do what they want to do - & what they are capable of doing. If they were capable of anything else, there would be something else.”

D. H. Lawrence

Anyhow, I’ve learnt one thing from my bad experiences. When you come across someone nice, make sure you tell that person. Since everyone is not stupid & limited, I really don’t see the point why one must try to outdo others. If you’re satisfied with yourself…That’s more than enough. Do you really need to make an impression? Anyway, when fumes come out of your ears, make sure you share that candy with the one who is responsible for those fumes.


Nadira Rahman