Yesterday we experienced our last day at Sts. Peter and Paul College Preparatory School, a top tier Catholic institution in Kingston, Jamaica. For the past four days, we have been revamping a play area that was initially a blank canvas of concrete, and we utilized our creativity to brighten up this area for the younger students. Prior to yesterday, we completed our project through several desired hopscotches, a four-square area, murals and much more. It was amazing to witness the students’ fascination with the hopscotch games and the tremendous appreciation of the educators. Yesterday we were able to spend the day with the students and learn more about their lives as youth in Jamaica and also about the disparities within the education system.
As we welcomed the school’s psychologist Dr. Johnson with our daily greeting, she brought in a nine-year-old with a face full of tears. Jaden was initially broken about his transfer to a new school in St. Anne as it was slightly challenging to make new friends at Sts. Peter and Paul. As soon as I reached out to give him a hug he came into my arms and calmed down into my lap, and the rest of the group assured him that he’d be fine in a new setting. We were able to distract him from his worries as he colored and talked about playing soccer. In reflecting upon this moment, I was reminded that ethnicity or nationality does not overpower compassion and understanding. We took him in as he was our younger brother, and many of the students referred to us as auntie and uncle upon greeting them in the mornings. I also recognized the sacrifice that Jaden’s parents were potentially making for their child. Despite their love for Kingston and the people they would miss, Jaden’s parents were moving into a safer parish of Jamaica where there were more opportunities for employment and education. This was a humbling moment, as many of our senses of compassion and protection traveled with us abroad.
After our moment with Jaden, we headed up the stairs to spend time with a classroom of fifth graders who were eager as it was their second to last day of school. We were thrown a magnitude of questions in being asked to rate the Kentucky Fried Chicken back home, our favorite subjects in school and other things in relation to our personalities and leisure activities. I sat outside with a large group of girls who also enjoyed sitting in the shade while the rest of the class engaged in high energy games of ‘football’ and ‘infection’. Many of the girls wanted to know where we ordered our clothes from as they loved online shopping, and stated that they would later move to the United States mainly for the stores and lack of heat. They also communicated that they desired to fulfill careers within medicine, as many of their parents were dermatologists and nurses, as well as sports and entertainment. In regards to the education system in Jamaica, they explained their appreciation of their institution as they were provided the resources to place within the top high schools in the country. Many students worked hard to be placed into Jamaican High School, Campion College, and a few other top tier high schools. Students who continuously do not pass the placement tests are placed within “bad high schools” as the students described, which reminded me of the unfortunate disparities in the education system of the District of Columbia.
In closing, our experience at Sts. Peter and Paul was a life-changing one that has inspired many of us to continue our work abroad or in education reform. As students remembered our faces and gravitated towards us at times, it was not only beneficial to learn about the education system but also about ourselves through the children. Listening to the curious toddlers Demitri, Summer, and Joshua and the beautiful fifth graders Isabelle, Isabella, Cameron, and many others has been an experience that many of us will always value and remember. Despite the disparities between public and private institutions, the education system of Jamaica is one of rigor and passion that many educators in the United States can learn from.
Ramani W., Benjamin Banneker High School