Minority-Insight

I strongly support Education Minister Andrew Holness' call for the banning of corporal punishment in schools across Jamaica. This legal and inexcusable act of cruelty to correct the undesirable behaviour of students has no place in the education of children and it violates their human rights.

According to Benson (1937), "In 1935, there were 350 whippings in Jamaica by order of the courts, all but one of which were for juveniles." This cultural practice gradually became customary and socially accepted within families and in educational institutions. Corporal punishment in schools is lawful in Jamaica. The Education Act states that "teachers may administer reasonable corporal punishment", hence, the recent deadly assault on a fifth-grade student, who lost most of the sight in his left eye when a teacher allegedly hit him in southeast St Andrew a week ago. Clearly, this is an act of barbarism.

Infliction of pain

Corporal punishment is believed to involve the infliction of pain as retribution for an offence, or for the purpose of disciplining as a method of changing behaviour, such as, hitting, punching, kicking, pinching, or use of various objects (paddles, belts, sticks, or others). The method is considered to be violent and unnecessary.

The current provision within the Education Act that permits the administering of corporal punishment by teachers violates the human rights of a child under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1991), which ensures children are safeguarded against all forms of abuse and exploitation, as well as the Child Care and Protection Act (2004), which speaks to the rights of children to be free from corporal punishment in places of safety.

The practice should be immediately banned and sanctions imposed on those who commit such violation. In fact, the Government of Jamaica should be held accountable for permitting such brutality.

Dear Mr Prime Minister,

This is an urgent call for you to support the inclusion of health status under the non-discrimination clause in the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedom bill currently under review. The need to make provisions for the prevention of HIV and AIDS-based discrimination and to protect the human rights and dignity of people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS and other related matters in Jamaica should be a national priority.

Discriminatory practices in workplaces and schools include mandatory testing as part of admission, enrolment and recruitment requirements; barring, or blacklisting HIV-positive applicants, or relieving employees of their duties when their HIV status discovered. The reality is that many cases go unreported and unchallenged daily. Such unfair treatment of persons on the basis of their HIV status continues not only in Jamaica workplaces but also in the health sector. This is discriminatory.

Abolish mandatory testing

If the Government is serious about protecting the basic human rights of all Jamaicans and is keen to create an enabling an environment free of stigma and discrimination, then it must support the termination of workplace and school health policies which discriminate against persons living with HIV/AIDS.

It should abolish mandatory HIV testing for employment; remove punitive laws, policies and programmes that foster stigma and discrimination and block effective responses to HIV.

I am appalled by the recent reports of barbaric and inhumane acts of bullying at a prominent teachers' college in Kingston and the cowardice of the institution's administrators in failing to reprimand the perpetrators of such acts.

On December 7, it was alleged that a student at the teachers' college was blackmailed, chased, and attacked by fellow schoolmates after a taped phone conversation between a male student pretending to be gay and the victim, who was presumed to be gay, was broadcast and amplified via loudspeakers, emails, and cellphones to other students and staff members on campus.

Bullying is an act of injustice and cruelty on those who have been victims of such acts. In fact, often in schools and other institutions, one in every three students has been verbally and physically harassed and abused by a bully (whether male or female). The victims often subsequently suffer from several mental-health disorders, such as stress and depression, which often lead to suicidal attempts.

The Ministry of Education needs to address this issue. For teachers in training, vigilante acts and assaults are unacceptable, and should not be tolerated in the education system. Some parents and guardians are jittery about the safety of their children in the 'care' of teachers who are not sensitised to gender and social differences students may portray. If teachers in training are acting as bullies, how can we then trust them with the lives of our children?

unreported and unchallenged

Due to a blind eye given to the incident by members of staff and the institution, the perpetrators go unpunished, while the victim remains in hiding and out of school. Many cases like this go unreported and unchallenged. Something has to be done, and urgently. One too many is the cry of victimised students across Jamaica who are facing bullies in every shape and form.

Dancehall has always been associated with a culture of violence, which is contributing to the occurrence of criminal activities and spiralling crime rate in Jamaica. As such, I am deeply concerned about the growing and noticeable bickering between popular dancehall artistes Vybz Kartel and Beenie Man, and the potential re-enactment of something similar to the Gully versus Gaza crisis in 2009. The implications of such bickering are far-reaching and may become damaging to the people of Jamaica.

According to a Star reporter (Henry, 2010), "The deejay, Beenie Man, expressed feelings of being 'dissed' and disrespected in Kartel'sDancehall Hero song, in an interview aired December 14 on Nationwide 90 FM's 'Ragashanti Live'. Further-more, Beenie Man feels that the lyrics in the song are directed at him." This may seem futile; however, it has the potential to create mayhem in the country, and, therefore, requires immediate attention.

conflicts

Dancehall is seen as a patriarchal space where the hunger for dominance among popular deejays has become infectious and virulent. If not monitored carefully, conflicts between dancehall artistes will result in a flare-up of violence in the Jamaican society, which often requires the input of the Government and security forces. Conflicts in dancehall predominantly result from one being 'dissed' lyrically or physically by another artiste.

In 2009, the Gully versus Gaza conflict rained turmoil in Jamaica. Several dancehall supporters who aligned themselves with respective alliances were killed and homes were destroyed in defence of one's alliance. In my opinion, it was a bloody year in dancehall. We do not want a repeat of this. We do not want any more war! Nowadays, Jamaican youth are like machines as they are easily led and directly influenced by dancehall culture and artistes.

Therefore, it is time for Beenie Man and Vybz Kartel to stop their petty bickering before it escalates into something beyond their control. Youth on the streets cannot be tamed. They call themselves 'Bad Man' and they will kill for their 'Daddy'. So, listen! It is time to stop the foolishness, and let's end 2010 and begin 2011 with peace, love, and happiness in the music industry.

Skin BLEACHING/LIGHTENING may adversely affect the health of those persons who engage in such practices. However, while I am very concerned about the fundamental rights and freedoms of those who decolourize their skin one should question the motive of the Ministry of Health in Jamaica to rid the society of such practices. This cultural practice is very influential and trendy, but not communicable.

According to a case study of Suriname, “The use of bleaching cosmetics increases with the younger ages: 35% of those below the age of 26 is user; 17% of those aged between 25 and 40 and only 10% of  those older than 40.” (Menke:2002). This is alarming! Skin bleaching is considered to be unhealthy and a societal problem affecting young people. In fact, in the same way, smoking and drinking alcohol over a period leads to certain cancers and other internal impairments within the human body. Therefore, one is encouraged to desist from such practices.

Similarly, it is perceived that the impact of skin bleaching in Jamaica is as significant as the data’s from Suriname. Sadly, however, there is no scientific research nor are there surveys carried out in Jamaica in order for an educated audience to substantiate or to critically analyse the claims of the Ministry of Heath in regards to the cultural and medical implications of skin bleaching amongst the populace.

It is believed by several dancehall adherents and misguided skin bleachers that skin bleaching is not a terminal or deadly practice. However, health implications may arises, due to excessive de-pigmentation of the skin from the use of illegal cosmetic creams.  Today, the manifestation of skin bleaching/lightening in Jamaica predominates as a dancehall aesthetic; and re-defines the ideology of beauty and identity within the society. As such, bleaching ones skin is not directly related to self-hatred.

Skin bleachers have the right to freedom from discrimination and alienation on the grounds of COLOUR or “Superficial COLOUR”. Even Rastafarians demand their right to the use of marijuana for religious and sacred purposes. We should not try to hinder the rights of people to change the colour of their skin or identity, but rather correct perceived cultural abnormalities through awareness and education. I strongly agree with the Ministry of Heath to institute stricter enforcement of regulations aimed at clamping down on illegal skin-fading creams. Nonetheless, one must be mindful of and respect the rights of persons to legally lighten their skin colour surgically or by the use of authorized creams. 

Written by:

Dwayne Brown