Author name: Dervin Cochrane 

Editor’s note: The following is the final of a three-part article. Parts 1. and 2 were published on July 3 and 12, 2025, respectively. This series presents a response to a Gleaner article which was published on June 1, 2025. In the previous two parts of this article series; we have seen that; with an […]

Editor’s note: The following is part two of a three-part article. Part 2 was published on July 3, 2025. This series presents a response to a Gleaner article which was published on June 1, 2025. In Part 1 of this series it was noted that, the Jamaica school system is severely strained with an estimated

It is not a debate that a policy that supports the advancement of education and youth development ought to be supported and strengthened in the realm of good governance and transparency.  For too long, rural Jamaican students have been left stranded, literally. In remote communities across Westmoreland, St. Elizabeth, Clarendon, and Portland among other parishes, children

Editor’s note: The following is part one of a three-part article. This series presents a response to a Gleaner article which was published on June 1, 2025. The Jamaican educational system has been in a crisis for many years. Lately, this crisis has gotten worse. I was deeply disturbed by a Gleaner article titled: ‘Left behind:

In Part 1, we explored the “R” in R.E.P. — Restore Integrity — by arguing that Members of Parliament (MPs) must return to their constitutional function as lawmakers and representatives, not local welfare officers. This second step in the civic reset takes us to the “E” in his or her duty as a “REP”: Empower Local Government. If

In an era where global educational discourses are increasingly shaped by issues of equity, justice, and inclusion, culturally responsive leadership emerges not as an idealistic vision, but as a practical necessity. For schools in the Caribbean, especially Jamaica, where histories of colonialism, structural inequities, and cultural hybridity persist, education cannot afford to be culturally neutral. Leadership that

On May 3, 2025, the Jamaican Parliament triumphantly passed a long-anticipated Green Paper outlining the job description and code of conduct for Members of Parliament (MPs). This milestone was positioned as a move toward greater accountability, but beneath the surface of this fanfare moment lurks a sinister truth: it formalises confusion, obfuscation, and law-breaking rather than

The President of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) is certainly not a person whose views can be easily ignored. After all he does represent an important grouping in our body politic. Therefore knowing that he appreciates the weight of his opinion in our society, I was startled to read where in endorsing the announcement

Just when I thought I had heard it all in the contemporary debate on the matter of Jamaica abolishing appeals to the London based Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) I was thrown another shiny object by the Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs at a meeting held at the official residence of Jamaica’s

In a world of growing complexity, it is time to professionalise political leadership. This article proposes that candidates for elected office in Jamaica should first obtain a Licence to Practise – demonstrating competence in law, economics, governance, communication, and ethics. Based on global evidence, this approach would strengthen public trust, enhance the quality of governance,