Publications and Tweets

Articles

Reimagining Jamaica’s Democracy: Republic Status, People Participation, and the Role of Parliament

Professor Canute Thompson Recent events in Jamaica have ignited reflection on how our democracy is functioning and what changes we may wish to consider in seeking to strengthen it.  These events include: The naming of a Constitutional Reform Committee in 2023 and discussions surrounding this, chief of which is the...
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What makes a good teacher, great? Graphing Your Greatness

Amorkard T. Brown Greatness is defined by doing, impacting and serving exceedingly above the ordinary. This construct must therefore be seen through the lens of a spectrum; identifying the least to the most or rather the ordinary to the extraordinary. In the realm of education, the impact of a teacher...
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Madam  Speaker, The Reports, and her Parliament

Matondo K. Mukulu It is correct that those members of parliament from the People’s National Party (PNP) who were present in Jamaica’s House of Representatives on the occasion of Mrs Juliet Holness’ selection to be the Speaker of the House should have objected to the wife of the Prime Minister...
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JAMAICA AFTER THE KARTEL DECISION

Matondo K. Mukulu Introduction In the last thirty years it is hard to find a criminal case that has captured the interest of the Jamaican populace in the manner that the Vybz Kartel case has. The fact that the trial started off, just when the term social media was gaining...
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Reimagining performance of public officials: Examining the notion of BRIGHTNESS

Professor Canute Thompson Neo-colonial vestige There is a neo-colonial vestige in Jamaica which is rooted in the country’s education and wider social system, which assigns the labels of bright and dunce to people, especially children.  The assigned label often remains with the child / person for a long time (in...
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Jamaican Journalists and Political Analysts: Objectivity, Bias, and the Myth of Neutrality

Professor Canute Thompson There has been a debate, over several years, in Jamaica as to whether it is an appropriate act of professionalism and ethical duty for journalists and political analysts to declare their political allegiance.  There are several factors driving the debate, among them are: That some journalists and...
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Making sense of the results of Jamaica’s 17th Local Government Elections: A perspective on the data and the drama

Professor Canute Thompson The overall results At the time of writing (11:30 a.m. on the morning after the polls), the results of the polls in Jamaica’s 17th Local Government Elections were not finalised but the current position showed that the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) had won 95 of the...
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Towards a more visible and vocal university

Professor Canute Thompson One of the issues I have been discussing over the last seven (or so) years, is what I regard as the unfortunate relative absence of academics from the public square and contests of ideas in Jamaica.  I have argued that the heyday of public intellectual battles among...
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Best Until-The Shelf Life of a Teacher

Amorkard T. Brown The  term ‘shelf life’ is often used to describe commercial goods produced  for consumption; generally referring to the time you can expect to have the best use of  the product or in other words,  best consumed before this date. We can all imagine a supermarket selling expired...
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Teacher Leadership Project (TLP): Policy Imperatives for Jamaica’s Education System

Amorkard T. Brown If at all there is a time to take a lead approach in remedying the challenges we face as educators, the time is now. I believe, taking an optimistic approach to the prescriptions written for Jamaica’s education system that things will get better soon may see the...
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“Wheel an’ Come Again!” – or Full STE(A)M ahead?

US$133 million has been allocated in the Jamaican education system for the construction of 6 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) schools and 1 Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) academy focusing on the Arts.  Each of the three counties (Cornwall, Middlesex, Surrey) is to have 2 of these...
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Jamaica’s loss of moral leadership: Whither new pathways (Part 2)

Professor Canute Thompson Leadership has many dimensions and components, but if I were to boil down the roles and functions of leadership to their most fundamental, I would suggest that there are two duties at the core, namely: (a) To discern, interpret, and articulate, the challenges and opportunities facing the...
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Making Parents’ Month more meaningful: Celebration or Call to Action?

Since the year 2000, the Ministry of Education and Youth (MoEY) and its partners have designated November as Parent Month in Jamaica. The purpose of this prestigious month is to honour the parents who have significantly supported their children throughout their educational journey and to strengthen the relationship between families...
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Jamaica’s loss of moral leadership: Whither new pathways (Part 1)

Professor Canute Thompson Jamaica as a nation state, has, in my opinion, been fast losing its moral leadership position.  While there may have been differences of opinion on this issue in recent years, there has been, within the last year, at least, a growing level of consciousness that this is...
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An open letter to the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica

Professor Canute Thompson Mr. Metry Seaga President PSOJ (cc: Former Presidents: John Mahfood, Howard Mitchell, and Keith Duncan). According to your self-statement, the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), established in 1976, is a national organization of private associations, which seeks to influence national policy in political, social, and economic...
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Whither a Jamaican “dynasty”

Professor Canute Thompson Jamaica is in a unique situation, roughly analogous to a dynasty, given that two members of one household, head two co-equal and separate branches of Government.  These are the Prime Minister and his wife as Speaker of the House. While this development is neither unlawful nor unconstitutional,...
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Racism in Jamaica

Professor Canute Thompson My interest in examining the question of racism in Jamaica is triggered by the public response to the depiction of oppression, using the symbol of chains, and the removal of those chains, which occurred at a recent political meeting of the People’s National Party (PNP).  Given that...
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My case for trustable leadership and thus my case against Prime Minister Andrew Holness

Professor Canute Thompson The United States of America has entered an unprecedented era of lawbreaking by holders of public office and the normalization of wrongdoing. As such, there is little shock and surprise that a former president has the unenviable record of having been twice impeached and indicted four times. ...
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Richard Byles is no fool

Professor Canute Thompson A week ago, Governor of the Bank of Jamaica (BoJ), Richard Byles, said that Private Sector companies should be mindful of the inflationary impact of wage settlements.  His comments brought widespread public ire and rebuke. Richard Byles, Governor, Bank of Jamaica In a piece entitled An open...
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AN OPEN LETTER TO RICHARD BYLES – GOVERNOR OF THE BANK OF JAMAICA

Professor Canute Thompson Dear Mr. Byles: I am shocked and almost angry at your most recent comments cautioning businesses against excessive pay rises for employees as the country continues to grapple with inflation concerns. You made these comments on or about August 21, 2023. Mr Richard Byles, Governor of the...
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OTHER PUBLICATIONS

  • Thompson, C. S. (2020). Theories and applications of transformational school

leadership: Lessons from the experiences of two school leaders in Jamaica. Journal of Thought, Vol. 54 (3 & 4), 55 – 72. Available at http://journalofthought.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/08thompson.pdf

  • Thompson, C.S., & Samuels-Lee, L. (2020a). Jamaican teachers’ perspectives on the

desirability of performance-based payment: Lessons for education policy makers and school administrators. Educational Planning Journal, Vol. 27 (2), 63 – 84. Available at https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1252700

  •  Thompson, C. S., & Samuels-Lee, L. (2020b). Planning employee

empowerment: Lessons from the perspectives of Jamaican teachers. Educational Planning Journal, Vol. 27 (4), 45 – 64. Available at https://isep.info/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/ISEPVol27.Issue4_.pdf

  • Cook, L., Thompson, C.S., &Weaver, S. Weaver, L. (2020). Mixed Methods

Research: Exploring its complexities and challenges. Caribbean Journal of Mixed Methods, Vol. 1 (01), 167 – 190.

Available at https://dhjhkxawhe8q4.cloudfront.net/uwi-press-wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/14144910/CJMMR.pdf.

  • Thompson, C. S. (2019a). School administrators’ and stakeholders’ attitudes toward, and

perspectives on, school-improvement planning. Educational Planning Journal, Vol. 25 (4), 7 – 26. Available at http://isep.info/volume-25-issue-4

  • Thompson, C. S. (2019b). Exploring teachers’ perspectives on effective organizational

change strategies. Educational Planning Journal, Vol. 26 (2), 15 – 28.

Available at https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1217437

  • Thompson, C.S., Burgess, S. & Major, T. (2019). Towards a philosophy of education for

the Caribbean: Exploring African models of integrating theory and praxis. Journal of Thought, Vol. 53 (1 & 2), 53 – 72.

Available at http://journalofthought.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/08thompsonetal1.pdf

  • Thompson, C. S. (2018a). Leadership behaviours that nurture organizational trust:

                              Re-Examining the fundamentals.  Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol.                                      21 (1),   28 – 42.

Available at                              

http://www.jhrm.eu/2018/04/28-leadership-behaviours-that-nurture-                                                  organizational-trust-       re-examining-the-fundamentals/

  • Thompson, C.S. (2018b). Planning for improvements in boys’ academic performance: Towards a better understanding of the role of teacher-student relationship.                Educational Planning Journal, Vol. 24 (4), 59 – 76.            

Available at:       http://isep.info/wpcontent/uploads/2018/01/24_4_4_PlanningforImprovementsinBoys.pdf

  • Thompson, C.S. (2018c). Preparing Caribbean teachers for the 21st century:  Whither the place of ethics.  Journal of Teacher Education and Educational Leadership, Vol. (2), 1 – 17.
  •  Thompson, C.S. (2018d). The construct of ‘respect’ in teacher-student

relationship: Exploring dimensions of ethics of care and sustainable development. Journal of Leadership Education, Vol. 17 (3), 42 – 60. Available at http://www.journalofleadershiped.org/attachments/article/551/2017_0726Thompson.pdf

  •  Thompson, C. S. (2017a). An exploration of faculty involvement in and attitudes toward strategic planning in their institutions. Educational Planning Journal, Vol. 24 (1), 7 – 19. Available at  http://isep.info/volume-24-issue-1
  • Thompson, C. S. (2017c). Teachers’ expectations of educational leaders’

leadership approach and perspectives on the principalship: Identifying critical leadership paradigms for the 21st century. Journal of Organizational & Educational LeadershipVol. 2 (2). Available at http://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/joel/vol2/iss2/4/

  •  Thompson, C. S., Burke, T., King, K., & Wong, S. (2017). Leadership strategies

for turning around under-performing schools: Lessons from two Jamaican schools. Journal of Education and Development in the Caribbean, Vol. 16 (2), 42 – 77. Available at https://www.mona.uwi.edu/soe/publications/jedic/article/454

Thompson, C. S. (2017b). Review of Leadership for success: The Jamaican school experience, by Disraeli Hutton and Beverly Johnson. Caribbean Journal of Education 39, (1 & 2), 150 – 153. Available at https://www.mona.uwi.edu/soe/publications/cje/article/456

NEWSPAPER COLUMNS

Retrieved from

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/the-agenda-front-page/time-for-more-action-the-future-of-education-and-the-fierce-urgency-of-the-now_205517

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

———. (2018, July 29). The academic as social activist: An endangered species? Jamaica Observer. Retrieved from  http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/the-agenda/the-academic-as-social-activist-An_endangered_species%3F_139806

  • Thompson, C. S. (2020, December 8). The PNP’s challenge. Jamaica Observer.

Retrieved from

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/opinion/the-pnp-s-challenge-the-pnp-s-challenge-overcoming-its-existential-crises-or-death-wish_209425

 

  • (2020, November 20). If Golding is to make a mark. Jamaica Observer.

Retrieved from https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/opinion/if-golding-is-to-make-a-mark_207667

 

  • (2020, October 11). Developing our nation: Preserving our democracy.

Jamaica Observer. Retrieved from https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/the-agenda/developing-our-nation-preserving-our-democracy_204740

 

  • (2020, October 1). If Lisa and Mark are to inspire. Jamaica Observer.

Retrieved from https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/opinion/if-lisa-and-mark-are-to-inspire-_204241

 

  • (2020, September 16). The 2020 General Election and the future of the PNP.

Jamaica Observer. Retrieved from  https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/opinion/the-2020-general-election-and-the-future-of-the-pnp_202658

 

  • (2020, September 1). Promises versus Performance – Part 2, The Holness

Administration 2016 – 2020. Jamaica Observer. Retrieved from

https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/opinion/promises-vs-performance-part-2-the-andrew-holness-administration-2016-to-2020_201901

 

  • (2020, August 25). Promises versus Performance. Jamaica Observer. Retrieved

from https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/opinion/promises-vs-performance-the-andrew-holness-administration-2016-to-2020_201647

 

  • (2020, August 4). Highly popular…OK then. Jamaica Observer. Retrieved from

 https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/opinion/highly-popular-ok-then_200025

 

  • __________. (2020, March 8). Truth and political bias. Jamaica Gleaner. Retrieved from

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/focus/20200308/canute-thompson-truth-and-political-bias

 

  • (2020, January 1). Appraising Chris Tufton’s performance. Jamaica Gleaner.

Retrieved from http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/commentary/20200101/canute-s-thompson-appraising-chris-tuftons-performance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

———. (2016, October 9). Processes vs politics in public administration. Jamaica Observer. Retrieved from http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Processes-vs-politics-in-public-administration_76461

 

 

 

———. (2016, October 15). Acknowledging inconvenient truths about crime in Jamaica. Jamaica Observer. Retrieved from http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Acknowledging-inconvenient-truths-about-crime-in-Jamaica_76462

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

———. (2016, November 12). Coping in a post-fact world: the irony of the ‘information’ age. Jamaica Observer. Retrieved from http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/Coping-in-a-post-fact-world–the-irony-of-the–information–age_80177

PAPERS PRESENTED

  1. (2020) Expert Panelist: “UNESCO Webinar on Education Response during COVID-19”. May 7.
  2. (2020)       Response to Paper: “A Utility Account of Liberal Education by Jane Gatley”. Philosophy of Education Society. Pittsburgh, Penn. March 6 – 9 
  3. (2019) Paper Presentation: “School Administrators Perceptions of Strategic Planning: Locating Concerns about Efficacy”. Caribbean Centre for Educational Planning Symposium, Jamaica. October 24-25 
  4. (2019) Panel Discussion: “Youth in Motion: Building Young People’s Future in Small Island Developing States”. UNESCO Conference on Advocating for Small Island Developing States. Kingston, Jamaica. September 11. 
  5. (2019) Paper Presentation: “Personal Professional Responsibilities and Values Issues” at UNESCO’s Global Webinar on Developing Leadership: Sustainable Employability, Productivity, and Governance in the New Workforce. April 24. 
  6. (2019)       Panel Presentation: “Re-Imagining the Task of Philosophy: Defending Philosophy of Education as   Praxis”. Philosophy of Education Society. Richmond, Virginia, March 14 – 18. 
  7. (2019) Panel Presentation: “The Vitality of Educational Planning”. Institute for Educational Administration and Leadership, Jamaica. Kingston, March 6 – 7. 
  8. (2017)       Paper Presentation: “Exploring easily forgotten elements of sustainable development in Early Childhood Education”. Early Childhood Development Conference. Montego Bay. Nov. 26 & 27. 
  9. (2017) Paper Presentation: “Planning for Improved Students’ Performance-Epistemology, Pedagogy, and Teacher Preparation: Exploring Experiences of Students in Jamaican School.  International Society for Educational Planning. Toronto. October 11 – 14. 
  10. (2017) Paper Presentation: “Postmodern Epistemology: Exploring Insights for Improving the Pedagogical Experiences of Students in Jamaican Schools”. Schools of Education Biennial Conference. Montego Bay, June 21. 
  11. (2017) Paper Presentation: “Students’ Perspectives on Listening and its Relationship to their Perceptions of Leadership:  Exploring Dimensions of Ethics of Care and Sustainable Development”. Schools of Education Biennial Conference. Montego Bay, June 22.
  12. (2017)       Paper Presentation: “Leadership Strategies for turning around Underperforming Schools: The Experience of two Jamaican Schools. Institute for Educational Administration and Leadership.  Kingston, March 3.  
  13. (2017) Paper Presentation: “Performance-based pay for Jamaican Teachers. Institute for Educational Administration and Leadership – Jamaica. Kingston, March 3 – 4.  
  14. (2016) Paper Presentation: “An Exploration of faculty involvement in and attitudes towards, strategic planning in their institutions”. International Society for Educational Planning. New Orleans, October 18 – 22.
  15. (2015). Paper Presentation: “Locating the Epicentre of Effective Educational Leadership in the 21st Century”. Institute for Educational Administration and Leadership. Montego Bay, Jamaica, August 20 – 21. 
  16. (2015). Paper Presentation: “Fundamental Requirements for Mainstreaming TVET in the Education System: Finding the Path to Consensus and Collaborative Relationships”:  School of Education and UNESCO, Second International Conference on TVET in the Caribbean. Montego Bay, Jamaica, May 13 – 15. 
  1. (2019) Keynote Address: “Leadership Re-Imagination and Governance: Imperatives for the Advancement of a Transformative Education System”. MICO Old Students’ Annual Glen Owen Memorial Lecture. Kingston, Jamaica. April 11. 
  2. (2019) Keynote Address: “Re-Imagining Higher Education in a Borderless World: Confronting Challenges, Overcoming Obstacles, and Owning Opportunities”. Schools of Education Biennial Conference 2019Keynote Presentation. Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. February 19 – 21. 
  3. (2018) Concurrent Session Presentation: “Reimagining Critical Pedagogy and the Task of Philosophy: Defending Philosophy of Education as Praxis”. Philosophy of Education Society of North America. October 26 – 28.  
  4. (2015). Feature Presentation: “Managing Change in Times of Uncertainty”. Commercial Banking Division, Bank of Nova Scotia, Jamaica. November 13. 
  5. (2014) Feature Presentation: “Learning Challenges facing Leaders in the 21st Century” Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica (HRMAJ 34). November 20. 
  6. (2013). Feature Presentation: “Economies of Scale and Scope: The Formation of Industry Alliances as a Strategy for Export Competitiveness”. Caribbean Export Development Agency, 5th Management Consulting Business Symposium. Port of Spain, Trinidad. September 10 – 12.
  7. (2009). Guest Lecture: “Students’ Perceptions and Expectations of Leadership in a Postmodern Era”. University of Manitoba, Canada. March 16. 
  8. (2009) Guest Lecture: “Challenges Facing Small and Medium Sized Enterprises”. University of Manitoba, Canada. March 17. 
  9. (2009). Guest Lecture: “Strategies for Community Capacity Building”. University of Manitoba, Canada. March 18. 
  1. (2015). Workshop Session: “Towards a New Leadership Culture in the Jamaica Library Service”.  Jamaica Library Service. Kingston, December 3.  
  2. (2015). Workshop Session: “Creating a Culture Governed by Shared Core Values and a Commitment to Excellence”.  Ministry of National Security. May 5.
  3. (2015). Workshop Session: “Strategic Leadership and Management”. The University of the West Indies, Strategic Leadership and Management Workshop Series. March 11. 

#

YEAR

CONSULTANCY

ROLE and COUNTRY

FORMAT / TITLE OF TECHNICAL REPORT / OUTPUT

1

2019

OECS School Leadership and Accountability Project

Deputy Lead Consultant

 

Dominica and St. Lucia

Stewart, M., Thompson, C., Smith, M., Moore, S., & Edwards-Kerr, D. (2019). Educational Leadership and Accountability among Primary School Principals and Educational Leaders in Dominica, St. Lucia, Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Castries, St. Lucia: Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

 

2

2019

Training of School Leaders in the development of School Improvement Plans

Sole Consultant

 

Antigua

Training Manual

     Strategic plans (12)

3

2017 to 2020

Facilitating the development of School Improvement Plans

Lead Consultant

 

Jamaica

Strategic Plans (4)

4

2016

Review of Inter-American Development Bank Education Sector Transformation Programme Report

Consultant

 

Jamaica

Report on the Facilitation of Stakeholder Review Consultation on IDB ESTP Report

5

2015

Development of Moneague College’s Strategic Plan

Jamaica

Strategic Plan for 2015 to 2020

6

2014

Negotiation of grant of £25M from UK Gov to the Government of Jamaica

Jamaica

Report on UK-Jamaica proposed Memorandum of Understanding for the Reform of Jamaica’s Correctional Estate

7

2014

Merger of the Jamaica Constabulary Force and the Island Special Constabulary Force

Lead Consultant

 

Jamaica

Report on Process for the Merger of the Island Special Constabulary Force and the Jamaica Constabulary Force

8

2010 – 2012

Management Reviews of the operations of seven Teachers’ and Community Colleges

(Seven separate reports)

Sole Consultant

 

Jamaica

Management Reviews of the_____(name institutions) College

 

(Brown’s Town, Edna Manley, G.C. Foster, Knox, Moneague, Montego Bay, Shortwood)