Author name: Professor Canute Thompson

Effective leadership in every sphere requires the existence of trust.  A leader’s believability and the willingness of others to carry out instructions and act in the organization’s best interests, even in the absence of explicit situational instructions, are all dependent on trust between the leader and those he or she leads.  The ability of members […]

In 2022, teacher migration intensified in Jamaica.  In responding to the developments, the Caribbean Centre for Educational Planning (CCEP),conducted a series of interventions including staging seminars and carrying out field research to elicit the views of teachers.  The seminars engaged school administrators whose views on the causes, and proposals of the solutions including their management

Hurricane Beryl, the first hurricane of the 2024 Hurricane Season hit Jamaica on July 3, 2024. At the time of writing (August 7), it was approximately four weeks since the event.  The hurricane’s impact on the island was disproportionate with sections of parishes on the southern and southwestern sides (Clarendon, Manchester, St. Elizabeth, and Westmoreland)

Shopping for traditional schools (brand schools) such as Campion College, Westwood High School and the Wolmer’s Schools just to name a few is the norm for Jamaican parents, teachers and students. In years gone by, and possibly, to a lesser extent, passing examinations for a non-traditional high school would be synonymous to a major, even

The Government of Jamaica tabled the report of the Constitutional Reform Committee (CRC) and the accompanying Ministry Paper No 1/2024 of the Ministry of Legal and Constitutional Affairs. I asked myself the question, having read the report, “is this reform or just partisan realpolitik?”. Reform suggests that something noble, radical, visionary, audacious, selfless, game-changing is

Jamaica’s democracy faces some clear dangers which remain contemporary. Thought and industry leaders in the society (in academia, civil society groups, the church, and the private sector) who choose to ignore these risks become complicit to whatever costs the country incurs from such risks.  Even in circumstances in which such costs arise from cowardism (fear),

Education Transformation as Social Justice The transformation of Jamaica’s education system is a goal we should all embrace and a journey, which though will be long, is one which we must pursue.  Perhaps the most important reason such a journey should be undertaken is that justice demands it.  Educational transformation is an act of social

It is deemed normal for supporters of political parties to support what is done by leaders of their parties, regardless of how problematic and demonstrably unethical or unlawful such conduct may be.  Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in the United States of America where the twice-impeached ex-President, Donald Trump, now on criminal trial

In September 2023, the Government of Jamaica made an unprecedentedly hurried amendment to the Constitution, completing the tabling and passing of the Bill in a single sitting in the Lower House. Within another three days (that same week) the Bill was passed in the Upper House, and two days later it was signed into law

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: Is Jamaica’s democracy at risk? Lloyd Smith, a 40-year veteran in the field of journalism, a former Member of Parliament and Deputy Speaker of the House