
To tackle the growing disparity in educational outcomes between genders in the Caribbean, experts are advocating for specialized mentorship for boys, more inclusive teaching strategies, and robust training in skills and entrepreneurship. They also emphasize the necessity of strengthening partnerships between schools and families, as boys are currently more than twice as likely as girls to repeat grades or drop out from primary and secondary education.
Boys throughout the region face unique hurdles at every educational level. Data from UNESCO reveals that for every 100 men enrolled in tertiary institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean, there are 124 women, in stark contrast to the global average of 113 women for every 100 men.
This pressing concern was brought to light during the keynote address titled “Education for All: Creating Inclusive, Gender-responsive and Learner-centred Systems in Education” at the Regional Symposium and Policy Dialogue on Transforming Education, which took place in the Cayman Islands from October 2-4, 2024. The event brought together over 150 education officials from the region, including Dominica’s Alice Dalrymple, Kalinago Development Officer, as well Minister for Education, Human Resource Planning, Vocational Training and Nation Excellence, Octavia Alfred, who was a featured speaker.
Experts on the panel pinpointed various obstacles leading to boys’ educational disengagement, including outdated teaching methodologies, a scarcity of male educators and mentors, and societal pressures mandating that young males assume breadwinner roles at an early age, often due to absent fathers.
Dr. Verna Knight, who coordinates the B.Ed Program and the Eastern Caribbean Joint Board of Teacher Education at The University of the West Indies Cave Hill, shared vital insights on fostering inclusive, gender-sensitive education. She stressed that merely providing access to education is insufficient for ensuring academic success.
“In today’s 21st-century educational era, we have learned that educational access cannot be assumed to mean educational success for every child. In many classrooms across developing countries, one-third of our students are known to be physically present but disengaged from learning. They are in school but achieving no greater academic success than the child who is out of school,” remarked Dr Knight.
Mr. Lanre Chin, the Mentorship Officer at the Jamaica Teaching Council (JTC), using the country as an example, highlighted Jamaica’s experience, noting that despite around 20% of the national budget being allocated to education, boys’ disengagement has led to troubling incarceration rates.
“Instead of solely focusing on academic performance, the system can pivot towards more practical skills. We are in an environment with several needs. The system should be creating entrepreneurs, not workers, so the mindset of the boys needs to be shifted. This is why they’re not being engaged,” Mr. Chin said.
To foster greater engagement among boys and aid in the development of practical skills, the JTC has initiated strategies such as establishing mentorship networks, targeted skills training, extracurricular activities, and income-generating opportunities.
The panel of specialists also proposed enhanced support systems across early childhood, primary, and secondary education. Key suggestions included universal evaluations at critical entry points to swiftly identify learning needs, providing educators with ongoing data from assessments to tailor in-class support, and fostering strong alliances between schools and families to promote learning beyond the classroom.
Additional recommendations called for public campaigns to encourage active parental involvement, compulsory mentorship programs for new educators, continuous professional development for teachers to respond to diverse student needs, and the collection of national data to monitor educational trends, enabling policymakers to enact well-informed reforms.
The Regional Symposium and Policy Dialogue on Transforming Education convened experts and policymakers to collaboratively envision the future of Caribbean education and devise actionable strategies for achieving sustainable, gender-sensitive, and learner-centered educational reform. This event was organized in concert with the Caribbean Development Bank, in collaboration with the CARICOM Secretariat, OECS Commission, The University of the West Indies, and the Ministry of Education in the Cayman Islands.
This effort is great. However, it is not very productive unless you introduce African Studies, African history into our boys carriculum. Do a quick survey and asses your students, I’m sure you’ll find that all your students with India ancestry have Indian names, far away in TnT away from India and they know Indian history, culture and religion, so do your Chinese students have Chinese names and know their history, your Arabs are Muslim, your white Jews all have Jewish names and must know their history from age 9.
You should not rest with your male students of African ancestry only knowing European history & culture. The Chinese do not mess around, they are even providing your boys with a “Confucius classroom” at your college so that you too know their history and culture. You can’t make strides, you’ll forever be poor and broke unless you make big changes to that narrative, no matter who’s trying to access your Boys and their agenda,..yes agenda. Do not just be a follower with a job, think big! we are counting on you.
this is not merely an educational issue. This is a societal issue. as you mentioned the lack of father figures at home, prompting a weaker less educationally interested male student population. we need to look at promoting marriages before giving birth. the family is the basic unit of society, and unless we can ensure that this unit is wholesome, then we cannot expect society to progress normally, nor can we expect positive educational outcomes from male students from broken families. Marriage should be promoted, monogamy should also be promoted. finally, in broken homes, regular home visits from the dad should be encouraged. Fathers are very important for the stability of the family, and for students to achieve positive outcomes in their educational careers.
Just don’t include education on abortion and LGBTQixy even though the U.S Democratic party ideas finance your efforts somewhat, through israAid and other U.N programs backed by Europeans.
Hello
I am a teacher of 23 years in the UK, and have been Pastoral Achievement Leader (Head of Year) for 10 years, currently responsible for a cohort of 296 students. I did myself attend DGS for a short period and graduated in 1985. Engagement in the classroom is important and how lessons are delivered is essential in how it is received by students, as there is no onesize fits all, differentition and adaptation of lessons can ensure engagement so all students learn no matter their ability. I found the following statement important: “……. enhanced support systems across early childhood, primary, and secondary education. Key suggestions included universal evaluations at critical entry points to swiftly identify learning needs, providing educators with ongoing data from assessments to tailor in-class support, and fostering strong alliances between schools and families to promote learning beyond the classroom”.
I would like to offer any help / support in this initiative.
Regards
Actually happy to see a story like this. Alot of programs are being targetted towards girls and while I have no issue with that. We tend to forget the boys being left on the blocks and the sideways. So good to see boys being targetted instead of girls only being pushed
Two questions need to be answered; when did males began performing below expectations and what changes occurred in the education system about that time? Wasn’t it the experts who decided that girls were not doing well in the math and sciences, and went about making changes that did not take into consideration that boys and girls learn differently?
You are right.
100% correct.