Dennis Blake | Jamaica is losing its classrooms — and we are all to blame

Jamaica is facing a crisis that can no longer be softened with polite language or buried beneath statistics. Violence has moved from the streets into our classrooms, and, in some cases, our schools now mirror the very communities they were meant to transform. The question is no longer whether we have a problem – it is whether we have the courage to confront it honestly.

For too long, we have treated school violence as isolated incidents instead of symptoms of a deeper national failure. Every fight, every act of aggression, every teacher who feels unsafe, sends a clear signal: something is fundamentally broken in the system meant to shape our future citizens.

Let us be clear, metal detectors alone will not save our schools. Suspensions alone will not fix behaviour. And pretending that discipline is outdated will only accelerate the collapse.

THE HARD TRUTH WE AVOID

We have quietly removed accountability from the equation. Discipline has become a controversial word. Teachers are expected to manage increasingly complex behavioural issues without protection, without adequate support, and often without the authority to enforce order.

At the same time, parents – not all, but enough to matter – are either overwhelmed, absent, or defensive when schools attempt to correct their children. The result is a dangerous vacuum where guidance and structure should exist.

Where Are Our Icons?

Jamaica is not short of heroes. From Olympic champions to global entertainers, we produce some of the most influential figures in the world. Yet their presence is largely absent where it matters most – inside our schools.

Imagine if even a fraction of our elite athletes and public figures committed to structured mentorship programmes. Not photo opportunities. Not one-off visits. But real, consistent engagement.

Young people listen to those they admire. If we want to change behaviour, we must change influence.

A NATIONAL MENTORSHIP MOVEMENT

It is time to formalise what should have been a national priority decades ago:

A Big Brother/Big Sister framework embedded in every school

Past students returning, not just to donate, but to mentor

Peer mediation programmes that empower students to resolve conflict

Community-based role models who are consistently present, not occasionally visible

We cannot outsource character development and then complain when it fails.

PROTECT THE TEACHERS — OR LOSE THEM

Teachers are the backbone of the education system, yet many now operate in fear. This is unacceptable.

We must:

Provide clear legal and institutional protection

Increase trained security presence where necessary

Ensure swift consequences for violence against educators.

If teachers feel unsafe, learning becomes secondary – and, when learning suffers, society pays the price.

Guidance Counselling Is Not Optional

We cannot discipline trauma out of children.

Many students carry emotional burdens from unstable homes, economic hardship, and community violence. Without sufficient trained guidance counsellors, these issues go unaddressed – until they explode.

Expanding counselling services is not a luxury. It is a necessity for national stability.

Reward What Works – Not Just Punish What Fails

We are quick to highlight failing schools, yet slow to celebrate those that are doing it right.

Why not:

Publicly recognise and reward violence-free schools

Create platforms for successful schools to share effective strategies

Encourage collaboration instead of quiet competition

Success leaves clues – but only if we choose to follow them.

Parents: The Missing Link

Here is the uncomfortable truth: schools cannot raise children alone.

Respect, discipline, and accountability must begin at home. We must stop treating correction as oppression and start recognising it as preparation for life.

A society that refuses to discipline its children will eventually be ruled by their indiscipline.

THE NATIONAL RECKONING

Jamaica stands at a crossroads. We can continue reacting – issuing statements, holding meetings, and implementing short-term fixes – or we can confront the deeper cultural issues driving this crisis.

This is not just an education problem. It is a national identity problem.

Who are we raising? What values are we reinforcing? And, what future are we building?

Until we answer those questions honestly – and act with urgency – the violence will not only remain in our schools, it will graduate.

If this article makes you uncomfortable, it should. Because the solution will require all of us – educators, parents, leaders, and, yes, our national icons – to do more than talk.

It will require us to change.

Dennis Blake is a two-time Olympian, bronze medallist, leadership development coach and the co-founder of The Mentoring Thru Sports Professionals. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com