Category Archives: Education

Non-Communicable Diseases: An economic AND education problem

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In this Jamaica Observer article, Jamaica’s Minister for Health & Wellness Hon. Dr Christopher Tufton advocates for more focus to be placed on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).

Dr Tufton cited the most recent Jamaica Health and Lifestyle Survey (JHLS III) revealed that one in three Jamaicans has hypertension, one in two is overweight or obese, and one in eight has diabetes.”

This statistic is likely the same for some, and perhaps all, other Caribbean countries.

The article goes on to state that “”The minister contended that this points to an NCD crisis and asserted that “as a matter of urgency, we must drive the NCD agenda forward… we must challenge systems and approaches that do not yield results and be willing to think outside the box”.”

The economic problem is real. The burden placed on healthcare, as well as expenses patients face to treat these preventable (in most cases) diseases is real, and utilizes scarce resources.

What if more of the Ministry’s resources, plus some from the Education Ministry, were used to develop and institute a better education programme to tackle all areas of health and wellness? Education should also include food manufacturers. I heard one CEO of a baking company refer to one of their new products as “healthy.” The nutrition data would prove that to be incorrect, given the amount of sugar it contains.

I harp on education because of my own experience. About 2 decades ago, I was very obese and decided to do something about it. A rigorous exercise programme and modification to my diet, led to a 38 pound weight loss in 8 months. At the time, I was very pleased with that result, but having better educated myself since 2016 about food and its effect on hormones and physiology, I realize I could have lost twice the amount of weight. The mistake was thinking that the big bowl of fruit and low fat yogurt, or oats I was eating for breakfast back then, was healthy. I repeat what I said in the previous paragraph: the nutrition data would prove that to be incorrect, given the amount of sugar it contains.

Steel cut oats with ripe banana and walnuts

So Minister Tufton, let’s have a rethink about an education programme, with a strong nutrition component, to tackle NCDs and get Jamaicans off their medications. And be sure to include educating our doctors and nurses. When I hear stories if some doctors giving their diabetic patients more insulin, rather than directing them to remove from their diet, what causes their glucose levels to rise, then I know that they need education too.

Implementing a sugar tax on companies who manufacture and/or sell unhealthy foods, is for another post.

Typical Jamaica

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In October 2005, I wrote this somewhere.

Jamaica is just so depressing. Everything about it. I am miserable everytime I come back here. 

Early November is when I leave again, and I am hoping that I don’t come back here for a long, long time. I’m going to take my Caricom Certificate of Recognition and roam, roam, roam. 

This island is doomed. I don’t know why anyone would choose to move back here.

Today I had to go to Duke Street to get a Police Certificate. A couple of incidents today made me feel not too different from that 2005 opinion. True, there are lots of great things about Jamaica, but there seems to be some things which have seeped into our DNA, that I don’t know how they will be exorcised.

Just opposite the Police place is a car park. Great. A man directed me to park. I got out and asked what do I pay, where and when. He said I pay after, and it is $100 to park, $50 for the first hour and then a tip for him. What??????????????????????????????????? Watch me and him when I come out. Continue reading →

Do you use these words incorrectly?

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Saw this article and thankfully, I don’t use these words incorrectly…..I think! Check it out and score yourself.

(End of old blog posts from Blogger) How Ziggy Marley Got Me Into Teaching

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I’m not a teacher in the traditional sense of the word. I don’t go to a school every day, write on the chalkboard or point my laser at the whiteboard. But I spend quite a bit of time showing people how to do things they didn’t know how to do before.

They say you must choose a job which is an extension of your true self. That’s teaching for me, and it sort of chose me. It was a circuitous route which started with Summer School and Ziggy Marley.

I can’t remember the year, but it was either 1978 or 1979. Patch can confirm. Mummy had this brilliant idea to send Sis and me to Patch’s prep school to help his Grade 6 teacher, Mrs Webb. We’d write lessons on the board, mark papers and so on. It was fun to write in red ink and put “wrong bangs” when they got things wrong!

Ziggy was in Patch’s class. He behaved like all the kids. No different. No “I’m Bob Marley’s son and really don’t need to be in school” behaviour.

One day, I’d given back the exercise books after a Math quiz. Ziggy said he didn’t understand something which he had got wrong. It was soon break time so I told him if he stayed behind, I would explain it to him. His seat was in the back of the class. After all the other kids had run off to eat and play, I went and sat with Ziggy. I can’t remember what the concept it was, but I took my time and explained it as best as I could.

You know they talk about the light bulb going off? It’s real. Once he understood it, and I made sure that he did, he burst into a smile with his slightly buck teeth and I saw the light bulb as he said “thanks”.

When it came to career choices, I never considered going to Mico or any other teacher’s colleges because teaching was just not something you did, unless you couldn’t get into university. Once I got into the hotel industry, my career path took a natural progression to training.

I’d worked closely with Linda on developing the training for a restaurant at the hotel which I had been assigned to manage after a refurb. All those classroom and practical sessions made me feel that that was where I belonged, so after 2 years managing the restaurant, I requested a transfer to be Linda’s assistant. I was happy doing that for a year, when the then GM insisted on moving me to boring HR. Although it was a promotion, I found it mundane and not a good use of my time. So I left, much to his surprise.

After working in operations on the other side of the Caribbean for four years, I decided that I didn’t want to reach age 60 and regret not having specialized in training and development. School in England came next and I’ve been able to concentrate mostly on training since 2003.

My most ideal job though would be teaching Primary School level in the 8 – 11 year old bracket. Imagine then my joy in 2010 when the Minister of Education asked for volunteers from the industry to go into schools and teach Tourism! I didn’t ask my boss IF I could do it. I told him 🙂

This is my third Grade 4 and it is the highlight of my week. I spend 40 minutes once per week doing anything I choose to, around the subject of Tourism. I had a class today and they are so inquisitive and expressive (and huggy too!). It’s not the same as teaching Math or English, but it’s teaching, and I love it!

As I have blogged before, I get that rock star feeling when the ones who I taught in the previous years mob me and demand hugs. And I have to thank a reggae star….and Mummy….for enabling me to have that feeling.

Fidelitas: A High School Reunion of Sorts

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That is the motto of the high school I went to…St Hugh’s High School for Girls.

This evening, the past students association had a concert in recognition of past principal Miss Marjorie Thomas. She was the onlly principal I had and when Galliwasp called to say they were having it, I immediately launced off into my encounter with her. She said that’s exactly what she wanted me to do…..go up and talk about Miss Thomas.

So I went, and my story was about how, at the end of lower sixth, she called me into her office and said very slowly and calmly that having looked on my report, she was recommending that I repeat lower sixth form. How my ears stung me that day! I said that first, to have been called into her office was frightening because I went through all of school without a demerit or detention.

I made the point this evening that Miss Thomas was very calm and ‘matter-of-fact’ about it and it made it more palatable.

Then I said I had the best of both worlds because I met some lovely people in the set coming up who I joined, and I still knew the girls ahead of me. It also taught me not to think that I can sail through life just so all the time. Sometimes it will catch up with you.

Karen Smith, a past student and very popular singer in Jamaica, entertained, so did another past student Joy Brown, and a guy Dwight Richards (not a past student unless he went to Kingston College!

So that was how I spent my evening. It was long, but it was great seeing people who were at school with me, once again.