Jamaica, the land of wood and water. For many around the world, Jamaica is seen as one of the greatest tourist attractions being that it’s the home to legends – such as Bob Marley and Usain Bolt – but also “ganja” or marijuana. However, there is so much more to the island that many don’t know about. I was born in Jamaica and migrated to the United States at a young age. I had the opportunity of moving back in 2012 with my family. During my time on the island, I had the opportunity of attending high school – though, it’s important to understand that the structure of high school in Jamaica is different from the structure in the U.S. While high school starts in 9th grade here, high school in Jamaica starts in 7th grade. So, when I moved back in 2012, I was in my first year of high school. I had the opportunity of attending both public and private institutions. My experiences were different for both.
High schools in Jamaica are very traditional and are heavily influenced by the British colonial power that ruled the island up until 1962. Due to this, school uniform is an important practice of school’s all around the island – as well as their identity. Girls are required to wear skirts or tunic-dresses in all traditional high schools. At the first public school I went to, Westwood High School, my tunic dress had to be three to five inches below my knees. Along with this, I had to wear navy blue socks that had to be properly folded and could not – by any means – be ankle-length. I was required to pair these with black, freshly polished crepe-shoes. To top it off, I had to wear a mandatory straw hat with my uniform that could only be taken off in the classrooms. Our hair had to always be in a ponytail or a bun because it wasn’t allowed to fall on our shoulders or block our face. If you were to be seen on the road without your hat or on the road after 6:00 pm still in your uniform, you ran the risk of being seen and reported to the high school’s board by a current faculty member or alumni of the high school.
When I switched to private high school, The Heinz Simonitsch School, it was one of the best experiences I could ever have. For starters, my school was connected to the well-known Jamaican hotel, Half Moon, in the parish of St. James. While we didn’t have direct access to the hotel, I was able to see a lot of tourists on my commute to and from school. In regard to uniform, I was still required to wear a skirt with a white collared top and a pair of navy-blue socks with black crepe-shoes. However, there was not as heavy emphasis or restriction on the fitting of your uniform. They would tell you if your skirt was too short or too tight or tell the boys their clothes were not properly pressed, but I rarely saw this happen.
When it came to academics, I believe that Jamaica is more advanced in high school curriculum. In 9th grade, I took 10 classes/subjects at one time: English, English Literature, Spanish, History, Social Studies, Current Affairs, Human Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Physical Education. While it was challenging, it was doable with a realistic study schedule. In Jamaica, they followed the British education system. Due to this, they follow the British spelling of words and sentence structuring. At first, this was confusing to me because I was already familiar with the U.S. spelling of words that it almost felt like learning a new language. Over time, I was able to get a hang of it.
What I love about Jamaica is that their motto is “out of many, one people.” What this means is that despite the various races and ethnicities that exist in Jamaica, at the end of the day we always identify as one people – Jamaicans. In my class, there was a mix of individuals from all around the world who always identify as Jamaican. I had people in my class whose family was from Australia, Denmark, England, India, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Colombia, Lebanon, and way more. They always classified as Jamaicans – because that’s where they grew up and what they know or where they were currently living. Due to this, I realized the issue of racism that exists in America was barely an issue in Jamaica. If anything, classism was more of the issue that indirectly divides the island.
I can confidently say that moving back to Jamaica and attending high school was one of the greatest highlights in my life. The experience enabled me to open my mind, think on a higher level, and grow me into a more compassionate person. I’m more comfortable going back to Jamaica because of my experience, and it feels more like my proper home.
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