Jamaica’s PEP Progress: One-One Cocoa, but No Full Basket as Yet

Let’s face it: when it comes to education in Jamaica, good news can feel as rare as a pay raise that actually keeps up with supermarket prices.

So when the Ministry of Education announces that we’re on course to meet the 85 percent National Minimum Proficiency Target for PEP by 2030, we have to pause and say, wait deh now, is hope mi smell inna di air?

According to Minister Dr Dana Morris Dixon, the numbers are rising. Not fast enough fi mash up dance, but enough fi buss a likkle skank in the school hallway. Math, once the national academic boogeyman, is finally showing signs of improvement.

In Grade 4, over 25 percent of students were floundering at the “beginning” stage; basically still trying to figure out if one mango plus one mango really equals two.

By Grade 6, that number dropped to a mere three per cent. That alone deserve a gold star and a well-earned pat on the back for every teacher who didn’t fling the chalk and walk out.

In fact, across the board, Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, we’re seeing more students moving from mek mi try to mi kinda get it and now some are even reaching mi can teach it too. It’s proof that somewhere between lesson plans and tear-stained workbooks, a miracle called effort is actually working.

But before we start printing t-shirts that say “2030 or bust,” let’s talk real. Yes, we’re trending upwards, but 63 per cent proficiency in Maths still means 37 per cent of our children either nuh get it or barely holding on. And while Language Arts is faring a bit better at 69 per cent, you ever read the comment section of any Jamaican post online? Mi rest mi case.

The numbers show a tale of improvement, yes, but they also whisper another truth: we have a long road to walk and plenty potholes in the way. From under-resourced schools to overwhelmed teachers to distracted students, the education system still haffi fight tooth and nail just to stay afloat.

What’s clear though, is that targeted intervention works. When we stop treating Maths like some inherited curse from slavery and actually put resources into fixing the problem, our students respond. When teachers get the tools and support they need, they do more than just teach, they transform. When parents stop saying “mi neva good a dat neither” and start taking an interest, students rise.

The PEP numbers are not a victory lap. But they are proof that with the right attitude, strategy and consistency, even when tings did look mash up like old chalkboard, improvement is possible.

So to the Ministry, mi say well done but nuh tek off yuh shoes just yet. To the teachers, mi salute yuh passion. And to the students, if nobody else tell yuh today, big up yuhself. Progress might be slow, but one-one cocoa still a build basket.

Now let’s not lose momentum. 2030 might still feel like a distant mirage in a desert of bureaucracy, but if we keep at it, we might just turn that mirage into a fully stocked school with Wi-Fi, working toilets and children who know how to calculate both change and their worth.