Educating Black Males: A Jamaican Case-Issues, Lessons and Trajectory

Abstract

Underperformance of black Caribbean males has been a long standing phenomenon affecting educational outcomes of men within the lower-strata of society. Experimenting or second chance programmes have been implemented to address this issue but there is limited evidence of their impact. This paper presents the case of the Pre-University Men’s Programme (PUMP) at a teacher education institution in Kingston, Jamaica for the period 2008 to 2020. It was investigated through a semi-qualitative means which incorporated focus group conversations, reflective narratives, interviews and documentary analysis to collect the pertinent data from the men, service providers (facilitators and administrators), stakeholders, programme document and students’ records. This investigation determines PUMP’s effectiveness in terms of realizing the programme objectives as well as adherence to second chance programme standards, an administrative structure and a support system. The findings revealed that PUMP has all the defining characteristics for second chance programmes posited in literature; an acknowledgement of the socio economic benefits to the men who participated in the programmes is undeniable; and an opportunity to recruit male teachers to impact boys at an early age and keep them focused on a tertiary educational track is provided. PUMP is implemented through a functional administrative structure operated by the teacher education institution but a not well defined support system has undermined follow up services for its participants. It is recommended that collaboration with other institutions as well as stakeholders to enhance student recruitment, funding, programme diversity, administration and support would secure programme survival.

Keywords: underperformance, second chance programme, support system, effectiveness, standards