More research emphasis needed in education sector for nat’l growth – Chang
NATIONAL SECURITY Minister Dr Horace Chang has declared that investment in research must be treated as an essential part of Jamaica’s education sector, in order for the country to become a fully developed nation-state and halt the growth and spread of crime.
Chang made the assertion while addressing the Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College’s (SSTC) staging of its Research Day session at its campus in Granville, St James, on Wednesday, under the theme ‘The Impact of Crime on Education: The Western Jamaica Perspective’.
“As a small, developing country, one of the things we tend to miss out on is the concept of research. If we are going to move from a developing to a developed country, research has to be a critical part of our educational system; indeed, you will realise that a developed society spends billions on research,” Chang told the forum.
“Unfortunately, in a country with limited resources, research tends to be given a secondary role. Our minister of finance looked at it and wants to put more resources there, but we have to begin with our tertiary institutions. It is only research that will pull us out of poverty and underdevelopment,” Chang stressed.
Chang cited a 2023 study that his ministry did in collaboration with the Ministry of Education to outline the impact of crime on Jamaica’s education system, pointing to that study’s findings as a crucial cornerstone in appreciating how crime can impact education’s effectiveness among students.
HOLISTIC APPROACH
“In 2023, the Ministry of National Security, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, did a national assessment of the perception of school safety. This was scientific research that utilised rigorous methodology and sampling techniques ... we are relying on data to guide our policy approach, to work with the various agencies of government to ensure a holistic approach based on the data and the research that is done,” said Chang.
“We found that students who spent more time at school felt safer. Extended day schools were perceived safer than whole day and shift schools. Students felt less safe off campus than they were on campus,” the minister explained in briefly summarising the findings of the 2023 study.
“Education is a right, not a privilege, which all Jamaican children must be afforded, and that is the commitment of this government as we move to not only increase the access which we have, but to improve quality and provide the appropriate environment that our children can learn and grow in. That is the foundation on which we can build a successful country and maintain a stable and healthy community,” he stated.
Chang’s emphasis on the importance of research mirrors a previous call made in 2013 by Professor Claude Packer, president of The Mico University College at the time, who said that national development would depend on teachers being taught to appreciate the value of research.
Additionally, in January 2015, the Mona School of Business and Management was slated to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce as part of a move by the Government to increase the use of data-driven research to inform policy decisions.
Specific to national security and crime-fighting, a 2017 study from the Inter-American Development Bank found that regional states needed to redirect their anti-crime efforts toward evidence-based intervention strategies, with improved monitoring of police and justice systems.