The 2030 male
INTERNATIONAL MEN’S Day is being celebrated today and recently The Gleaner held a Youth Editors’ Forum with male students from various schools.
One of the goals of Vision 2030 is for Jamaicans to be empowered to achieve their fullest potential, through world-class education and training, among other things.
We asked our panellists: What will the role of our young men be by 2030?
Here are some of their views:
Alex Salmon, Calabar High: “There will be no change in males for 2030 if mentorship is not improved.”
Fabian Morris, Jamaica College: “Where I see men now, I don’t see them progressing due to many distractions that are present in our society, and in order for our men to grow and to take on the level or get to the dimension that they should be operating in, we have to get rid of those distractions – drugs, move out of their comfort zones and prepare [for greatness].”
Jamar Grant, Godfrey Stewart High School: “The role of a man will not and cannot change ... . Why were men always dominant, and is it that we are threatened by the fact that females are now becoming ambitious and are progressive as it relates to getting a proper education?”
Joseph McLean, Glenmuir
High: “We, men, are in a comfort zone and we fail to come out of the box that society has confined us in and hence we cannot reach our full potential.
I don’t believe that society really trains our men to be better persons from a grass-roots level. For example, if anyone can take a look at a football academy, these boys are being trained from a very young age how to play football and they turn into exceptional footballers, but not much emphasis is placed on teaching young boys at a grass-roots level how to be good public speakers. Not many of them are taught very early how to be good individuals who can articulate themselves and express themselves. A lot of emphasis is placed on being tough and being this person who can take a hit.”
Kuwayne Campbell, The University of the West Indies: “I don’t think there will be any change in the roles of our young men. I think they will still be trying to become better at what society tries to make us be.”
Adeika Perrin, Belmont Academy: “I don’t believe that the role will change. However, as society shifts, the roles will overlap.”
Jevoughn Malcolm, Godfrey Stewart High School: “It is believed that females mature faster than males, so they are more settled than males. Males are not settled, they don’t realise their true potential, the true purpose that they have living inside of them ... . Comprehensive programmes should be set to deal with the social skills and the academic skills.”
Shamar Johnson, Manning’s School: “We, as men, we fail to adapt to the change, which is the evolution of women.”
Nackeemi Smith, Jamaica College: “Men, we are too comfortable! Back then, the role of our young men was to be the movers and shakers of our country and society, but right now, the women are the movers and shakers.”