Educator and Attorney-at-Law Stacey Knight is calling for a transformation of Jamaica’s education system to address existing gaps.

She describes the system as “educational apartheid,” with well-resourced schools for the privileged and underfunded institutions for the disadvantaged.

Speaking at a recent education forum at Shortwood Teachers’ College, Ms. Knight stressed the need to improve primary and secondary education to produce students who are better prepared for advanced learning and modern job opportunities.

She also pointed to the gender gap as another concern, noting that boys often under-perform compared to girls and face societal stigma surrounding academic achievement.

She emphasized the importance of socio-emotional learning, which she believes could drive the cultural change needed to address these learning gaps.