Jamaica Primary Education System The United Nations has many goals in order to ensure that our world

is the best it can be. One of the primary foundations of a successful future is to develop and maintain an outstanding education system in each country. Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, leads the Global Education First Initiative with objectives such as making sure every child attends school, enhancing the nature of learning, and foster global citizenship ("Global education first," 2014). Additionally, one of the eight United Nations Millennium Development Goals include universal primary education ("United nations development," 2014).

Jamaica is one country that seems as if it is making ends meet with ninety six percent of children enrolled in the primary education system, which includes grades one through six. Despite this high percentage, the islands schools have only an average of seventy seven percent attendance rates (Thompson, 2008). Poverty is the main cause of students not attending school. According to a recent study, many 1("The world bank," 2014) children

in Jamaica have unemployed parents and there is little value placed on education. Because of this, most of the children are unable to afford transportation to get to school or even have enough money for their school lunch. Furthermore, many of them have to work during the school hours to help provide for their family or watch over their younger siblings (Cook & Ezenne, 2010) . Although the first goal of the United Nations Global Education First Initivte is being met, the Jamaican students who are enrolled in primary school are still not gaining the prosperous education that is needed for superior universal primary education. Unfortunately, the poor attendance rates is negatively affecting the literacy rates throughout Jamaicas primary education

system. One out of every two primary school students in Jamaica is illiterate (Caribbean Education Foundation, 2007). Literacy rates among those who complete primary education is only seventy percent (State University). These numbers only increase by seventeen percent

2Adult Literacy Rates in Jamaica (Trading Economics, 2013)

among adults because secondary education in Jamaica is not free (Trading Economics, 2013). Plus, they need to pass an exam in order to attend high school. While many students may ace the test, a lot of them do not have the money that is needed in order to succeed. The United Nations and the Global Education First Initiative have many goals that will cause our world to flourish when they are finally reached. However, in places like Jamaica, the success may not come until later years due to the lack of money and motivation. The children in Jamaica need improvements in their primary education system, such as free transportation and reduced lunch. Also, the schools should keep parents informed in order to boost the importance of primary education. A few changes with the intention of improvement and achievement could go a long way.

Works Cited Caribbean Education Foundation. (2007). The education challenges. Retrieved from http://www.educatechild.org/jamaica-challenges.php Cook, L., & Ezenne, A. (2010). Factors influencing students' absenteeism in primary schools in jamaica. Carribbean Curriculum, 17, 33-57. Retrieved from http://myspot.mona.uwi.edu/cop/sites/default/files/Absenteeism in Primary Schools Jamaica Cook.pdf Global education first initiiave. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.globaleducationfirst.org/about.html State University. (n.d.). Jamaica - preprimary & primary education. Retrieved from http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/728/Jamaica-PREPRIMARY-PRIMARY EDUCATION.html The world bank. (2014). Retrieved from http://data.worldbank.org/country/jamaica Thompson, K. (2008, February 18). Student absenteeism high. Jamaica bserver. Retrieved from http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/132643_Student-absenteeism-high Trading Economics. (2013). Literacy rate: Adult total. Retrieved from http://www.tradingeconomics.com/jamaica/literacy-rate-adult-total-percent-of-people ages-15-and-above-wb-data.html United nations development programme. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/mdgoverview/mdg_goals/mdg2/