Principal Says Children Should Learn More About Jamaican Culture

Children need to learn more about their Jamaican culture, says Principal of Salt Marsh Primary and Infant School in Trelawny, Mervyn Sinclair.

Speaking to JIS News following a Jamaica Day celebration at the school, on Friday, March 3, Mr. Sinclair said that not many children appreciate the importance of the Jamaican brand and the popularity of their culture beyond the country’s shores.

“[Jamaican children] need to be immersed in our culture. They need to learn more of the culture, so when they go overseas they can represent us well,” he argued, pointing out that “when you travel overseas and say that you are from Jamaica, everybody can identify with someone from Jamaica… a Usain Bolt, a Bob Marley.”

“People just love to be around Jamaicans. It’s a brand, and so it is important that we highlight what [Jamaica has] to offer to our children… just as Americans talk about their Americanness, our Jamaican children need to know what it is to be Jamaican,” Mr Sinclair added.

Underscoring the importance of Jamaica Day on the school calendar, Mr. Sinclair said he was pleased with the impact the celebrations were having on the psyche of the entire Salt Marsh school community and commended the participation of students, teachers and parents.

Celebration at Salt Marsh Primary and Infant School took the form of an all-day fair, which included a display of Jamaican household utensils used in years past, the sale of Jamaican foods, and a cultural concert featuring traditional dances, songs and poetry.

The observation of Jamaica Day started in 2011 when Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, proclaimed that Jamaica Day be celebrated annually on the last Friday of February, unless there are adverse circumstances.

Jamaica Day 2023 was celebrated under the theme ‘Celebrating Jamaica, From the Root to the Fruit’.