Students, Exhibitors put on a Good Show at Jamaica Day 2013

Thousands of students from across Jamaica gathered at the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium on Friday February 22 to celebrate Jamaica Day 2013, in a colourful display of dance, music, speech and song. It was the first national gathering to mark the day intended to foster a spirit of patriotism.

The festivities, held under the theme ‘Celebrate Jamaica: We On It’, saw students perform numerous items in a gala event. Performances included a parade of the uniformed groups and schools celebrating their 50th anniversary, praise and worship, parade of the national symbols, dance, poetry, song, and drumming.

Conceptualized as a cultural extravaganza, Jamaica Day 2013 saw the Ministry of Education’s six regions compete for the best exhibition in the following categories: Best interpretation of the Jamaica Day Theme; Best Booth; Greatest Student participation; Research and Advocacy; and Most Sustainable Project.

There was robust competition among the six regions in the exhibition section, at the end of which Region One and Region Four tied for the top spot. Region Four presented traditional herbal remedies and demonstrated an innovative way to combine the rearing of fish with the farming of vegetables. Region Three mounted a display on persons from the region who have excelled and used the motif of a ship to focus on Jamaica’s movement towards the goals of Vision 2030.

Modern technology was the focus of Region One’s exhibit. Outstanding among this group of exhibitors were the Robotics Team from Jamaica College, which presented the group’s new robot, and Allman Town Primary, which demonstrated how the school operates its own radio station. Denham Town Primary used discarded paper to make fuel for cooking, while Windward Road showed how the school is using an electronic white board and other devices to enhance teaching and learning.

Region Five highlighted literacy in the region and among other items, created a quilt displaying the names of the schools in the region and their logos. Indigenous material was the theme of Region Six’s exhibit, which put the national fruit, ackee, at the forefront, as well as innovative spreads and artwork. Region two left before the exhibit could be judged.

Children from various institutions across Jamaica were excited as they watched and listened to the various performances and visited the booths. Describing the day’s happenings, seven year-old Alicia Barrett of Brampton Primary, Trelawny effused, “It’s so amazing. I liked the dancing and when they marched with the flags.

Miss Sheron Robinson, acting Principal of Williamsfield All Age school Westmoreland, gave a positive assessment of the event. ”It’s a good experience for the children. Many schools don’t know how to put the event together,” she said, noting that school administrators could learn how to structure the celebrations by patterning the national event.

Speaking on the relevance of Jamaica Day, Miss. Robinson noted, “Patriotism is dying and people don’t see the country as somewhere to love and don’t put an effort into developing it. So an event such as this is good.”

Javin Jackson, grade six student and peer counsellor at Wakefield Primary, in Trelawny, told JIS News that celebrating Jamaica Day is important, especially for students because it allows them to know more about Jamaica in a different kind of atmosphere.

Jamaica Day in Schools is one of flagship projects of the Culture in Education Programme.