Structural Discrimination & Knowledge Production in Post

Structural Discrimination & Knowledge Production in PostColonial Societies Verene A. Shepherd Member of the WGPAD Geneva, April 13, 2010

THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION – MARCUS GARVEY

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“Education is the medium by which a people are prepared for the creation of their own particular civilization and the advancement and glory of their own words”

PREOCCUPATION IN THIS PAPER 

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Obstacles to that post-colonial project of mental liberation through an education system that promotes a more liberating narrative of self. Racism that masquerades as classism even in contexts where African descended people are in the majority the sexism in some texts used in schools.

STRUCTURAL DISCRIMINATION: TRADITIONAL DEFINITION 

The policies of empowered race, ethnic, gender institutions and the behaviour of the individuals who implement these policies and control these institutions which are race/ethnic/gender neutral in intent, but which have a differential and/or harmful effect on minority/race/ethnic/gender groups.” (Fred L. Pincus, Readings, 2000)

INDIRECT DISCRIMINATION OCCURS….

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when a neutral, or seemingly harmless, policy, rule or practice has a discriminatory effect against a certain group of people. when a policy or procedure which appears to treat everyone equally has the effect of disadvantaging certain groups.

AS USED IN THIS PAPER 

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Differential access to quality secondary education because of the competitive entrance processes and the disadvantageous poor primary education in some cases Education that does not accept differences (e.g. rastas; non-Christians) The content of history education/history textbooks, which does not empower people of African descent, Asians and indigenous peoples Sexism in history education

Education Commission Report (Swaby Report), 1907 - 1909 

The purpose [of elementary education] is a school training which will end at a comparatively early age, and may produce the intelligent and industrious labourer, or form the groundwork on which may be built the technical skill required by the mechanic or artisan. The latter [secondary] is carried on to an age when manhood is approaching, and aims at fitting for their work the thinkers of the community, those who follow the learned professions, the leaders and organisers, or at least those who serve in the higher ranks of industry and commerce.

SAMPLE LITERACY RATES - 2009 (UNDP) COUNTRY

LITERACY RATE (% )

POPULATION SIZE

BAHAMAS

95.8

307,552

BARBADOS

99.7

257,083

GUYANA

99.0

777,000

JAMAICA

79.9

2,391,000

MONTSERRAT

97

11,852

ST KITTS & NEVIS

97.8

42,291

ST LUCIA

94.8

152,335

SURINAME

90.4

520,000

T’DAD & TOBAGO

98.7

1,116,595

ANTIGUA & BAR.

99.0

65,962

GRENADA

96.0

96,600

SAMPLE LITERACY RATES - 2009 (UNDP) COUNTRY

LITERACY %

Population

CUBA

99.8

11, 050,729

DOM REP

89.1

7,998,766

ST. VINCENT & GRENADINES

88.1

119,818

DOMINICA

88

71,183

BELIZE

75.1

307,899

HAITI

54.8

6,780,501

WORLD ADULT LITERACY RATES, 2000 (UNESCO ISE, 2002)

FROM PRIMARY TO SECONDARY BAHAMAS

Grade Level Assessment Test

BARBADOS

Common Entrance Exam (CEE)

GUYANA

National Grade 6 Assessment

JAMAICA

Grade 6 Achievement Test (GSAT)

MONTSERRAT

Continuous Assess’t Programme

ST KITTS & NEVIS

Continuous Assess’t Programme

ST LUCIA

Common Entrance Exam (CEE)

SURINAME

High School Practice Tests (HSPT)

T’DAD & TOBAGO

Secondary Entrance Assessment

ANTIGUA & BARBUDA

Common Entrance Exam (CEE)

GRENADA

Common Entrance Exam(CEE)

Source: caribbeanexams.com

Must pass to progress to Sec. Sch.

Women in the 1831/32 Emancipation War in Jamaica Name

Parish

Sentence

Catherine Brown Cascade Pen – Mrs. Griffiths

Hanover

Death – commuted to 50 lashes & 6 weeks imprisonment.

Catherine Clarke Dr. W. Skirving

Hanover

50 lashes & 3 months in prison at hard labour

Cascade Pen – Mrs. Griffiths

Hanover

Not stated

Esther Comba

Property/ Enslaver

Women in the 1831/32 Emancipation War in Jamaica Name

Property/ Enslaver

Parish

Sentence

Ann James

Free

Hanover

Death/executed

Christina James

Cascade Pen – Mrs. Griffiths

Hanover

50 lashes & 3 months in prison at hard labour

Eliza James

Coventry

Hanover

100 lashes, 2 months & 50 lashes when discharged

Women in the 1831/32 Emancipation War in Jamaica Susan James

Coventry

Hanover

200 lashes, 2 months & 50 lashes when discharged

Ann Ramsay

H. Bean

Hanover

100 lashes, 6 months & 50 lashes when discharged

Mary Campbell

Not stated

St. Elizabeth

150 lashes

Nancy Campbell

Ipswich

St. Elizabeth

50 lashes

Clarisa

Ginger Hill

St. Elizabeth

Acquitted

Women in the 1831/32 Emancipation War in Jamaica Sarah Darling

Mitcham

St. Elizabeth

15 lashes

Anna Freeburn

Ipswich

St. Elizabeth

50 lashes & 3 months in prison

Rebecca Hart

Pisgah

St. Elizabeth

Acquitted

Sarah Jackson

Ginger Hill

St. Elizabeth

Transportation for life

Sophia Maitland

Not Stated

St. Elizabeth

25 lashes

Jane Maitland

Not Stated

St. Elizabeth

25 lashes

Women in the 1831/32 Emancipation War in Jamaica Matty

Ipswich

St. Elizabeth

50 lashes

Amelia Murray

Not Stated

St. Elizabeth

100 lashes

Matty

Ginger Hill

St. Elizabeth

Pardoned

Phoebe

Mocho

St. Elizabeth

Acquitted

Betsy Powell

Not Stated

St. Elizabeth

20 lashes

Priscilla

Ipswich

St. Elizabeth

Transportation for life

Women in the 1831/32 Emancipation War in Jamaica Queen

Ginger Hill

St. Elizabeth

To be confined during martial law

Caroline Smith

Lacovia

St. Elizabeth

100 lashes

Charlotte Smith

Ipswich

St. Elizabeth

50 lashes

Mary Walker

Not Stated

St. Elizabeth

10 lashes

Suzanna Wright

Mitcham

St. Elizabeth

25 lashes

Nancy Wright

Mitcham

St. Elizabeth

20 lashes

Women in the 1831/32 Emancipation War in Jamaica Rosanna Wright

Not Stated

St. Elizabeth

25 lashes

Elizabeth Ball

Free

St. James

24 lashes

Becky

Virgin Valley

St. James

Sentence postponed

Charlotte

Moor Park

St. James

Reprimanded

Ann Guy

Belfield

St. James

Acquitted

Jenny

Kirkpatrick Hall

St. James

Death

SHAME AND KNOWLEDGE “… In a country such as ours, where shame about the past too often fills the place that should be held by knowledge, knowledge of the past must play its part in our liberation from the bonds of the past. ” Elsa Goveia, 1925-1980

Former P.M. Tony Blair (Britain) 

“… the bicentenary offers us a chance not just to say how profoundly shameful the slave trade was – how we condemn its existence utterly and praise those who fought for its abolition, but also to express our deep sorrow that it ever happened, that it ever could have happened and to rejoice at the different and better times we live in today.”