Sean Major-Campbell | Some dunces have degrees!

How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver! (Proverbs 16:16).

CONGRATULATIONS TO the entrepreneur who monetised the opportunity to celebrate a word from pop culture on backpacks. The investor seized the moment to capitalise on the obvious appeal to youth. This has indeed been one way for dunce to go.

I would never allow my child to don a bag labelled ‘dunce’ whether to school or otherwise. Sure, it is just a word. It is not even an expletive! There is nothing illegal about wearing the word or even being dunce or more contemporarily stated, “fully dunce”.

Conversations are always important. After the humour, fad, self-expression and so on, there is the matter of exploring the power of words. There is the matter of how we lift vibrational frequency and engage particular energy.

A quick go-to in our culture is bullying inclusive of punitive approaches by some school administrators. And so, it is very common for punitive affirming individuals to also quickly lash out against civil society groups such as Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ). Many approaches are also informed by the desire to quickly accomplish change by force. Our Jamaican society and education system can, however, benefit from more critical thinking and conversational ways of intervention for change.

One of our great prophets, National Hero Marcus Mosiah Garvey, observed, “God and Nature first made us what we are, and then out of our own created genius we make ourselves what we want to be. Follow always that great law. Let the sky and God be our limit and Eternity our measurement.” When you come from a people producing these wise gems, with what do you wish to be identified?

Jamaica’s children may ask themselves and process such questions as: What do I want to be? How am I creating what I want to be? What kind of energy and vibration do I want to accompany me in these days of school?

In school devotions, reflect briefly on the wisdom of Haile Selassie, who invites us to note that “A well-organised education should not be one which prepares students for a good remuneration alone. It should be one that can help and guide them towards acquiring clear thinking, a fruitful mind, and an elevated spirit.” This is why conscientious educators and parent-teacher associations, understandably have no interest in “promoting” or excusing dunce as a light moment, a joke, a sub-culture, a flag or tag within the space of school.

Just imagine if we used the opportunity to do some guided meditation exercises in school. Exercises that advance clear thinking, fruitful mind, and an elevated spirit. Contrast this with the bullying and bad man approach of some administrators who prefer the hype of threats of fright and flight to accomplish behaviour change. The truth is that our children are intelligent beings. They can think and process.

Children have the capacity to engage with positive intervention. Too many from my generation are satisfied with the rules are rules approach. Too many assume that conformity is a virtue. Today’s children are rightly asking questions rather than just doing what a rule says. They are most certainly not dunce!

A woke generation knows only too well that what is inside their head is far more important than emotive drama about afro-centric hairstyles! Our brilliant boys and girls know that wisdom exceeds any number of subjects and degrees acquired.

A very important reminder for our children at this time is also the fact that not acquiring the place at the high school of your preference or the many subjects at CSEC, or any subjects for that matter, is NOT an indication of being dunce! We all accomplish at different times and in different ways.

Some of the biggest dunces and thieves in our society have a trailer load of degrees. Some of the kindest and most productive and most intelligent spirits in our Jamaican society never had the opportunity to get even one subject.

If you are seeking clear thinking, a fruitful mind, and an elevated spirit, you are no dunce at all. You are smart. You are wise. You are on the path of wisdom. And you understand well Marcus Garvey’s admonition, “Up, you mighty race, accomplish what you will.”

Fr Sean Major-Campbell is an Anglican priest and advocate for human dignity and human rights. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and/or seanmajorcampbell@yahoo.com.