CRIME RATE

In Jamaica where we can see a lot of crime and violence occurring around the country the crime rate has
been grammatically increasing by every year, Undoubtedly, crime is one of the most prevalent and
destructive social issue to face an island, Jamaica’s crime issue is no secret. Crimes committed on the
island range from petty theft to gang violence. At one point in time, it was believed that most of these
crimes occur in specific areas, predominately the inner city. While this is generally true, we do have
cases where many of these acts occurs otherwise .

There are many ways to resolve around the crime rate as we can see its mostly the young youths in
community taking up gun violence’s, the government should put into consideration raise the age or
grade for dropping out of school. Another way to reduce crime and violence could be to keep kids in
school longer as we can see many research shows that many students drop out mostly males fall back
and bad influence by their peer causing them to involve in the gun violence. Many children look at their
way of living, lack of economic where their parents are out of a job doesn’t have enough money to
supply for the family so they turn to scamming, thief, just to be able to fund for the family and the family
as no other choice to accept them, the government should put into place jobs for the parents that are in
need to resolve around this problem

The government can stop the high rate of crime and violence by putting a stop in these acts ,and we can
see how better our country will become

Poverty

The reality is that there are many faces of Jamaica. The face that
we are exposed to consists of white, sandy beaches and beautiful
sunsets.

But on the flip side, the other face paints a very different image.
The country has struggled with the grip of poverty for many years.

In fact, during the 1990’s the poverty rate stood at 25 percent.

While the current impact of poverty here in Jamaica is not as bad,
compared to say, our neighbour Haiti, it still has significant impact
on the lives of the populous.

Interestingly, there is one theory that many causes of the poverty is

Jamaica’s heavy dependence on tourism as its source of revenue for
the economy. This was significantly evident during the great global
recession of 2007.

The recession caused income around the world to dwindle, which

resulted in a decline of tourism. The decline in tourism eventually
led to a higher unemployment rate, which perpetuated the cycle of
poverty.

Education

While on the topic of poverty, another important factor is education.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness pinpointed that the education
system is one of the main causes of poverty.

He made reference to the registration fees that parents pay in order

for their children to attend school. Parents also have to bear the
burden of providing for other school expenses, such as money for
lunch and transportation.

In an effort to regularize the registration packages at school, the

Ministry of Education, Youth and Information advised that the
registration package for secondary school should between the cost
of $1000 and $5200. However, there should be no cost for
registration at the primary level.

The Prime Minster also emphasized that the fees are not obligatory
and a lack of payment should not affect the acceptance of any
student.

On another positive note, the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) is

anticipating further reduction in the country’s poverty rate due to
increased job opportunities spawned through investment policies
implemented by the government.

The Jamaican Government has worked with international bodies;

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the European
Union to alleviate poverty and achieve Millennium Development
Goals.

Unemployment

Although the education system in Jamaica is a far cry from perfect,

it has produced highly intellectual individuals that have developed
the competences to compete with the best in the world.

However, the issue arises after they have completed acquiring their
qualifications. Many graduates have found themselves jobless after
dedicating years in their studies.

On the other side, there are individuals who are actively seek a job
but they lack the adequate qualifications necessary to secure
themselves in the labour market. One of the mandates that the
current government campaigned on during the election campaign
was to implement policies aimed at the reducing the unemployment
rate and increasing job opportunities.

Fast-forward to January 2018, Prime Minister Andrew Holness

reported a decline in Jamaica’s unemployment rate to a record low
of 9.6 percent. He also noted that there was also a decline in youth
unemployment and unemployment among male youth. He
mentioned that this resulted from expansion and investment in
various industries such as, the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO),
tourism and hospitality, services generally, mining and construction
industry.

He also brought to light the shortage of a trained and skilled labour

force. In an effort to have synergy between the expansion of these
industries and the needed labour force, the Prime Minister Holness
declared that HEART Trust/ NTA was been merged with the National
Youth Service, Jamaican Foundation for Lifelong Learning and the
Apprenticeship Board.
This is aimed at forming one key organization that positions Jamaica
to produce the skilled labour necessary to support the expansion in
the various industries.

Poor Healthcare

I have always viewed Jamaica as a reactive society. Meaning, we

often wait until things get out of control to address the situation.
Our healthcare system is an embodiment of this attitude.

Imagine going to the hospital and you are not able to get access to
a bed or you are not attended to until several hours later. Well, this
is the life and experience of many ordinary
Jamaicans.

The issues facing the healthcare system are wide and diverse. The
Jamaica Medical Doctors Association (JMDA) has cited a lack of
proper maintenance as the root to the current issue facing the
health system. From malfunctioning elevators and insufficient
medication, to inadequate safety gear for staff and insufficient or
malfunctioning equipment.

It has also been debated that the ‘no-user fee’ policy implemented
has also attributed to the depletion of resources. That abolishment
of user fees at public hospitals and health facilities came in effect on
April 1, 2008.

Many have criticized the policy as unsustainable given the economy

of the country. However, the current administration has stood by
the policy and advocated for universal access to health. It must be
noted that the no-user policy applies only to public patients and not
private patients, patients with health insurance, and non-residents.

Evidently, these social issues are prominent and have had a

significant effect on the standard of living of Jamaicans. If we plan
to attain Vision 2030 and make Jamaica the place of choice to work,
raise families and do business, I think we need a renewed approach
to nip these issues from the root.

Be sure to read our article on poverty in Jamaica and safety in

Jamaica for additional insights.

Regards,
AD

References

▪ HIBBERT, K. (2015, January 4). Doctors blame lack of resources

for poor health care. Retrieved from Jamaica Observer:
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Hospital-woes_18175063
▪ Jamaica Information Service. (2018, May 1). Unemployment at
record low 9.6. Retrieved from Jamaica Observer:
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/Unemployment_at_re
cord_low_9.6
▪ Loop Jamaica. (2019, February 20). Jamaica records lowest
average unemployment rate in 51 years . Retrieved from Loop
Jamaica: http://www.loopjamaica.com/content/jamaica-records-
lowest-average-unemployment-rate-50-years
▪ Mcintosh, D. (2018, May 27). Expect Further Decline in Poverty
Rate – PIOJ. Retrieved from Jamaica Information Service:
https://jis.gov.jm/expect-further-decline-in-poverty-rate-pioj/
▪ RJR News online. (2014, May 25). Inadequate funding threatens
quality of Jamaican healthcare - JMDA. Retrieved from RJR News
online: http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/inadequate-funding-
threatens-quality-of-jamaican-healthcare-jmda

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Or, simply click here and here, to browse my library of

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About The Author

A patriotic Jamaican who adore its culture, Wellesley has been using
this medium to share what he calls 'the uniqueness of Jamaica with
the world' since April 2007.  

To date, he serves over 9,300 unique readers / viewers per day.

His efforts have earned this site featured positions in local

publications, including the Jamaica Gleaner's Hospitality Jamaica,
Carlong Publishers, as well as recognition from numerous
prestigious international agencies and universities. Read more about
him here.

He invites you to subscribe to this site to stay updated on all the

latest and check out his unique Jamaican products on his Etsy
store.  

If you are on social media, here are the links to follow his latest
posts

Follow Me:

You are also invited to join his exclusive JAMHearts

community where like-minded Jamaican enthusiasts discuss all
things Jamaican. 
Back To The Top Of This Page

Start Here

Trending Now!

Hi, I'm Wellesley

A pleasant J'can Morning To You!

New Here?

I recommend you START HERE to enjoy the best of this website!

New! For Authentic Jamaican products, from my very own

hands, visit my Etsy store here.

Site Sponsors

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(Our Sponsorship Policy)

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 TOP PHOTOGRAPHERS IN JAMAICA

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ret
Crimes committed on the island range from petty theft to gang violence. At one point in time, it was
believed that most of these crimes occur in specific areas, predominately the inner city. While this is
generally true, we do have cases where many of these acts occurs otherwise.

One of the most recent governmental intervention, aimed towards hijacking crime, is the State of
Emergency (SOE), which has been declared on the Western parishes of St. James, Westmoreland and
Hanover.

Poverty

The reality is that there are many faces of Jamaica. The face that
we are exposed to consists of white, sandy beaches and beautiful
sunsets.

But on the flip side, the other face paints a very different image.
The country has struggled with the grip of poverty for many years.

In fact, during the 1990’s the poverty rate stood at 25 percent.

While the current impact of poverty here in Jamaica is not as bad,
compared to say, our neighbour Haiti, it still has significant impact
on the lives of the populous.

Interestingly, there is one theory that many causes of the poverty is

Jamaica’s heavy dependence on tourism as its source of revenue for
the economy. This was significantly evident during the great global
recession of 2007.

The recession caused income around the world to dwindle, which

resulted in a decline of tourism. The decline in tourism eventually
led to a higher unemployment rate, which perpetuated the cycle of
poverty.

Education

While on the topic of poverty, another important factor is education.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness pinpointed that the education
system is one of the main causes of poverty.
He made reference to the registration fees that parents pay in order
for their children to attend school. Parents also have to bear the
burden of providing for other school expenses, such as money for
lunch and transportation.

In an effort to regularize the registration packages at school, the

Ministry of Education, Youth and Information advised that the
registration package for secondary school should between the cost
of $1000 and $5200. However, there should be no cost for
registration at the primary level.

The Prime Minster also emphasized that the fees are not obligatory
and a lack of payment should not affect the acceptance of any
student.

On another positive note, the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) is

anticipating further reduction in the country’s poverty rate due to
increased job opportunities spawned through investment policies
implemented by the government.

The Jamaican Government has worked with international bodies;

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the European
Union to alleviate poverty and achieve Millennium Development
Goals.

Unemployment

Although the education system in Jamaica is a far cry from perfect,

it has produced highly intellectual individuals that have developed
the competences to compete with the best in the world.

However, the issue arises after they have completed acquiring their
qualifications. Many graduates have found themselves jobless after
dedicating years in their studies.

On the other side, there are individuals who are actively seek a job
but they lack the adequate qualifications necessary to secure
themselves in the labour market. One of the mandates that the
current government campaigned on during the election campaign
was to implement policies aimed at the reducing the unemployment
rate and increasing job opportunities.

Fast-forward to January 2018, Prime Minister Andrew Holness

reported a decline in Jamaica’s unemployment rate to a record low
of 9.6 percent. He also noted that there was also a decline in youth
unemployment and unemployment among male youth. He
mentioned that this resulted from expansion and investment in
various industries such as, the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO),
tourism and hospitality, services generally, mining and construction
industry.

He also brought to light the shortage of a trained and skilled labour

force. In an effort to have synergy between the expansion of these
industries and the needed labour force, the Prime Minister Holness
declared that HEART Trust/ NTA was been merged with the National
Youth Service, Jamaican Foundation for Lifelong Learning and the
Apprenticeship Board.

This is aimed at forming one key organization that positions Jamaica

to produce the skilled labour necessary to support the expansion in
the various industries.

Poor Healthcare

I have always viewed Jamaica as a reactive society. Meaning, we

often wait until things get out of control to address the situation.
Our healthcare system is an embodiment of this attitude.

Imagine going to the hospital and you are not able to get access to
a bed or you are not attended to until several hours later. Well, this
is the life and experience of many ordinary
Jamaicans.

The issues facing the healthcare system are wide and diverse. The
Jamaica Medical Doctors Association (JMDA) has cited a lack of
proper maintenance as the root to the current issue facing the
health system. From malfunctioning elevators and insufficient
medication, to inadequate safety gear for staff and insufficient or
malfunctioning equipment.

It has also been debated that the ‘no-user fee’ policy implemented
has also attributed to the depletion of resources. That abolishment
of user fees at public hospitals and health facilities came in effect on
April 1, 2008.

Many have criticized the policy as unsustainable given the economy

of the country. However, the current administration has stood by
the policy and advocated for universal access to health. It must be
noted that the no-user policy applies only to public patients and not
private patients, patients with health insurance, and non-residents.

Evidently, these social issues are prominent and have had a

significant effect on the standard of living of Jamaicans. If we plan
to attain Vision 2030 and make Jamaica the place of choice to work,
raise families and do business, I think we need a renewed approach
to nip these issues from the root.

Be sure to read our article on poverty in Jamaica and safety in

Jamaica for additional insights.

Regards,
AD

References

▪ HIBBERT, K. (2015, January 4). Doctors blame lack of resources

for poor health care. Retrieved from Jamaica Observer:
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Hospital-woes_18175063
▪ Jamaica Information Service. (2018, May 1). Unemployment at
record low 9.6. Retrieved from Jamaica Observer:
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/Unemployment_at_re
cord_low_9.6
▪ Loop Jamaica. (2019, February 20). Jamaica records lowest
average unemployment rate in 51 years . Retrieved from Loop
Jamaica: http://www.loopjamaica.com/content/jamaica-records-
lowest-average-unemployment-rate-50-years
▪ Mcintosh, D. (2018, May 27). Expect Further Decline in Poverty
Rate – PIOJ. Retrieved from Jamaica Information Service:
https://jis.gov.jm/expect-further-decline-in-poverty-rate-pioj/
▪ RJR News online. (2014, May 25). Inadequate funding threatens
quality of Jamaican healthcare - JMDA. Retrieved from RJR News
online: http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/inadequate-funding-
threatens-quality-of-jamaican-healthcare-jmda

Click here to post comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to
return to JamaicaQuestions.

Sharing  IS Caring... Its now YOUR turn to...

28Shares
 Share

 Share

 Tweet

If you found this page useful, please consider subscribing to my

weekly newsletter, My Island Jamaica Digest here. 

It tells you each week about the new information that I have added,
including new developments and great stories from lovers of
Jamaica!
Back To The Top Of This Page
New! Talk To Me
Was the information helpful? Something needs changing? I
welcome your feedback here.
Read More ...
-

Recommended For You ...

Other Great Articles You Might Have Missed

Please help me get the message out by sharing this article with your
friends on social media (links below). Thnx ;-)
FacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditWhatsApp
And, one more way to share My-Island-Jamaica.com...

Also connect with My-Island-Jamaica.com on Social Media: 

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube
Thank You!

P.S. Didn't find what you were looking for? Still

need help?
Click Here to try our dependable and effective Site Search tool. It
works!

Or, simply click here and here, to browse my library of

over 500 questions and answers! Chances are someone already
asked (and got an answer to) your question.

About The Author

A patriotic Jamaican who adore its culture, Wellesley has been using this medium to
share what he calls 'the uniqueness of Jamaica with the world' since April 2007.  

To date, he serves over 9,300 unique readers / viewers per day.

His efforts have earned this site featured positions in local publications, including the
Jamaica Gleaner's Hospitality Jamaica, Carlong Publishers, as well as recognition
from numerous prestigious international agencies and universities. Read more about
him here.

He invites you to subscribe to this site to stay updated on all the latest and check out
his unique Jamaican products on his Etsy store.  

If you are on social media, here are the links to follow his latest posts

Follow Me:

You are also invited to join his exclusive JAMHearts community where

like-minded Jamaican enthusiasts discuss all things Jamaican. 
Back To The Top Of This Page
Start Here

Trending Now!
 Hi, I'm Wellesley
A pleasant J'can Morning To You!
 New Here?
I recommend you START HERE to enjoy the best of this website!

New! For Authentic Jamaican products, from my very own hands, visit my

Etsy store here.

Site Sponsors
Our Preferred Sponsors  & Friends (below)

(Our Sponsorship Policy)

BEST JAMAICAN TOUR GUIDE

TOP BUILDERS IN JAMAICA

 TOP PHOTOGRAPHERS IN JAMAICA

JamaicaSunshine Tours.com

Click Here to Visit Our Sponsors' Page

Top Articles
Please subscribe here to get my latest updates.
Recent Articles

1. Top 10 Items In A Barrel From Overseas to

Jamaica | Tips to Follow When Shipping Barrels to
Jamaica
Dec 01, 21 06:13 PM

by Sheree-Anita Shearer | Associate Writer See Also:

Christmas Shopping In Jamaica - 11 Awesome Tips So it’s
Christmastime! There is a lot that happens
Read More

2. Very Superstitious...10 Old Wives' Tales Jamaicans

Still Believe
Nov 30, 21 07:21 PM

by Kay Grant | Associate Writer See Also: Jamaican Folklore

Exposed! 53 Surprisingly Common Beliefs & Practices
Jamaicans are really superstitious people,
Read More
 3. GrandMa's Jamaican Christmas Cake Recipe |
Jamaican Christmas Pudding
Nov 30, 21 02:12 PM

You feel it nature! The climate gets cooler, the gentle breeze
and the flower blossoms. It's time to prepare it baby, the
traditional Jamaican Christmas cake!
Read More

4. Patrick "Scully" Williams | Master Woodworker in

Jamaica
Nov 30, 21 02:06 PM

by Sheree-Anita Shearer | Associate Writer See Also: Key

Tips to Rearing Rabbits in Jamaica - Shamari's Rabbitry Farm
The people of Jamaica are so naturally
Read More

5. Black Sapote | The Chocolate Pudding Fruit

Nov 29, 21 08:38 AM

by Sheree-Anita Shearer | Associate Writer See Also: 10

Most Loved Fruits In Jamaica Nature never ceases to amaze
me! The flora and fauna in Jamaica are
Read More

NEW! JOIN MY PATREON COMMUNITY! Click Here For Details.