In a stirring address that underscored the importance of education and national identity, former Jamaican Prime Minister P.J. Patterson made a compelling case for the integration of STEAM education into the country’s curriculum. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Arts and Mathematics and is an interdisciplinary approach to learning that help students develop skills such critical thinking, collaboration, and creative problem-solving.
Speaking at the launch of Professor Dianne Austin-Broos’ biography of Wills O. Isaacs, a fellow Hanoverian, wove together themes of history, progress, and cultural preservation with the urgency of a seasoned statesman. The launch was held Saturday, October 19, 2024 at the University of West Indies, Mona Campus, Jamaica.
The Most Hon. Patterson, now Statesman-in-Residence at the University of the West Indies’ PJ Patterson Institute for Africa Caribbean Advocacy, emphasised the critical role of a comprehensive educational approach. “As a people we need to know how we got to where we are and with that knowledge, determine where we want to go,” he declared, his words resonating with the gravitas of his decades in public service.
Patterson’s advocacy for STEAM education – an interdisciplinary approach encompassing Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics – comes at a pivotal moment for Jamaica. With an eye toward nurturing future innovators, he stressed the importance of cultivating creativity and practical skills from an early age.
The former prime minister didn’t mince words when addressing the need for cultural autonomy. “We need to tell our own story ourselves,” he asserted, adding that “the outstanding contribution which those who are no longer with us have been of inestimable value in our journey.” This call to action echoed through the halls, challenging attendees to take ownership of their narrative.
Drawing on the recommendations of the Jamaica Education Transformation Commission’s 2021 report, Patterson made a forceful argument for the arts to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with STEM subjects. “The Arts must be as important and functional to our being and continued progress as a nation as the sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics,” he insisted, painting a vision of a holistic educational landscape.
Patterson’s discourse took on a philosophical tone as he connected education to national identity. He posited that a comprehensive understanding of disciplines across the spectrum is key to grasping “the real meaning of Emancipation Day and intrinsic value of Independence Day” on a collective level.
The event, ostensibly a book launch, became a platform for Patterson to weave together threads of history, education, and national development. He praised Austin-Broos’ work, “Politics in an Island State: Wills O. Isaacs Jamaica’s Struggle for Development,” as “a well-researched, lucid and fascinating story of Jamaica’s struggle for Development during decades, revealed through the biography of Wills Ogilvy Isaacs, a towering pioneer in the annals of our evolution as a sovereign democratic nation-state.”
In his closing remarks, Patterson’s oratorical skills were on full display as he commended the book as “a literary testament to one who dedicated himself completely to improving the welfare of the Jamaican people.”
His voice swelling with emotion, he invoked Isaacs’ legacy, calling on Jamaicans that as the nation celebrates Heritage Week, they must “work unstintingly, no matter what the cost, in building Jamaica the verdant, resilient, pleasant and blessed land we love.”
As the applause faded, Patterson’s words hung in the air – a clarion call for education, self-determination, and national pride that bridged Jamaica’s past with its promising future.
