It has been a popular saying in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean that “ freeness nuh good” (that is anything that is free is not good). However, this phrase should not be associated with all areas of life, especially as it relates to Secondary Education. It is an asset for a society to embark on granting free education. Granting free education up to the secondary level will affect the social and economic welfare of society. Our economy, has to do with financial status of the society both present and future, it also has to do with the number of economically active individuals that are productive in the work area. Social welfare would be characterized has a better nation such as less ghettos, less individuals on the streets idling around, more job opportunity and more schools to facilitate the ones of working age and of schooling age. Free education may look and seem simple but when it is looked at it is very serious and cause a positive difference in the society.
Free education gives an opportunity to each and every one “to be all they can be” as a result of this the economy is affected positively by this great progress of the Government. In granting free education up to secondary level it will result in a higher level of job opportunity in the country. One may say what does this have to do with free education? The answer to this question is the more jobs available the more the labour force will increase so as a result of this more the society receives income the more tax the government receives. In other words it is way to extract revenue for the Government. In recent years the countries with an increase in unemployment there is also an increase in the crime and violence. Crime and violence can and would be decreased by the implementation of free education up to secondary level. Someone that is poor would have a better chance to attend school and become someone of ambition and intelligence, so they can get a job with that secondary education instead of being an idler. Also one looks at Jamaica as a typical example, Jamaica as been marred by crime and violence over a period of time so as a result of this situation Jamaica’s revenue strategies have been changed quit often. The country’s business structure is at trough but with free education it is predicted to be at a “boom”.
Secondly, the society’s social standing would also be affected. There is an old saying, “if yu wha good yu nose afi go run” some individuals at school are ignoring this concept because they are there free, no sense of responsibility being hanged over their shoulder as a result of the freeness they receives by the Government. While others will make good of this free education in every way they can possibly. So in a wider bases there would be less drop outs from school as a result of this the society would have a higher level of education. As a result of free education up to secondary level the parent may find it easier to finance or rather set a foundation for his or her child to receive college education if the child desires, they often do after getting the most important part of there education free of cost, secondary level. With a much more intelligent nation no one can and could stop this nation to make a progress. “ They would log on to progress real progress.”
Free education up to secondary level, really it would demand a lot from the Government to facilitate. All the books, salary for teachers and other staffs all that would have to be taken care of by the government. With these situations one may look free education is a burden on the society but in the long run it would benefit the society and economy in a great deal. Over the past nine to ten years the country is suffering from a situation called “brain drain”, this is occurred when Jamaican citizens with a white-collar job that went to the States to get an education, which they got but did not return to the country of birth to work. These individuals commit acts do not give any thing back to the country so the country looses tax. With the implementation of free education, which will cut the crime and violence, enabling investors to invest in the country and create more job opportunities for the citizens so a result there would not be any need for migration to seek jobs. Also one would not have all the responsibilities to send their child to school, so in the end they may have little funds to invest in the country. Also in the long run if the country progresses the tax payment that is incurred on the countries citizens would decrease and the cost of living would lower.
To free education up to secondary level it would be a progressive start for the society. However this process is a gradual process, it as to be done gradually and proper thinking has to be done. If this is not done the country may fall in a trough and will not pick or reach at a peak in the economic structure. Again one may look at Jamaica and say Jamaica’s economy is stagnant, they would have to borrow money to do this. Yes they would have to but this is not a short-term plan it is a long-term plan, the end result would be seen in ten or twenty years down the road. One looks at Bermuda and Cuba this system is implemented in these countries and these countries economy is recognizing a strong growth annually. If this system is planned well we can have the same result, as these countries that had implemented these system. Looking at it this Jamaica can even do better with the resources the country has, only if they are used effectively.