Texts, culture and anti-colonial education, emerging Jamaican identity in the period of independence, 1962-1997

grantor: University of TorontoThis thesis is a qualitative study of colonial and anti-colonial approaches to education and an examination of the use of textbooks in Jamaica's schools. Historically, textbooks, pedagogy, curriculum and educational policies have been mobilized to support the British colonial and neo-colonial project. Since Jamaica gained independence in 1962, successive governments have been challenged to deliver a system of education that reflects the aspirations of Jamaican peoples. However, these aspirations are increasingly complicated by globalization, structural adjustment policies, and the encroachment of the capitalist marketplace on local culture. This study focuses on how the use of local knowledge can disrupt hegemonic practices in the classroom and foster a stronger African-Jamaican cultural identity.M.A