Education

The value that is placed on education as a vehicle for social mobility in the Caribbean cannot be overemphasized. Education is considered to be not only valuable in its own right but also the sole avenue of advancement for people of lower-class origins. Even the poorest single mothers will do their utmost to ensure that their children receive as much schooling as possible. Levels of illiteracy in the Caribbean thus are extremely low, averaging about 2 percent of the population. It is not surprising, therefore, that Caribbean immigrants in Canada are far better educated than those from other Third World countries. Providing better educational opportunities for children is often one of the most important reasons for the migration of Caribbean people. The traditionally high value that is placed on education as a way of achieving upward mobility is strongly maintained among the Caribbean population in Canada.

The educational levels of Caribbean immigrants in Canada have changed over the years. The earliest Caribbean immigrants tended to be more highly educated than the general Canadian population, but the educational achievements of the Caribbean population have declined steadily. Caribbean immigrants who arrived before 1971, or those born in Canada who entered the school system before 1971, attained educational levels similar to or higher than those of other Canadians, but young people who entered the Canadian school system after 1971 were less successful (as measured by having some university or post-secondary education). This decline is partly explained by the fact that, after 1971, nominated and family-class immigrants tend to predominate over independent immigrants, who were selected for their education. Thus, Caribbean immigrants who arrived in the early period had, on average, relatively high levels of education, while later immigrants have less post-secondary education when they arrive in Canada.

According to the 1986 Canadian census, less than 1 percent of Caribbean men (compared with 2.6 percent of other immigrants) and 1 percent of Caribbean women (compared with 4.6 percent of other immigrants) reported no schooling. The proportion of Caribbean males with some high school or high school graduation was about the same as for the Canadian-born population but higher than for other immigrants. Although fewer Caribbean women than other immigrant women had high school qualifications, more Caribbean women had certificates for specialist training or some other form of non-academic education. In fact, the percentage of Caribbean men and women with non-academic training was considerably higher than for the rest of the population. On the whole, Caribbean immigrant men have about as much education as the Canadian population as a whole; however, the Caribbean population has less university education than other Canadians. Caribbean immigrants represent a very wide cross-section in terms of educational achievement in the 1990s.

When Caribbean students enter Canadian schools, they sometimes have difficulty in adjusting from the more highly structured and more disciplined system in the Caribbean to what seems a less-structured system in Canada. The differences between the two systems are reflected in teaching styles and the social relations that are formed between teacher and student. Some students also suffer from stress that is associated with rejoining a parent or parents in Canada after long periods of separation. Another source of difficulty for students and parents alike is the attitudes and expectations that parents have of the educational system. Caribbean parents, by and large, have come from a society in which education is highly valued. They tend, therefore, to defer to teachers and school administrators and to place less value on what their children report about school.

The problem of racism and differential incorporation is, however, the most significant factor retarding the educational progress of Caribbean students. Differential treatment begins at the time students are initially assessed for placement in the school system. Caribbean students are stereotyped as slow learners and often routinely put back by at least one year. Eurocentrism and historical inaccuracies in the materials used in Canadian schools are a recurring problem. More recently, concerned parents and critical educators have identified additional factors that contribute to the alienation and underachievement of Caribbean black students and lead to low self-esteem and a high drop-out rate. These factors include the lack of black teachers as role models; the persistent invisibility of black studies and black history in the curriculum; subtle forms of racism that are reflected in the curriculum of the schools; and the problem of parents not understanding the Canadian school system.

In response to the pressures Caribbean students experience in the schools, a vibrant student subculture, based loosely on aspects of Jamaican and Rastafarian culture, has emerged. Specific subcultural patterns of behaviour include distinctive linguistic forms, adherence to certain kinds of dance-hall music, the use of Rasta colours and other insignia, wearing particular clothing and hair styles, and the like. The “roots” subculture allows students to maintain aspects of their Caribbean identity and to differentiate themselves in a positive way from other students.