The Editor, Sir:

With the recent announcement by the University of the West Indies that from the total number of students who matriculated this year only 18 per cent of them are males, male marginalisation has once again become an agenda item.

This phenomenon, of course, is not new. Our scholars, Errol Miller, Edith Clarke, Barry Chevannes and Mark Figueroa, to name a few, have over the years identified this trend in different sectors of the society. As an educator, formerly at the secondary level and now at the tertiary level, a worrying aspect that I observe is that not only are there fewer boys present in educational institutions, but our boys (generally speaking), when present physically, are absent mentally and intellectually. They are the ones who are most disruptive, less cooperative, rude and lazy.

Missing from crucial areas of society

But let us not forget that while we focus on the apparent decline of male interest in higher education, men are also missing from the other crucial areas of society. Most households in our country are headed by females; our faith-based organisations are overflowing with women and now our schools at every level. While men are predominant in politics and still command the highest levels of corporate Jamaica, it is evident that this will soon become a thing of the past. Corporate Jamaica is becoming feminised and if one should look at the number of female candidates in the most recent general elections, then you will see the growing trend.

This, of course, is not meant to take anything from us women who have fought long and hard to break the glass ceilings of our day. However, I would have liked to see men at our sides in academia, in the boardrooms and in the classrooms, instead of seeing them on the streets, in bars, in prisons or their faces on the most wanted lists. These are where our men lead by far.

Who will father our children?

I hope that as a nation we are sufficiently worried. While we consider whether our women will find suitable husbands, let us add to the list questions such as: Who will father our children (not fertilise an egg)? Who will stand by our women? Who will be the role models for our unborn boys? Are we going to leave these roles to the don, to the youth pon de corner, to porn stars, to entertainers or to the television?

As women, do we demand enough from our husbands and our sons? Do we spend the time to teach our boys the old-fashioned values of industry, integrity, honesty, respect and responsibility? Do we encourage the men with whom we enter relationships to attain the highest levels of the same? Or are we encouraging idleness and uncouth behaviour? Indeed, we need to restore the sense of leadership in our men. Our homes, our nation and the world are at stake.

The study undertaken by the University of the West Indies to find out the reasons for the decline of male interest in higher education and to provide recommendations is to be applauded. However, after that study is completed, I hope it will not end up sitting on somebody's shelf. This is everybody's business. I hope that the Government, the Church, academia and business interests are paying keen attention to this dilemma.

I am, etc.,

NICOLE CAMERON

ncameron@utech.edu.jm

St. Mary

Via Go-Jamaica