Height of Hypocrisy?: Religious but not Political Activism in Schools

Jamaica’s Minister of Education condemns political activism at St. Jago High School, but gives a full-throated endorsement to religious crusades at Jamaica College.   I examine the hypocrisy of this position in an unpublished letter to the editor of the Gleaner.

Height of Hypocrisy?

February 05, 2014

Dear Editor,

I write to comment on two news articles that appeared in your edition of February 4:

1.     JC To Focus On Mental Purity During Crusade Week; and

2.     Thwaites Blasts PNPYO For Allegedly Recruiting High School Students.

The first article reported that Jamaica College “will stage its seventh annual school crusade during the week of February 25 under the theme 'Pursuing Your Passion with a Pure Mind'.”

According to the second news article, Education Minister Ronald Thwaites  “blasted the People’s National Party Youth Organization (PNPYO) for using a high school (St. Jago High School) to promote the political organisation and recruit students”.   He also reportedly “stressed that political activism has no place in schools”. 

I happen to agree with the Minister that political activism has no place in schools.

But then – neither does religious activism – which is precisely what a crusade is.    It’s curious that the Minister thunders about evils of political activism, but has no problem with religious activism. After Mr. Reid was challenged on the appropriateness of his 2012 crusade, the Minister offered his unreserved endorsement of the crusade, declaring inter alia, on an All Angles TV programme that:

The Ministry of Education supports what Mr. Ruel Reid has done at Jamaica College. We need to have a strong ethical and moral aspect to our education; and in the Jamaican context, that will be the metaphor of Christianity…   

Religious crusades and political activism in schools are both forms of proselytizing with the aim of “recruiting” adherents or believers.   In principle, there is no fundamental difference between the two.  I strongly believe that publicly funded schools should be neutral, secular spaces with no intrusions from religion or politics.  Neither is required for advancing the cause of education. 

However, if the Minister is prepared to give a pass to Mr. Reid to inflict religion on Jamaica College, is it not the height of hypocrisy to deny a similar concession to the PNPYO to promote its politics at St Jago High School?  Surely, if Christian organizations are allowed to peddle their philosophy on a high school compound there can be no reason to bar other (non-Christian) organizations from doing the same

Fire Breather.