Equality through Education: A Review of Michael Manley's Vision for Jamaica

Abstract

Michael Manley envisioned a Jamaica that would provide equality for the working-class through education. This was done consider- ing the socio-economic structure of the country which reflects its legacies of colo- nialism, slavery, and imperialism. Indica- tions of this trauma are evident in racial divisions based largely in colourism and class inequalities, which have led to the stigmatization of manual labour. During what historians Chambers and Airey label the ‘Socialist Era’ in Jamaica (i.e. 1972 and 1980), Manley’s People’s National Party (PNP) government sought to embed ideals of self-reliance into vital socio-economic industries such as education, agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism. The ultimate goal of this was aimed at reversing the condition of psychological dependency that plagued many regions in the Global South. This policy review seeks consider the process by which Michael Manley imple- mented his administration’s Free Education policy during the years of 1972 to 1980.