Towards the Construction of a National Dance Education Policy in Jamaica:Public Education Curriculum and Ownership

Abstract

I hear and I forget I see and I remember I do and I understand --Confucius (551 - 479 BC) Fundamentally about "doing," Dance is a strong element of Jamaican social and cultural expression. This dissertation is based on the premise that in order to fully educate Jamaica's children and to accomplish "National Outcome 2: World Class Education and Training" of the Jamaican National Development Plan for 2030 (Planning Institute of Jamaica [PIOJ], 2009, p. xvi), Dance should be an integral part of Jamaica's educational curriculum. This study draws on multiple perspectives and sources (autobiographical, critical, historical, socio-cultural, and political) to construct an advocacy platform for the establishment of Dance in Jamaican schools. For the past three decades, Dance educators in Jamaica have developed Dance curricula for public educational institutions, but there is still a need to justify the validity of Dance as part of the general school curriculum and the advantage of its institutionalization to the wider society. Assuming that the objective of our schools is to provide holistic education, then it seems a common sense proposition that every child should be given the opportunity to participate in a dance program. Dance allows children to appreciate rich and diverse cultures, beliefs, and societies. It involves the "whole child" while developing dexterity, intuition, sensitivity, reasoning, memory, and imagination. Assuming that Dance is afforded the opportunity to educate, then research should be conducted to inform curriculum development and decision makers. Five research questions guided the inquiry: (a) What are the historical underpinnings of Dance in Jamaican society that inform the role of Dance in the educational system; in what ways did Dance individuals, groups, institutions and or companies shape the Dance culture in post-colonial Jamaica (1962 - 2009)? (b) In what ways can children in early childhood, primary and secondary educational institutions in Jamaica benefit from the inclusion of Dance Education in the formal school curriculum? (c) How do education stakeholders in Jamaica view the need for a national policy for Dance Education in Jamaica? (d) What factors have prevented the development of a national policy for Dance Education in Jamaica? (e) In reviewing post-Independence Government legislature and policies for education and culture (1962 - 2009), what is needed to support the development of a national policy for Dance Education? The evolution of Jamaican dance education history since Independence in 1962 is both a point of departure and an anchor to broach other themes for discussion: shifting educational philosophies and Dance as a phenomenon of cultural and aesthetic dimensions. Findings of the study strengthen the premise that for every child to be afforded the benefits of Dance Education, Dance should be included in the formal curriculum of public schools as a matter of policy. Such a policy should address major issues like curriculum revision and teacher education, making Dance an essential part of the early childhood through secondary education core curriculum. Jamaica's children need opportunities to communicate in their own unique voice--they need to `own' the Dance. This research has generated a framework towards development of an initial concept paper for policy development in Jamaica. The study is limited to Jamaica, but findings may have implications for the Caribbean region.