Tweet
Campion Ain't Just Another School
Published: Friday | November 29, 2013 1 Comment
Andrew Lindsay, Guest Columnist
I am writing to respond to the young author from Campion College whose letter about the misperceptions of the school has garnered much attention from students and alumni. As a recent alumnus of Campion College, I completely understand where this student is coming from.
When I attended, I had many of the same opinions, but in my little over a year away, I have come to the conclusion that there are indeed many truths to these alleged "malignant views" about the school.
First, one must understand that the negative views about the school and the subsequent connection to elitism are indicative of the tremendous classism that is a mainstay of Jamaican society. When an individual from another school attacks Campion College with an argument like "How much Campion pay fi win dis?", this is merely an attempt to reclaim some power over a certain group of individuals in Jamaica, the wealthy and/or educated in society, who under normal circumstances call most of the shots.
inherent societal bias
Any Campionite who attempts to claim discrimination in a mere high-school competition fails to recognise that there is almost always inherent societal bias in the Campion graduate's favour, at least when it comes to prospects in tertiary education and on the job market. With the immense educational privilege that the average Campionite has, this type of complaint is akin to a white person in the US complaining about reverse racism.
Second, I have to disagree with the notion that "it is not the school that matters". The resources that Campion College has are bar none. Between the multimillion-dollar library funded, in large part, by the assistance of Gordon 'Butch' Stewart, the tiled parking lot in front of the staff house with matching fountain and upgraded canteen to boot, it is hard to oppose the view that Campion is a rich school, at least when compared with other secondary schools of similar size.
Moreover, Campion's faculty is among the best in the island, which, in large part, accounts for the significant number of students among its cohort who are now in medical school, law school and in schools overseas.
poor students' plight
Finally, there are indeed poor students at Campion College. But they are in the minority, and their addition does very little for the claim that the school is not an agent of class reproduction. One reason is because GSAT is, for many reasons, rigged in favour of students with means.
Another is that in my seven years at the school, I have observed that if a student is of humble means and is not as academically successful as the cohort or prominent on campus for another reason such as athletics or student government, they can be made to feel misplaced. I can firmly make this claim on behalf of individuals in my class who have had this experience.
In conclusion, Campion College has many misperceptions, but there is a grain of truth which resides with each. Campion is a socio-economically diverse school, but is by no means a school of, or for, paupers. The school clearly doesn't rig school competitions, but of more importance is the fact that society is rigged in its students' favour simply for the sheer number of opportunities that are afforded to them.
Instead of playing the blame game, affiliates and non-affiliates alike should put more attention into the hows and whys associated with these misperceptions because there's more to them than meet the eye. Among the questions that should be asked include: How do we increase our lower socio-economic groups in upper-tier schools like Campion? Why are there so many prep-school students in the public high schools like Campion with better resources?
If we answer these questions, or at least ask them, perhaps we won't have all these malignant views - on both sides.
Andrew Lindsay is a Campion alumnus. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and alindsay16@amherst.edu.
Published: Friday | November 29, 2013 1 Comment
Andrew Lindsay, Guest Columnist
I am writing to respond to the young author from Campion College whose letter about the misperceptions of the school has garnered much attention from students and alumni. As a recent alumnus of Campion College, I completely understand where this student is coming from.
When I attended, I had many of the same opinions, but in my little over a year away, I have come to the conclusion that there are indeed many truths to these alleged "malignant views" about the school.
First, one must understand that the negative views about the school and the subsequent connection to elitism are indicative of the tremendous classism that is a mainstay of Jamaican society. When an individual from another school attacks Campion College with an argument like "How much Campion pay fi win dis?", this is merely an attempt to reclaim some power over a certain group of individuals in Jamaica, the wealthy and/or educated in society, who under normal circumstances call most of the shots.
inherent societal bias
Any Campionite who attempts to claim discrimination in a mere high-school competition fails to recognise that there is almost always inherent societal bias in the Campion graduate's favour, at least when it comes to prospects in tertiary education and on the job market. With the immense educational privilege that the average Campionite has, this type of complaint is akin to a white person in the US complaining about reverse racism.
Second, I have to disagree with the notion that "it is not the school that matters". The resources that Campion College has are bar none. Between the multimillion-dollar library funded, in large part, by the assistance of Gordon 'Butch' Stewart, the tiled parking lot in front of the staff house with matching fountain and upgraded canteen to boot, it is hard to oppose the view that Campion is a rich school, at least when compared with other secondary schools of similar size.
Moreover, Campion's faculty is among the best in the island, which, in large part, accounts for the significant number of students among its cohort who are now in medical school, law school and in schools overseas.
poor students' plight
Finally, there are indeed poor students at Campion College. But they are in the minority, and their addition does very little for the claim that the school is not an agent of class reproduction. One reason is because GSAT is, for many reasons, rigged in favour of students with means.
Another is that in my seven years at the school, I have observed that if a student is of humble means and is not as academically successful as the cohort or prominent on campus for another reason such as athletics or student government, they can be made to feel misplaced. I can firmly make this claim on behalf of individuals in my class who have had this experience.
In conclusion, Campion College has many misperceptions, but there is a grain of truth which resides with each. Campion is a socio-economically diverse school, but is by no means a school of, or for, paupers. The school clearly doesn't rig school competitions, but of more importance is the fact that society is rigged in its students' favour simply for the sheer number of opportunities that are afforded to them.
Instead of playing the blame game, affiliates and non-affiliates alike should put more attention into the hows and whys associated with these misperceptions because there's more to them than meet the eye. Among the questions that should be asked include: How do we increase our lower socio-economic groups in upper-tier schools like Campion? Why are there so many prep-school students in the public high schools like Campion with better resources?
If we answer these questions, or at least ask them, perhaps we won't have all these malignant views - on both sides.
Andrew Lindsay is a Campion alumnus. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and alindsay16@amherst.edu.
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
Comment