Keep prayer in Jamaican public schools

The Association of Christian Communicators and Media (ACCM) has called on the Ministry of Education in Jamaica to not limit devotions in public schools in the country. This appeal comes in the aftermath of a recent incident that took place during the general devotion at Oberlin High School, in the parish of St. Andrew.

The report stated that several of the students collapsed during the devotion period. Some were speaking in tongues and others overcome with emotions after a female instructor prayed with them.

The situation was investigated by the Ministry of Education and officials announced it will address a development procedure for devotion in public schools in the nation. In the meantime, the Association of Christian Communication and Media asked that the Ministry of Education take into account the fact that public schools in Jamaica were established on moral and legal foundations based on the Christian faith. “It is on this solid foundation, that the majority of traditional institutions of learning were built,” the group claimed.

In furthering their argument, the ACCM said that Jamaica has had the advantage of watching other countries dismantle the moral and Christian floorboards and observed the negative impact it had on children and families.

The Association of Christian Communicators and Media called for the devotions to continue. The group also noted that devotion in public school is a cultural identity carried out for centuries in Jamaica and they asked that it be defended.
In late August 2022, the Minister of Education, Fayval Williams called on faith-based community groups to join in the drive and help stamp out anti-social behaviors in schools. “We believe that the church can be a powerful ally in this quest to affect a change in behavior,” the education minister said then. Minister Williams asked for help to build moral character in the students and sought this support from the church.