







































 Business Management Research and Applications: A Cross Disciplinary Journal 

 

1  

Educating Black Males: A Jamaican Case - Issues, Lessons, and 

Trajectory 

 

Asburn Pinnock, Ed D | The Mico University College, Kingston, Jamaica 

Franklyn Bennett, M. Ed | The Mico University College, Kingston, Jamaica 

 

Contact: asburn.pinnock@themico.edu.jm or franklyn.bennett@themico.edu.jm or 

franklyngbennett@gmail.com 

 

 

 

 

Abstract 

 

The underperformance of black Caribbean males has been a long-standing phenomenon affecting the 

educational outcomes of men within the lower strata of society. Experimenting or second-chance programs 

have been implemented to address this issue, but there is limited evidence of their impact. This paper presents 

the case of the Pre-University Men’s Program (PUMP) at a teacher education institution in Kingston, 

Jamaica, from 2008 to 2020. It was investigated semi-qualitatively, incorporating focus group conversations, 

reflective narratives, interviews, and documentary analysis to collect the pertinent data from the men, service 

providers (facilitators and administrators), stakeholders, program documents, and students’ records. This 

investigation determines PUMP’s effectiveness in realizing the program objectives and adherence to second 

chance program standards, an administrative structure, and a support system. The findings revealed that 

PUMP has all the defining characteristics for second chance programs posited in literature; an 

acknowledgment of the socio-economic benefits to the men who participated in the programs is undeniable; 

and an opportunity to recruit male teachers to impact boys at an early age and keep them focused on a tertiary 

educational track is provided. PUMP is implemented through a functional administrative structure operated 

by the teacher education institution, but a not well-defined support system has undermined follow-up 

services for its participants. It is recommended that collaboration with other institutions and stakeholders to 

enhance student recruitment, funding, program diversity, administration, and support would secure program 

survival.  

 

Keywords: underperformance, second chance program, support system, effectiveness, standards 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

mailto:asburn.pinnock@themico.edu.jm
mailto:franklyn.bennett@themico.edu.jm
mailto:franklyngbennett@gmail.com


January 2025 | Volume 4, Number 2 
 

2  

 

Introduction 

The issue of the underperformance of black Caribbean males is an established problem 

with some consensus on the complex, interrelated root causes for lower-strata men's declining 

participation and performance in the educational system. The literature places significant emphasis 

on boys’ achievement relative to girls’ (Jha et al., 2017; Vantieghem et al, 2014; Clarke, 2005; 

Goldberg & Bruno, 1999; Chevannes, 2002; Parry, 1997). However, there is limited evidence of 

experimentation on programs designed to combat the issues specific to marginalized males 

(Johnson, 2016).  

Gender imbalance can be counterproductive in any society. Our reality, as reflected in the 

Gender Imbalance Cycle diagram (see Figure 1), is that there are low numbers of males graduating 

from high schools, even fewer matriculating to teachers’ colleges, and few being trained as 

teachers. This results in fewer male teachers graduating, thus fewer teacher role models for black 

boys in schools. The decreasing number of male teachers in the Jamaican classroom is creating 

social problems among boys. 

 

Figure 1: GENDER IMBALANCE CYCLE IN TEACHER EDUCATION 

 

 

 

(Pinnock, 2021) 

The Jamaican experience relative to boys or men reflects the global reality. According to a 

United Nations Report (2015) on worldwide gender distribution in education, it is quite clear that 

women far outnumbered men in the practice of education in all but one level of education. Sixty-

seven percent of the teachers at the primary level are females; 52 % of secondary education 

teachers are women, but 58 % of teachers at the tertiary level are men.  Bouchrika (2020) informed 

that a 2019 UNICEF Report indicated that at the primary level, 5.5 million more girls are out of 

school than boys, and more girls than boys are completing secondary education. At the post-

secondary level, 56.6 % of the enrolled student population in tertiary institutions are females. 

Low 
numbers of 

ms 
graduating 
from high 

schools

Fewer males 
matriculating 
to teachers’ 

colleges

Few males 
being 

trained as 
teachers

Less male 
teachers 

graduating

Less male 
teacher role 
models for 

black boys in 
schools

Less 
graduating 
males from 
high school



 Business Management Research and Applications: A Cross Disciplinary Journal 

 

3  

Outlined below is the co-relationship between male/female and African American males/other races, 

presented from the American perspective: 

 

According to an article written by Amy L. Solomon and published by the National Institute of 

Justice, an estimated 13 million people in the U.S. are admitted to and released from local jails. 

And more than 700,000 people are admitted to and released from state and local prisons each 

year, with men accounting for more than three-fourths of those arrested. The numbers are even 

more staggering for African Americans, who comprise almost 40 percent of the entire prison 

population. But even more troubling is the fact that, on any given day, one in 15 black men are in 

prison. And among young African American men—those ages 20 through 34—the ratio lowers 

further to one in nine. "In fact, young, male African American high-school dropouts have higher 

odds of being in jail than being employed," Solomon reports. These shameful statistics suggest that 

creating channels of re-entry are imperative (Weathersby,2015, p3). 

Comparing the above with the Jamaican experience, in a STATIN report (2019), of the 1,272 

prison inmates admitted at the central prison in the capital city in 2018, 96.1 % were males. In 2018, the 

U.N. Survey on World Prison Population reported 3,884 prison inmates, of which 96.7% were males.  

Gayle (2002), in his research on young males’ survivability, found that one-fifth of the perpetrators of 

crime and violence are males 20 years and younger. These data provide emerging insights into what factors 

account for the males who do not make it to college and or are qualified for a job. The data highlight 

Jamaica’s sad reality that there are more males in prisons. Inferences are likely to be drawn, too, that there 

are more males in the cemeteries, more males on the streets, and more males unemployed.  There are 

perceptions among well-thinking Jamaicans that these men are preoccupied with gender thinking, i.e., 

having the thought that males are getting by or beating the system. Therefore, education beyond the 

primary level or lower secondary level does not seem attractive to them.  

Many jurisdictions employ corrective measures, often called Second Chance Programs, to address 

this issue. Second chance programs are used worldwide to support disadvantaged or marginalized youth. 

Inherent in these programs are socio-economic benefits. Not only will they redirect socially misaligned 

young men from deviant behavior, but the second chance programs will also recreate gender equilibrium 

by returning males to the education landscape, especially at the tertiary level. This will also impact the 

economy positively as it will reduce the dependency of these men on the state resources while putting them 

in a position to add to its economic growth. In the case of PUMP at a teacher education institution, the 

program adds other benefits, including the induction of males into the teaching profession and the 

provision of other productive alternative pathways, hence helping to break the cycle of black male 

delinquency.  

 

Literature Review 

Second chance programs have given the disadvantaged or marginalized alternatives and hope. In 

1992 and 1993, Mark McFadden conducted an ethnographic inquiry into the effects of a bridging program 

aimed at homeless and educational deprived youth in Sydney, Australia. It implemented a program of 

pedagogic strategy for change and relied on Bernstein’s concept of classification and framing and Gidden’s 

theory of structuration in interpreting the research. McFadden (1996) found both concepts helpful in 

highlighting how different groups could navigate their way through what he referred to as the bridging 

program. Participants were now in a position where they matriculated and were offered positions in tertiary 

institutions; some still had an uncertain future, while others remained the way they came. Another second 

chance program was conducted in Mexico in 1995, where Ron Hubbard used a second chance program to 

detoxicate and rehabilitate substance abusers. 

Related literature on the design and structure of second chance programs suggests that programs 

that serve as educational bridges are more effective when they address the pedagogical experience of the 

participants (McFadden, 1996). McFadden opined that the previously failed strategies would fail again 

because they would no doubt remind the participants of their disappointing and sometimes painful past. 

Adding to the advice on program design and structure, European Centre for the Development of 

http://www.nij.gov/journals/270/pages/criminal-records.aspx#noteReference29
http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/pjim06.pdf
http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/pjim06.pdf


January 2025 | Volume 4, Number 2 
 

4  

Vocational Training (2021) posits that the characteristics of a second chance program include 

deliberate interaction of young people through community support; a creative alternative to 

mainstream education through an environment that engenders friendliness and mutual respect; 

development of the whole person through the engagement of a multi-professional team or staff; 

diagnostic assessment of the learners for individualized instruction and related engagements; 

relevant connection with the formal education sector, in that outcomes from the second chance 

program should be useful in the formal sector (employment  and higher education); provision of  

flexibility in practice in dealing with registration, attendance, instruction, assessment and sanction; 

promotion of  positive attitudes through stakeholder awareness of the benefits of second chance  

program; utilizing eclectic teaching and learning methods through integration of andragogy, 

coaching, competency based education and training (CBET), practical and field work; and the 

inclusion of motivational activities through formal and informal means. Savelsberg et al. (2017) 

concur with these program components but emphasize the importance of relationship building, 

mentoring, and the persistent presence of service providers securing coverage (protection) for the 

participants.  

The desired outcomes of second-chance programs suggest that second-chance measures 

allow participants to gain a formal qualification that eluded them in mainstream school. Besides 

academic accomplishments, second chance programs can enhance participants’ soft outcomes and 

skills such as self-awareness, self-planning for the future, and emotional intelligence. These skills 

can position participants for gainful employment or further education if developed or enhanced. 

Second-chance opportunities can also result in positive outcomes for at-risk youth facing complex 

barriers to learning, such as substance abuse, housing or health issues, the lack of parental support, 

and involvement in crime (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, 2021). 

Limitations and challenges of second chance programs restrict the full extent to which set 

targets are realized. McFadden’s ethnographic research (1996) noted that some students were 

successful while others dropped out or remained disadvantaged. The real key to this is to find out 

the factors that enabled success in a second chance program and how those may be harnessed to 

design a program to ensure success. It was noted that pedagogy that participants could not relate to 

saw them revert to old practices, which undermined changed behaviors (McFadden,1996).  

Lindguist et al. (2015), in evaluating a second-chance program for adult offenders, found 

other challenges that undermined the program's effectiveness. Some of these challenges include 

delays in buy-in from policymakers, frequent staff turnover, and limited record-keeping. In their 

research, Savelsberg et al. (2017) concurred with the observation of Lindguist et al. (2015) 

regarding the inconsistent goodwill and investment by service providers or staff. They provided 

other challenges to the second chance program implemented, such as limited funding, especially in 

follow-up areas after the program was completed. That quick fix instead of an incremental 

approach did not address participants’ long-term needs. The literature concludes that a proper 

support system in a non-threatening environment should help in the program’s success. 

 

Methods 

This investigation evaluates the Pre-University Men’s Program (PUMP) at a teacher 

education institution in Kingston, Jamaica, from 2008 to 2020 to determine its effectiveness in 

realizing the program objectives, adherence to second chance program standards, and 

administrative structure and support system. The evaluation was carried out at the teacher 

education section of the institution that operates continuing education programs. It is a public 

entity with over 170 years of service to the Western Hemisphere.   

PUMP was evaluated through a quasi-qualitative means, which incorporated focus group 

conversations, reflective narratives, semi-structured interviews, and documentary analysis to 

purposively collect the pertinent data from the men (20 graduates), service providers (10 

facilitators and five administrators), four stakeholders, PUMP document or curriculum and 

students’ records for the period 2008 to 2020. Each of the program’s objectives guided the 



 Business Management Research and Applications: A Cross Disciplinary Journal 

 

5  

thematic analysis and presentation of the data. The literature supports such a research design to facilitate 

quasi-qualitative data analysis (Knodel & Saengtienchai, 1999; Barron & Tracey, 2018).   

Semi-structured interviews and focus group conversations were held separately with the 

men, service providers, and other stakeholders of PUMP. These participants interacted with the program 

from 2008 to 2020. The interviews and conversations aimed to unearth their experiences and solicit 

feedback on the program's impact. Participants were also allowed to share their reflective thoughts 

electronically. Available students’ records (admission, attendance, performance, and behavior) and PUMP 

Documents or Curricula were accessed with permission. The semi-structured interview schedule, focus 

group conversation guide, instruction guide for reflective thoughts, and checklists for document analysis 

were validated through vetting done by colleagues and then updated based on the feedback. 

Data from students’ records, the PUMP Document, reflective thoughts, semi-interviews, and focus 

group conversations were used for inductive and deductive content analysis. Pre-determined themes also 

guided the analysis. The quasi-qualitative analysis proved useful in evaluating and forming conclusions on 

PUMP's effectiveness. 

All participants were informed about the study's purpose and obtained consent before participation. 

Anonymity and confidentiality using pseudonyms were maintained throughout the research process to 

ensure that participants felt comfortable sharing their honest opinions and insights. 

The Intervention   

 As one of its kind at the national tertiary education level, the Pre-University Men’s Program 

(PUMP) was established in part as a response to Gayle's (2002) research on young males’ survivability. It 

signaled that one-fifth of the perpetrators of crime and violence are males twenty (20) years and younger 

and established the link between a lack of adequate, equitable, and targeted investments in education and 

its relationship to crime and violence (Gayle, 2021, Presentation on Underrepresentation of Males in 

Higher Education Institutions). It is not coincidental that Gayle (2021) revealed that being an uneducated 

male in Jamaica is the main requirement for gang recruitment. His findings revealed that a Jamaican male 

batters his woman more than 50% of the national average of Latin American and Caribbean countries. A 

survey conducted with boys from Montego Bay, Spanish Town, and Kingston, Jamaica, revealed that boys 

who sat three subjects in CSEC were four times less likely to be harmed by gun or knife violence or be 

involved in a gang (Gayle, 2021).  

Therefore, PUMP, as a second chance initiative, has been implemented in Jamaica with these 

objectives:  

1. Increase the number of men accessing tertiary education. 

2. Increase the number of male teachers in the classroom.  

3. Provide an alternate pathway to crime and violence. 

 

PUMP is a one-year matriculating program into a four-year bachelor’s degree in education. It 

simultaneously inducts the men into the teaching profession. PUMP develops competencies in literacy, 

numeracy, communication, information technology, and technical vocations to the CSEC level. It provides 

advanced-level engagement in psychology, resource management, and spiritual and moral studies. 

Opportunities are also provided in mentoring, study skills, social interactions, entrepreneurship, 

employability skills, and personal and civic awareness or pride. 

PUMP is scheduled as a full-time day (2 semesters) and a part-time evening (3 semesters) 

program. It weighs thirty to thirty-six credits based on the time-of-day participants access the program. The 

men are integrated into the entire life of the university college. This integration gives the men access to 

sports, clubs and societies, inter-house and collegiate competitions, residential accommodation, and 

participation in all events of the university college. This immersion is designed to give them a real identity 

as an emerging ‘Model Man’- an outstanding teacher and leader in the community.  

Structurally, PUMP embraces compatible philosophical, psychological, and sociological 

principles. These principles govern curriculum development, which are in tandem with second chance 

programs. In the main, an ad hoc approach (Williams, 2013) was used by a team of educators who were 

growing in reflective and reflexive practice as a strategy to respond to immediate societal demands. PUMP 



January 2025 | Volume 4, Number 2 
 

6  

incorporates a holistic focus and an interdisciplinary approach, thus catering to the needs of the 

whole person or man (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, 2021). The 

disciplines included were Language, Science, Mathematics, Humanities, Vocation, Sports, and 

Arts (see Table 1). 

 

Table 1 

PUMP Structure 

 

Semester 1 Credit Semester 2 Credit 

CSEC English Language / City & 

Guilds English Skills   

 
CSEC English Language / City & Guilds 

English Skills 

3 

CSEC Mathematics / City & Guilds 

Mathematics 

 
CSEC Mathematics / City & Guilds 

Mathematics 

3 

Research & Information Technology 
 

Research & Information Technology 3 

Introduction to Teaching Profession 3 Resource Management 3 

Mentorship 
 

Mentorship 3 

Human Development (Advanced Level) 3 Spiritual & Moral Development or Any 

Other (Advanced Level))  

3 

Career & Personal Development 0 TVET (Skill Area) 3 

Entrepreneurship  3 Voice & Speech  3 

TVET (Skill Area) 3 Sports & The Arts 0 
 

12 
 

24 

 

Progressivism as an educational philosophy and constructivism as an educational theory 

underpinned how courses were designed, developed, and implemented. This provided the 

facilitation for reflectivity and student-centredness, which should give a voice to learners 

(Schneider, 1996). This teaching methodology incorporated sacred texts (Erickson, 2002) for 

rehabilitation. From a sociological perspective (functionalist), building social cohesion through 

civic pride and promoting values, attitudes, ethics of care, and justice were incorporated into the 

program as a practice for participants and the service providers or staff. Savelsberg et al. (2017) 

endorsed such inclusion since it engenders respect, protection, trust, and realness when interacting 

with the men in the program. Also, in terms of providing mentors for the men in the program, 

careful attention was given to select model male alumni and maternal females who practiced 

pastoral care.  

Sponsorship was solicited from the corporate sector, alumni, and government sources. In 

the initial years of PUMP, sponsorship was solicited by some Members of Parliament. According 

to McFadden (1996) and Savelsberg et al. (2017), funding is necessary for second chance 

programs to survive.  

 Other features built into the program were flexibility which provided laxity in movements 

within reason; diagnostic assessment used as a frame of reference for actions; motivational 

activities to spark internal and external drive for success; and relational engagements for building 

and maintaining healthy human relationships with each other (see European Centre for the 

Development of Vocational Training; 2021, Savelsberg, et, al.,2017; Lindguist et al., 2015; 

McFadden, 1996). 



 Business Management Research and Applications: A Cross Disciplinary Journal 

 

7  

Findings & Discussion: Other Lessons Learned 

PUMP’s effectiveness was qualitatively measured in terms of the extent to which its objectives 

regarding the scope and quality of impact on the men who participated in the program were realized for the 

review period. Its adherence to second chance program standards, administrative structure, and support 

system was also included.  

 The related findings are shared under categorized themes aligned with PUMP's objectives and 

discussed accordingly in the context of the relevant literature on recommendations for successful second-

chance programs explored.   

 

Motivators that propelled the participants towards academic pursuits vis-a-vis their counterparts or 

contemporaries 

 

Based on data gleaned at student selection interviews (admission records) and students’ 

reflections, the men were attracted to PUMP because it gave them another opportunity to access education, 

and more so at the tertiary level, the possibility of getting financial assistance, an escape route from the 

negative influences of their community, and the chance to be recognized as 'M students’ and eventually 

teachers.  

The following are reflections from some students who pursued the program: 

Mikmac: “My PUMP journey was one filled with substance; it helped to prepare me for my 

journey in the degree program”. 

Osh: “It is a great start for young men who have the zeal to keep fighting”. 

Mrk: “I was struggling with self-esteem issues for a period in my life and when the teacher 

education institution accepted someone like me, who society looks down on, I was elated. When 

others who are disabled see me, they will be encouraged to continue and go forward.” 

For these recruits, PUMP is seen as an empowering mechanism for those on the margins of 

society. Table 2 summarizes the profile of the men enrolled in PUMP. It was instructive that ‘men at risk’ 

or the marginalized males, as coined by Miller (1991) and as seen by the Caribbean Policy Research 

Institute-CAPRI (2020), are in the below 35 years age group. In contrast, Children First’s Claudette 

Richardson-Pious (2020), in a presentation on ‘At Risk Youth Issues and Challenges in Jamaica,’ pointed 

out that empirical evidence revealed that ‘unattached youth’ accounted for 30% of the youth population 

and these youth are from 10 to 24 years old; of which 26.2% are males. These vulnerable men, according 

to these researchers, are illiterate, undereducated, unemployed, not participating in any training program, 

murder victims, and primary perpetrators of crime (CAPRI, 2020; Richardson-Pious, 2020).  These 

realities reinforced similar findings the Office of the Children Advocate (2011), and Levy (2012) shared 

with the Jamaican public that youth, mainly men (70.9%) in the age groups 12 to 18 years and 17 to 45 

years respectively, are delinquents.                    

Table 2 

Profile of Men Enrolled in PUMP:2008 - 2020 

Age Range Education At-Risk Community 

10 - 14 years None None None 

15 – 19 years Dropped out of upper 

secondary; completed 

secondary with 2-3 

CSEC subject passes  

Involved in, and being 

influenced by others in 

unlawful activities 

Urban; urban inner-

city; rural 



January 2025 | Volume 4, Number 2 
 

8  

20 – 24 years Dropped out of upper 

secondary; completed 

secondary with 2-3 

CSEC subject passes; 

attended evening 

classes and obtained 2 

– 3 CSEC subject 

passes 

Involved in, and being 

influenced by others in 

unlawful activities; 

seasonal or 

odd/menial 

employment 

Urban; urban inner-

city; rural 

25 – 29 years completed secondary 

with 2-3 CSEC subject 

passes; attended 

evening classes and 

obtained 2 – 3 CSEC 

subject passes 

Seasonal or 

odd/menial 

employment; child 

support demands; 

being influenced by 

others in unlawful 

activities; ex-inmate 

Urban; urban inner-

city; rural 

Menial 

 

 From the program's onset, the men could identify with PUMP based on what was 

advertised for recruitment and information gleaned during their admission processing. They started 

feeling accepted. This realization of the convergence of students’ needs and the focus of the 

program is consistent with the typical participants’ profile for second chance programs advanced 

by the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (2021); Savelsberg et al., 

(2017); Lindguist et al., (2015) and McFadden, (1996). 

Intrinsic and extrinsic sources of motivation were active through the men’s desire for self 

and professional improvement and encouragement from participants, past teachers or school 

administrators, church members, family members, politicians, community members, corporate 

sponsors, and past PUMP students. Other stakeholders’ endorsements of PUMP as a rehabilitating 

endeavor were summarized in the following excerpts:  

 SH: “…an incubator for our male youth…it counteracts absenteeism of fathers and low percentage of 

males in the classroom…” 

Rev: “…has taken the men out of the rough and shaped them into value…” 

TP:” A highlight of this program is the men’s enthusiasm, evident through the questions they ask…” 

Dr: …” critical and useful program to facilitate young men who could be considered late starters….” 

 

The men's shared experiences affirmed that PUMP strongly appealed to their needs, 

especially allowing them to gain a formal qualification and be again connected to the formal 

education system. Other stakeholders of PUMP were convinced that the program was directing the 

men away from the socioeconomic barriers that restricted their personal and professional pursuits 

before their enrolment in PUMP. This reality is fully aligned with the desired outcomes advanced 

by Savelsberg et al. (2017) and supported by the European Centre for the Development of 

Vocational Training (2021).  

Ways in which program structure and teaching methodologies facilitated educational attainment.  

 

A consensus among participants and the service providers (staff) is that PUMP, as a one-year 

matriculating program, prepared males to qualify for entry into a bachelor’s degree in education (teaching) 

program of their choice.  

Between 2008 and 2020, approximately 200 men were enrolled in PUMP, and over 150 

have been empowered in many ways. The program’s 75% success rate suggests that many men 

have developed the competencies facilitated through the courses. This outcome supports 

McFadden’s (1996) experience that a bridging program should provide success to persons 

previously considered failures in mainstream education. From the analysis, more than 135 



 Business Management Research and Applications: A Cross Disciplinary Journal 

 

9  

matriculated to undergraduate programs at MUC and have done well. One of these transformed men, 

Mikmac, became President of the Guild of Students in 2014. He shared:  

 

“PUMP prepared me for life. This preparation enabled me to serve in the most senior level of 

student governance.  In my second year of study, I served as Assistant Students’ Relations Officer, 

Students’ Relations Officer in my third year and President of the Guild of Students in my final 

year.  Serving in these positions gave me valuable, life changing experiences. I could not have 

bought the gains I have garnered from my experiences…,all of this came through PUMP”. 

 

The following thoughts from one of the program administrators captured the real educational impact 

of PUMP:  

 

Den: “Its inaugural years admitted 25 men, of which 21 matriculated into B Ed programs. 

Subsequent years witnessed men who came in on a five-year track graduating with honours…” 

 

The data revealed that to orient the men into teaching; engaging opportunities were provided in 

mentoring, study skills, social interactions, and personal and civic awareness or pride. Both the service 

providers (staff) and students admitted that employability skills were integrated throughout the program.  

The teaching methodologies included practical, hands-on, and student-friendly activities encouraging 

authentic and alternative learning assessment. These program characteristics are consistent with 

McFadden’s (1996) notion that the pedagogy used in a second-chance education should not allow 

participants to revert to old practices, which undermine changed behaviors. 

According to the men who participated in PUMP, the program was scheduled to facilitate the full-

time day and part-time evening students. This is an occurrence of the flexibility built into PUMP, adherent 

to the criteria outlined by the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (2021) and 

Savelsberg et al. (2017), in that a second chance program should offer flexible provision. None of these 

men pursued the program in the evening because they were unemployed. Although one of them was 

employed, he was accommodated to retain his status as a day student, as explained here: While Rom was a 

full-time day student, he was employed, but the program’s flexibility accommodated his working schedule. 

His employers were so impressed with his overall performance in the program and on the job that he was 

promoted. Rom expressed “…the great thing about the degree that I’m doing from this institution is that I 

am not limited to teaching in a classroom. I can enter the institution and still use my voice to try to 

empower others who come from situations like mine, to make something of themselves...” 

In general, the men accepted that as day students, they were integrated fully into the institution's 

life as a strategic means to give them a real identity as an emerging ‘Model Man’. This integration allowed 

them to deport themselves as a typical student and access to sports, clubs/societies, inter-house and 

collegiate competitions, residential accommodation, and participation in all institution events. To be placed 

in an environment where participants experience non-discrimination but confidence building and comfort 

is a high global recommendation for the provision of second-chance education (see European Centre for 

the Development of Vocational Training, 2021; Savelsberg et al., 2017; Lindguist et al., 2015; McFadden, 

1996).  

The following are recollections from the participants regarding PUMP: 

 

KE: … “Although we integrate with the wider college…this is on a social level…. the other 

students behaved in a way for you to know there is a difference in qualification…. anyway, they 

help you with your work…”  

 

 Ric: “We are shown love and are called sons by Ms Bec who not afraid to open her eyes on us if 

we not behaving right. If she found out we are in need of anything, she secretly gave it to us. She 

and Ms J provided breakfast for us too. Ms J keeps us professional with PD…They and others even 

prayed with us…and inspired us with bible verses...”  

 



January 2025 | Volume 4, Number 2 
 

10  

Rom:” I finished my PUMP year as a top student and got an award. I got a scholarship in my first 

year in the degree program. Although I withdrew from the program because of migration, PUMP 

made the difference in my life for any other career path I choose….” 

 

One of the service providers cautioned that “although the program is fulfilling, it is 

challenged by inconsistent adherence to set standards. However, attention is given to learning and 

mentorship”. This reality check is consistent with the inherent barriers of second chance programs, 

which should be addressed deliberately. The tips given by the European Centre for the 

Development of Vocational Training (2021) and other advocates (Savelsberg et al., 2017; 

Lindguist et al., 2015) to develop a second chance program indicate the inclusion of well-tailored 

strategies to meet participants’ needs. If not established, such efforts will not realize many benefits 

as workable links with internal and external systems for support, such as referral and other 

interconnected services, would not be accessible to the participants. This creates a gap in the 

balance of service in a fulsome sense.  

 

Program experience influenced alternative pathways and classroom male teacher presence 

 

Over the twelve years of the more than 135 men who matriculated to undergraduate 

teaching programs, 76 graduated as trained teachers, increasing the male teacher presence in 

Jamaican classrooms. During their undergraduate years, several men got involved in leadership 

engagements and ably served as House Captains. Many were (and are still) active in sports and 

music and represented the teacher education institution well in Sports and Music Competitions.         

A proud moment occurred in 2011 when NB, a cricketer, was recruited for the West Indies 

Cricket Team. Also, MS, another cricketer, was selected to play for the national cricket team for 

the visually challenged. Again, these transformed men became role models to others of similar 

backgrounds. Empowered PUMP men are now trained coaches, primary school teachers, and 

teachers of Physical Education, Music, Social Studies, and Business Studies in high schools. Some 

PUMP graduates are trained guidance counselors in schools. Those who did not move into teacher 

education programs or other programs of study elsewhere were channeled into employment 

opportunities and other gainful activities. One of them secured an overseas sports scholarship. 

 

 PUMP graduates shared how the program added value to their lives:  

Chr: “The program is so developed that it caters to the holistic development of the human being.  

Courses such as Mentorship and Personal Development taught me how to be confident, focused 

and to prepare my mind to set goals and work towards achieving them. Can you believe it...I am a 

trained teacher and in a school working and taking care of my family…”? 

New Me: … “I remember the awards function we dressed formally for...It was first for me to wear 

a suit and eat with knife and fork and do the other things...they guided us well…Mr S, Sir B..and 

Ms DW…. thanks…” 

Osh: “It is a great start for young men who have the zeal to keep fighting; take my word, you will 

love your time spent there once you apply yourself. I now know ‘I am a forceful energy; I can’t be 

stopped. Live life above elevation’…” 

 Evidently, PUMP mentored, engendered survival and problem-solving skills in, and built 

brotherhood among the men. They experienced kindness, empathy, and reciprocity. Their 

experiences, although diverse, would be cherished. The processes involved were not always 

welcomed, but they had to endure with a good amount of fun. The renewal these men experienced 

validates McFadden’s (1996) idea that change will happen in a supportive environment. The fact 

that these men’s economic well-being, among other things, improved is a strong indication that the 

list of individual benefits for participants in a second chance program advanced by the European 

Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (2021) is useful to guide program development 

and implementation. The PUMP experience is consistent with these benefits or desired outcomes. 



 Business Management Research and Applications: A Cross Disciplinary Journal 

 

11  

Barriers experienced and hurdled 

Despite the expressed positives of PUMP, the dropouts, shortfall in student enrolment 

(reduced from 25 students to under 15), limited funding, and gaps in family support have been active 

threats to the program's survival. These realities are consistent with barriers experienced in second-chance 

programs described by Savelsberg et al. (2017).  Critical stakeholders of the program have been concerned 

and, through their expressed thoughts, shared the following: 

 

Dev: “...An excellent program as seen in the men’s desire to learn. Some of them were unable to 

complete the program and this affected their ability to go onto higher learning. Funding is a 

challenge, therefore sponsorship is needed…” 

 

RK: “...These men have grown in discipline despite pockets of disciplinary challenge...” 

 

Sek: “...Attendance is challenged due to the financial state of these men...”   

 

A minority of the men who did not complete the program or were unsuccessful in their completion 

admitted that: 

 

Preacher: “… I am called to preach…. the activities involved cause me not to give the time for my 

studies…. I was in demand...so I had to stop…I thought I could cope...but I was far behind in my 

work so I couldn’t continue...” 

 

Inmate: “…. teaching is not for me because I still struggle to manage my anger. Letting you know 

I was an inmate…, not easy to share and …. you didn’t use it against me. I did not continue to the 

degree… I find a work….” 

 

Disappointed: “... Because I did not sit the Math exams you paid for is used against me to move 

into the degree program…. I still could get a chance and do the exam next time…”  

  

The admitted reasons for being unsuccessful in the program were in the locus of control of these 

men. This realization means more individualized counseling opportunities are needed to resolve personal 

struggles and career pursuits. This individualized provision is a necessary feature advanced by the 

European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (2021) to be present in second-chance 

interventions. Other barriers encountered, as gleaned from the data analyzed, were administrative. 

Students’ records were in place, but follow-up records relative to students’ progression were inconsistently 

kept or not in place. As cautioned by Savelsberg et al. (2017), this gap of limited record-keeping resulted 

in many instances in which approximations were used to report the men’s experiences after they completed 

their PUMP year and graduated as trained teachers.   

The analysis of the data shows that implemented initiatives or strategies to mitigate the challenges 

experienced during the period under review included fundraising through an annual 5K Run/Walk called 

‘PUMP It UP’; internal subsidies where possible, a student work program; and sponsorship from targeted 

Members of Parliament and corporate interests. All advocates of second chance programs agreed that 

limited funding undermines the full effectiveness of any such program implemented (see European Centre 

for the Development of Vocational Training, 2021: Savelsberg et al., 2017; Lindguist et al., 2015; 

McFadden, 1996). 

 

Conclusion: Trajectory  

PUMP has reflected all the defining characteristics of second chance programs posited in 

literature, and an acknowledgment of the socioeconomic benefits to the men who participated in the 

programs is undeniable. It will redirect socially misaligned young men from deviant behaviors and recreate 

gender equilibrium by returning males to the tertiary landscape and increasing male teacher presence in the 

classrooms. This will also impact the economy positively as it will reduce the dependency of these men on 



January 2025 | Volume 4, Number 2 
 

12  

state resources while putting them in a position to contribute to the country’s economic growth. In 

the case of PUMP, it even goes further and provides an opportunity to recruit male teachers to 

impact boys at an early age and keep them focused on a tertiary educational track and or some 

other productive alternative pathways, hence helping to break the cycle of black male delinquency. 

PUMP is implemented through a functional administrative structure operated by the institution, but 

a not well-defined support system has undermined follow-up services for its participants. 

 In using the successes of PUMP as a platform to move forward, the following is 

recommended: 

1.  Consider a multi-agency national student recruitment drive to increase young men's 

college intake significantly.  

2. Solicit consistent funding and referral support through multi-ministry government and 

non-government alliances.  

3. Collaborate with other colleges and educational institutions to offer the PUMP program 

and significantly increase male classroom presence.  

4. Diversify PUMP to appeal to men not inclined to become teachers. The program could 

include opportunities for other valuable courses of study and entrepreneurial skills to serve the 

public and private sectors.  

5. Strengthen the program's administrative support and undertake a longitudinal study of 

every cohort of men enrolled in PUMP and beyond so that the program's real impact can be 

properly ascertained. 

 

References 
 

Admans, R., (2019) The Guardian, 5th September 2019 edition. Gaps in Academic Skills of Girls and boys 

widen. https://www.the guardian.com 

Barron, I. & Tracey, J. (2018). Quasi-Qualitative Evaluation of Progressive Counting in Secure 

Accommodation in Scotland: An Exploratory cluster case study, Journal of Cild & Adolescent 

Trauma, 11(3): 305-315 

Bouchrika, I. (2020). 55 Education Statistics: Global Latest Trends & Predictions. Research. 

https://www.guide2research.com  

Caribbean Policy Research Institute-CAPRI (2020). Gun Out: The Splintering of Jamaica’s Gangs. 

http://ow.ly/eusN5OCGZ/l 

Chevannes, B (2002). What you sow Is What you reap: Violence and Construction of Male Identity in 

Jamaica. Current Issues in Comparative Education 2 (1) 

https?www.tc.columbia.edu/cice/pdf/25651_2_1_Chevannes.pdf&vedv-

AKHSp4CCcQFjACegQIBRC&usg=AOvVaw19ANeOcz-xEfBgy0qITjaT 

Edelenbosch, R.; Kupper. F; Krabbendem, L; Broerse (2015). Brain-Based Learning and Educational 

Neuroscience: Boundry Work. Mind, Brain and Education. 9(1) 40-49 

Edutopia Staff (2013). Multiple Intelligences: What Does the Research Say? Edutopia. 

https://www.edutopia.org/multiple-intelligences-research 

Erickson, V. (2002). Social Theory, Sacred Text and Sing-Sing Prison A Sociology of Community-Based 

Reconciliation. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 35(3-4) 225-241. https://www.tandfonline.com 

European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (2021). Second chance measures. 

https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/toolkits/vet-toolkit-tackling-early-leaving/intervention-

approaches/second-chancemeasures  

Gayle, H.   (2002). Adolescent Male Survivability in Jamaica.  The Jamaica Adolescent Reproductive 

Health Project (Youth.now). Kgn Ja 

 Gayle, H.  & Bryan, P. (2019). Males and Tertiary Education in Jamaica.  University Press of the West 

Indies, Mona, Ja 

Gayle, H. (2021). Presentation on Underrepresentation of Males in Higher Education Institutions. Webinar 

on Black Boys Education: Currency, Practices and Social Interventions in Jamaica held on March 

19, 2021 

 

https://www.the/
https://www.tandfonline.com/
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/toolkits/vet-toolkit-tackling-early-leaving/intervention-approaches/second-chancemeasures
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/toolkits/vet-toolkit-tackling-early-leaving/intervention-approaches/second-chancemeasures


 Business Management Research and Applications: A Cross Disciplinary Journal 

 

13  

Giuliano, P. (2020). Gender and Culture (Discussion Paper). IZA-Institute of Labour Economics. 

https://www.ftp.iza.org 

Goldberg, N. and Bruno, R.  (1999) Male Underachievement in Dominica: Extent, Causes and Solutions. 

Final Report. Roseau, Dominica: Basic Education Reform Project, Ministry of Education, Sports, 

and Youth Affairs 

Guiso, L., Monte, F., Saprenza, P., Zingales, L. (2008). Culture, Gender and Math. Science (New York, 

N.Y.) 320. 1164-1165.  

Jha, J, Menon, N. and Chatterjee, D. (2017). Boys’ Underperformance in Education: Revisiting the Issue in 

the Commonwealth. Commonwealth of Learning. Learning for Sustainable Development. 

http://hdl.handle.net/11599/2810 

Johnson, B. (2016) The Impact of Single Sex Classrooms on the Academic Achievement and Attitude of 

Boys in a Rural Primary School in Jamaica. The Mico University College Journal of Education, 7, 

110-126. 

Knodel, J. & Saengtienchai, C. (1999). Studying living arrangement of the elderly: Lessons from a quasi-

qualitative case study in Thailand, Journal of cross-cultural Gerontology 14(3), 197-220 

Levy, H. (2012). Youth Violence and Organized Crime in Jamaica: Causes and Counter-Measures, An 

Examination of Linkages and Disconnections Institute of Criminal Justice and Security – UWI. 

https://idl-bnc-idrc.dspacedirect.org  

Lindguist, C, Buck-Willison, J, Rossman, S., Hardison-Walters, J., & Lawrence, P., (2015). Second 

Chance Act Adult Offender Re-entry Demonstration Program: Implementation, Challenges & 

Lessons Learned. Research Triangle Institute, Urban Institute, Washington, DC  

Marcus, J. (2017). Why Men are the New College Minority. The Atlantic Education, The Atlantic Monthly 

Group. https://www.amp.theatlantic.com 

McFadden, M. (1996) Second Chance Education: accessing opportunity or recycling disadvantaged? 

International Studies in Sociology of Education, 6(1) 87-111. 

http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/riss20 

Miller, E. (1991). Men at Risk. Jamaica Publishing House Ltd, Kgn (Digitized 2009) 

Ministry of Education, Youth and Information (2021) Literacy, numeracy results show girls out mastering 

boys. https://moey.gov.jm/literacy-numeray-results-show-girls-outmastering-boys                       

Ministry of Education, Youth and Information (2021) Male Students Outperform Females in Four CSEC 

subjects. https://moey.gov.jm/male-students-outperform-females-four-csec-subjects 

Noguero, P. (2003). Social and Economic Studies, 52(2) 167-170. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27865332  

Nollenberger, N., Rodriquez-Planas, Sevilla, A. (2014). Study on The Math Gender Gap: The Role of 

Culture (Discussion Paper). IZA-Institute for the Study of Labour. https://www.ftp.iza.org 

Office of The Children Advocate (2011). A Study of the Profile of Children in conflict with Law in 

Jamaica. https://www.welcome.oca.gov.jm 

Parry, O. (1997). Schooling is fooling: Why do Jamaican boys underachieve in school? Gender and 

Education, 9(2), 223-231 

Prigge, D.J. (2002). Promote Brain-Based Teaching and Learning. Intervention in School & Clinic. 37(4), 

237-241 

Richardson-Pious, C. (2020). Presentation on At Risk Youth Issues and Challenges in Jamaica. Children 

First. https://www.iyfglobal.org 

Ritchie, H and Roser, M. (2019). Gender Ratio. OurWorld.org. https://ourworldindata.org/gender-ratio 

Savelsberg, H; Pignata, S.; & Weekert, P.  (2017). Second Chance Education: barriers, support and 

engagement strategies, University of Australia, Australian Journal of Adult Learning, 57(1), April 

2017  

Schneider, E. (1996). Giving students a voice in the classroom; Creating a climate for learning, 

Educational Leadership 54(1), 22-26. www.ascd.org/publications/educational-

leadership/sept96/vol54/num01/giving-students-a-Voice-in-the-Classroom.asp     

Taba, H. (1962), Curriculum Development, pp 347-378, in Williams, D. (2013). Principled Curriculum 

design – Taunton Teaching Alliance 

Ullah, R., and H. (2019), Boys versus Girls’ educational performance: Empirical evidences from global 

north and global south. Net Journal    Dept. of Sociology, International Islamic University, 

Islamabad, Pakistan.  Accepted 25 September 2019 

https://www.ftp.iza.org/
https://idl-bnc-idrc.dspacedirect.org/
https://www.amp.theatlantic.com/
http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/riss20
https://moey.gov.jm/literacy-numeray-results-show-girls-outmastering-boys
http://www.jstor.org/stable/27865332
https://www.ftp.iza.org/


January 2025 | Volume 4, Number 2 
 

14  

United Nations, (2015). The World’s Women 2015: Trends & Statistics, New York: United Nations 

Department of Economics & Social Affairs, Statistics Division.  https://unstats.un.org 

Vantiegham, W., Vermeersch, H. and Van Houtte, M. (2014). Why Gender disappeared from the gender 

gap: (re-)introducing gender identity theory to educational gender gap research. Social Psychology 

of Education: An International Journal, 17(3), 357-381.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-014-9248-

8 

Waterford.org (2019). How to use Brain-Based Learning in the Classroom. https://www.waterford.org   

Weathersby, I. Jr. (2015). A Second Chance: Education’s Role Reversing Mass Incarceration. The Atlantic 

Education, The Atlantic Monthly Group. https://www.amp.theatlantic.com 

 
 

 

https://unstats.un.org/
https://www.waterford.org/
https://www.amp.theatlantic.com/

