Summary: JAMAICA IS hardly the idyllic place advertised to tourists if we consider the religious indoctrination children, especially those from minority cultures and faiths, are often subjected to as they pursue their education in publicly funded institutions. I want to remind ALL Jamaicans - especially educators and school administrators - that a child has a right to freedom of religion. These rights are set out in Section 17(4) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms which states: "No person attending any place of education, except with his own consent (or, if he is a minor, the consent of his parent or guardian) shall be required to receive religious instruction, or to take part in or attend any religious ceremony or observance, which relates to a religion or religious body or denomination other than his own." Section 2(e) of the Child Care and Protection Act 2004, which stipulates that people, including teachers, should act in the best interest of the child by considering their religious and spiritual views; and Article 30 of the Convention of the Rights of the Child which places an obligation on Jamaica to respect their right to freedom of religion because a child should "not be denied the right … to enjoy his or her own culture, to profess and practise his or her own religion". All children, including those from Hindu, Chinese, Jewish, and Muslim-practising families, must grow up in a Jamaica where they feel belonged and free to participate. After all, they are no less Jamaican than the school chaplain. Why should children be forced to participate in devotions - to pray to your God? Some schools will allow you to be 'excused', but most people . http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130516/cleisure/cleisure3.html#.UZTbfQtD-JQ.facebook
