UWI Lecturer, Ce’Cile And Others Weigh In On ‘Dunce’-Branded Schoolbags
Head of the Reggae Studies Unit at the University of the West Indies, Dr. Sonjah Stanley Niaah, has weighed in on the announcement made by a high school principal, that any student who carries knapsacks emblazoned with the word “dunce” will be barred from classes.
On Friday principal of the St. Catherine-based Jonathan Grant High School, Dr O’Neil Ankle, had told The Gleaner that “if a child shows up with it on Monday, he will have to get another bag”.
But on Sunday Dr Niaah, who is also head of the Institute of Caribbean Studies at the UWI, said that the focus of the principal of the Spanish Town-based institution, was misplaced.
“Here we go again focusing on the wrong end of the issue. Popular culture is one of the most powerful tools available to a country and in Jamaica that increases 10-fold in intensity based on the rate of production,” she stated on Instagram.
“Why not use it as a transformational tool, institute programmes and initiatives that shift the order of intellectual assessment and educational attainment especially at the primary and secondary levels?” she questioned.
Minister of Education and Youth, Fayval Williams has cautioned school administrators and teachers against using denial of access to education as punishment. “School administrators and teachers need to apply corrective actions consistently and prudently in accordance with our laws and established best practices in education. Numerous studies have shown that denying students access to education as a means of punishment worsens undesirable behaviours,” Williams said in a press release on Monday, per the Jamaica Observer.
The minister added that the practice of denying access to education as punishment is counterproductive and illegal.
The word “dunce” is a perjorative term which according to the Oxford dictionary means “a person, especially a child at school, who is stupid, or slow to learn”.
However, since 2020, the word has been glorified by several artists, who have been promoting the term in their songs, among them Valiant with Dunce Cheque, and Jamal of Montego Bay, who has voiced a series of “dunce” songs, including Too Dunce, Dunce Class and Unknown Dunce.
Jamal has claimed he was the creator of the dunce trend and that it he had made it into a slang to empower uneducated persons who might have low self-esteem issues.
“Dunce powerful dan how people view it enuh.. caw dunce is a ting weh allow you fi accept yuh flaws, and accept who you is. So anyweh yuh fall short, if yuh have mistakes or if yuh need help, being a dunce you should be more polite fi ask fi help and people can respond to you even if dem nuh dunce. Suh di dunce ting is about fi ask fi help and betta yourself,” he had told entertainment journalist Winford Williams in an Onstage interview.
Dancehall singjay Ce’cile, in commenting on the UWI lecturer’s stance, said that she empathised with the principal, and would never allow her daughter to promulgate a word like dunce.
“It would be cool if every one who had Dunce on the bag is actually SUPER SUPER BRIGHT … if them actually dunce I could see why the principal woulda bexxxx 😂😂😂. On another note : ID NEVER ALLOW MY CHILD TO HAVE SUCH A NEGATIVE WORD ON HER. but again to each their own,” she said.
Billboard producer Kirk “Koolface” Ford also weighed in on the subject elsewhere on Instagram.
“Dunce bags shouldn’t be permitted on the school compounds,if any student has a Dunce mindset should stay home and not spread that energy on other kids,” he stated.
Phoenix Academy Founder, Craig Butler, who is the father of footballer and Dynasty Records music producer Kyle Butler, in commenting on the subject, said that the principal was taking a principled stance with which he agrees.
“Doesn’t matter its the principle . I fully support the principal on his position. Not because the world🙌 is accepting things changing for the worst does that mean we should all accept and compromise our principles . Sometimes we may be only one man but still we are men and real@men stand up,” he declared.
In December last year, Bounty Killer, while performing on the Welcome to Jamrock Cruise, had lashed the new generation of deejays promoting ‘dunceness’ in their songs, while pointing out that being uneducated ought not to be celebrated, but rather disparaged.
“People haffi excellent and educated and smart. Bwoy seh if yuh waan hide tings from black people, put it inna book. Dat mean seh bwoy a celebrate seh they made us illiterate an’ dunce,” the Book Book Book artiste had said.
Also, in November last year, Information Minister Robert Morgan’s expression of concern about the lyrical content of Valiant’s Dunce Cheque, during his address at the National Youth Month Church Service. Morgan in expressing dismay about the content of the song, which, according to him, he overheard coming from a device owned by his young son, had said that the lyrics, was making buffoonery appear desirable to young people.
A few days ago, The Star also reported that vendors in Downtown Kingston had revealed that they had been seeing brisk sales of ‘Dunce’ branded school bags.
According to the tabloid, “a student was spotted on social media wearing the bag and after making queries”, it was discovered that the bags were being made in Jamaica by a local company which “bases its products on slang”.
According to the publication, on Thursday, vendors in downtown Kingston said that they “did not have enough hands to sell the ‘Dunce’ branded school bags”, which, were being advertised on a website as costing US$74, (J$11,400).
“The bag is currently sold out on the company’s website. In downtown Kingston, vendors said they had designer brand bags to which their suppliers have added the ‘Dunce’ artwork. Those may cost up to $20,000,” The Star had noted.
But on Friday, the Star also reported that Reggae artist Shaka Pow, who is also a medical doctor, in a bid to mitigate the ‘dunce effect’, had announced plans to introduce ‘Fully Bright’-branded school bags in a bid to dissuade youngsters from normalising the ‘fully dunce’ lifestyle, after being “stung by revelations that ‘Dunce’ backpacks are in high demand on the island”.
It said that Shaka Pow, who introduced the Fully Bright initiative in schools last academic year, said he “felt gutted” when he learnt about the Dunce Pak, and that as a consequence he undertook “preliminary discussions with his graphic designer and plans are afoot to create ‘Fully Bright’ bags to counter the ‘dunce’ trend.
“Once you are an adult, you are free to do what you want to do, but I do not think Dunce bags should be endorsed by children…n The Dunce bags do look trendy and encourage one to dream. It’s good for college students and those who have completed high school. It is freedom of expression, but it’s definitely the wrong message for school kids,” Shak Pow had said.