THE MICO’S LEGACY: The Role of the Pre-University Men’s Programme

November 28, 2021 0 comments Dr. Marston Thomas, PhD, JP Categories Updates

AS THE only surviving school from the Mico Charity, The Mico University College at 185 years remains true to its vision of empowerment through service and leadership.

The mission of The Mico is embedded in service to humanity by providing opportunities to its clients, many of whom are overlooked by traditional matriculating mechanisms. Because of its inclusivity, The Mico is always on the cutting edge of effecting change in the practice and management of education. To date, it has given the school sector the House System which led to the interschool athletic championships, diagnostic and therapeutic services in special education, and most recently, the Pre-University Men's Programme (PUMP).

PUMP is a one-year second-chance programme, and nationally, one of its kind at the tertiary level. Established in September 2008, it was a response to the call to address the psychosocial needs of vulnerable men, aged 18 to 30 years. Its birth also was two-pronged in that it not only provided wholesome engagements for our men but also assisted in augmenting male role models in the classroom. From its inception, PUMP aims to:

        1. Increase the number of men accessing tertiary education.
        2. Increase the number of male teachers in the classroom.
        3. Provide an alternative pathway to crime and violence.

PUMP is holistic and interdisciplinary in focus. A progressivist-constructivist embrace facilitates reflectivity and student-centredness. The realised outcomes of PUMP recreate gender equilibrium by returning males to the tertiary landscape, as well as increase male teacher presence in the classrooms. This has been impacting the economy positively and should reduce the dependency of these men on the state resources, while putting them in a position to contribute to the country's economic growth. PUMP has provided an opportunity to recruit male teachers to impact boys at an early age and keep them focused on a tertiary educational track and other productive alternative pathways.

What a legacy PUMP has created for The Mico!

FRANKLYN BENNETT
Director, School of Continuing Studies: The Mico University College

This article first appeared in the Sunday Gleaner, November 28, 2021 - Jamaica, as part of a national celebration of The Mico's 185th Anniversary Celebration. From PressReader >