CAPRI report finds Jamaica lacks tracking of child spending as Parliament upholds English-only rule

Jamaica marked National Children's Day on Friday amid fresh scrutiny of how the state invests in young people and what they gain in return. A new study commissioned by UNICEF Jamaica and produced by the Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CAPRI) concludes that the country still has no formal system for tracking child-focused public expenditure across government ministries and agencies.

The report, Room for Improvement: The Gap Between Public Spending and Child Outcomes in Jamaica, is described by CAPRI as the first comprehensive audit of its kind in more than two decades. It warns that even where large sums are allocated, results often fall short of expectations. CAPRI's director of research, Dr. Diana Thorburn, told CVM Television that Jamaica is spending on children, but without reliable tracking it cannot see where funds go or why outcomes lag. Roughly 86% of related spending is absorbed by compensation, wages, and overhead rather than direct service delivery.

Education remains the dominant share of child-related investment. Thorburn said Jamaica allocates about 5% of gross domestic product and roughly 19% of central government spending to education—levels above many wealthier countries—yet productivity and learning gains remain weak. United Nations data cited in the study indicate that by age 18 many students have spent about 11.4 years in school but achieved learning equivalent to only about 7.1 years. Researchers argue that under-investment before school entry—in nutrition, health, housing stability, and early stimulation—undermines later classroom spending.

Among CAPRI's recommendations are dedicated tracking across agencies that spend on children, rebalancing expenditure beyond education, stronger reporting from the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSAC), and reversing the real-terms decline in foster-care funding between 2017–2018 and 2020–2025–2026. The report also notes shrinking support for arts, culture, and sports despite repeated policy pledges.

Earlier in the week, Parliament became the stage for a separate national argument over language and identity. On Wednesday, opposition spokesperson on culture, creative industries and information Nekisha Burchell opened her maiden sectoral contribution in Jamaican Creole. House Speaker Juliet Holness stopped her within seconds, citing standing orders in force since 1964 that require proceedings to be conducted in English.

Burchell later continued in English, arguing that no forum was more fitting to address culture than the language most Jamaicans use daily. Government members backed the Speaker; opposition members said she should have been allowed to proceed. The exchange unfolded as Jamaica continues debate on constitutional reform, republicanism, and national identity.

Dr. Ron Lewis, associate professor of language, culture and society at the University of Technology, Jamaica, said Parliament should reflect the people it represents and that the Creole question goes beyond procedure to colonial legacy and equal treatment. He noted that foreign students sitting the Primary Exit Profile receive language accommodations, while Jamaican children who speak Creole are generally assumed to be fluent in English. Lewis urged moving past a false choice between patois and English, though he also said both the member and the Speaker could have handled the moment differently, including through a formal suspension of standing orders.