I agree with ljbd that the relative costs of sending a kid to school in Jamaica is a burden for the average Jamaican family However, comparing it to Ottawa, where I'm from is like comparing apples and watermelons. In Jamaica, a parent only pays for the years that their child is actually going to school. I've been paying school taxes since I was 19 years old, and will continue to do so until I croak. I don't even want to start to work out what that would be on a per kid, per year basis (I have two daughters). And that's without even getting into the discussion on the quality of education, unions, corrupt governments, length of school year, useless curriculum, etc.
Back home, school is called of if there are more than 10 snow flakes predicted to fall. Oh God, my blood pressure just started to go up.
Peace out
