Letter of the Day | Growth without values is fragile
Published:Tuesday | September 23, 2025 | 12:09 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
In his inaugural address marking the start of his third term, Prime Minister Andrew Holness offered a wide-ranging vision for Jamaica’s development. He pledged innovative policies to accelerate our sluggish economy, elevate our creative industries as engines of growth, and advance transformative projects to position Jamaica as a regional logistics hub. He emphasised human capital, technological creation, and a laser focus on education, underpinned by the government’s SPEED programme – streamlining processes for efficiency and economic development.
These ambitions are admirable. However, they mirror a pattern seen over the past two terms: bold plans that lack a solid basis. The reality is that no amount of infrastructure, promotion of creative industries, or logistics enhancement can ensure lasting prosperity unless it is rooted in a fundamental renewal of values and attitudes.
The Bible presents a powerful metaphor. In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, the statue shone with gold, silver, bronze, and iron, but its feet were a fragile combination of iron and clay. That final weakness caused the entire structure to collapse. Jamaica’s post-independence journey reflects this. We have polished heads of gold – bold policy ideas, shiny infrastructure projects, and fleeting moments of global cultural influence. But our national “feet” have often been made of clay: indiscipline, corruption, short-term thinking, and fractured social trust.
Since independence, successive administrations have sought economic growth through policy and investment. Yet, by every measure, Jamaica has underperformed. Why, then, do we continue to pursue the same course while expecting different results? As The Gleaner editorial on August 25 reminded us ‘Adopt UTech values project’, initiatives like the University of Technology’s values-driven approach show that transformation begins with cultivating integrity, respect, and responsibility across institutions and communities. Values are not abstract ideals – they are the DNA of economic growth, the cultural capital that enables systems to work and citizens to thrive.
Dr Holness is correct to invest in education. However, education that lacks pro-values will only produce technically skilled Jamaicans who may still be lacking in civic discipline or ethical grounding. We need an education system that develops character alongside competence, teaching emotional regulation, respect for process, and fostering a culture of excellence.
Without this, SPEED will halt, creative industries will falter, and logistics hubs will collapse. The missing element in the Prime Minister’s vision is evident: Jamaica’s sustainable development must start, not with policies or projects, but with the intentional fostering of values and attitudes as our national foundation.
FR. DONALD CHAMBERS