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February 15, 2008
'EDUCATION IS NO JOKE' SCHOOL TOUR GETS SERIOUS
The tour has been a learning opportunity for both artistes and students.
FACT: "Young people face many challenges as they pass through puberty and face explicit media messages on sex and with little or no parenting support. Based on the increase in the number of children having first sex at an earlier age, the increase in child and teenage pregnancy, as well as HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), children and teenagers are in need of help". – Heather Little-White, Ph.D, Lifestyle Consultant.
Kingston, Jamaica:--The main aim of the "Education Is No Jok" school tour is to sensitize students as to the importance of a good education and motivate them to adopt positive lifestyles. The tour has been reuniting some of Jamaica's most popular artistes with their Alma Maters and this week surprised the students of three schools in different parts of the island. Browns Town High School was visited on Monday, February 11 by Busy Signal, on Tuesday, February 12th D'Angel visited her Alma Mater, St Catherine High and Jose Marti was visited on Wednesday February 13th by Macka Diamond.
The response to the tour has been overwhelming and the welcome from school administrators has been encouraging but even though the artiste did not perform at any of the schools, the students received them very well. The organizers of the "Education Is No Joke' school tour, VP Records and No Joke Entertainment thought it would be better for the students to talk to their favourite artistes on a personal level and felt that entertainment would overshadow the positive message. The artistes on the tour have been focusing on some of the more troublesome issues facing students and have been using their influence to motivate students to develop positive attitudes towards their academics.
D'Angel disembarked the Infinity Tours bus well prepared for the questions posed to her by the students of St. Catherine High School. The students fielded questions on female empowerment plus teenage pregnancy among others and D'Angel was on point in giving positive and uplifting answers. Macka Diamond gave the students of Jose Marti good advice on career choices and spoke to them about the importance of a good education in today's modern world, she also emphasized that without a good education she could not be in the position she is in today.
Busy Signal, making his first trip to Browns Town High School since his dancehall ascendancy, provided valuable information to the students about life in the real world and the importance of being grounded and knowing ones priorities. He focused his talk on the of education in the modern world and at the end presented some of the most improved students with prizes in the form school stationary and music paraphernalia.
All the artiste involved in Cooyah, Hype TV and Logostitch sponsored tour so far have been very appreciative of the opportunity given to them by the schools for them to make a positive contribution to the socialization of the students at their former school. Tour organisers VP Records and No Joke Entertainment are also very positive about the progress of the tour so far and anticipate the same level of success for the rest of the tour.
"The tour has been incredible and beneficial to both the students and the artistes. The artistes have had a chance to see what power they hold over the kids and the kids finally have a chance to sit and ask questions to the people they see on TV and admire. The tour has been a learning opportunity for both artistes and students. We thank the sponsors Island Grill, Western Sports, Arctic Ice and All Signs as well the principals and the schools for giving us the opportunity to show that Education Is No Joke" – Mario Lazarre CEO, No Joke Entertainment.