Veteran voter backs visionary plan for university town

Kenneth Lawrence has not missed an election since he first voted at age 18.

For 55-year-old Lawrence, who resides in the St Andrew Eastern constituency, the ballot is more than a mark on paper. It is proof that Jamaicans still carry the power to shape where the nation goes next.

"It's a right of every Jamaican to vote and it's for us to decide how we want our nation to improve," Lawrence told THE STAR.

St Andrew Eastern is home to The University of the West Indies, the University of Technology (UTech), and the University Hospital of the West Indies. With Mona, Papine and Hope Pastures inside its borders, the seat has long been one of the island's most competitive.

Lawrence, an engineer by profession, admitted he was particularly struck by a plan floated to transform Papine into a formal university town, tying together education and economic growth.

"I have travelled a lot and seen what a university town is. It's a visionary idea. This area is going to be affected severely if they don't find some way to make economic change."

His own mother, he added, often remarks on how the neighbourhood's demographics are shifting, with more students renting homes and reshaping life between Liguanea and Papine.

As a father, Lawrence said Jamaica's education system weighs heavily on his mind. He recalled how tuition at the College of Arts, Science and Technology (CAST), now UTech, jumped from $3,000 to $33,000 in a single year, a spike that he believes still haunts families.

"I'm amazed to see children leave school with eight, nine, even 10 subjects and there is no real path for them," he said. "Something major has to happen."

He argued that despite Jamaica's reputation as the "brightest in the Caribbean", the country continues to underperform in international indices, a failure he attributes to weak long-term planning.

Lawrence said that in the 1970s, Singapore looked to CAST as a model for its university system.

"Today, they are more disciplined and have more universities per capita than us." For him, the lesson is clear: citizens must demand good governance, accountability, and proper infrastructure if Jamaica is to close the gap. Despite concerns about voter apathy nationwide, Lawrence sees signs of renewed energy.

"I think this election is similar to the first one I voted in," he said. "A lot of persons are involved, and we may see an increase in turnout. What is fortunate is the cross-section older people, younger people, middle-income voters. That mix is coming back out."

- A.L.