Chapter 4: A Case Study of a Leadership Approach of Transforming Basic Schools to Flourishing Schools in Urban Innercity Communities in Jamaica

Jamaica is the third-largest Caribbean island by area (11,188 km²) and has a population of approximately 2.7 million people. For decades, the country has struggled with social and economic development issues such as inadequate leadership, illiteracy, poverty and crime. These issues are particularly noticeable in inner-city rural and urban communities. Despite local and internationally supported outreach programmes implemented to change the economic environment of these communities (Burke et al., 2015) and, ultimately, schools, there has not been significant advancement in basic schools (preK-K3), nor indicators suggestive of significant change. Arguably, this has negatively affected the ability of many Jamaican children to experience an advancement in their socio-economic conditions and well-being of their lives which might have been established through early education stimulation.