Stay in School 2
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“Stay in school don’t you
become a fool, take your book and your pencil let your mind become a tool”.
With these words of sound advice to students, Mr. J returns with a second
installment of the single Stay In School, Stay In School 2.
The message of Stay in School 2 crosses
international boundaries, being driven by the infectious sound of dancehall, carrying
a universal appeal. Mr. J delivers the
song over an up tempo and bassy track, with hi hats and cymbals ticking and
clapping while chatting in his rough dj voice, similar to Jamaica’s top Djs
Bounty Killer, and Vybez Kartel who also penned a school song encouraging
students to value their education.
Mr. J decided to switch styles and genre due
to the mere fact that a greater percentage of the world’s population are very
familiar with patios and gravitate towards it easily. The focus was on reaching a wider audience,
as opposed to using the vernacular to reach a local audience.
The song address the number of
problems teachers are faced with on a daily basis with students. Cases of
violent behavior, disruptive students, class clowns and instigators continue to
be issues that both teachers and students are challenged with.
Mr. J remind
students that asking questions and receiving an explanation is all part of the
learning process. Students must shake off the feeling of being embarrassed,
afraid and ashamed of asking questions because of what they do not understand.
‘It’s ok and normal. We are not God who knows all. We are human. Therefore, we
become more knowledgeable by learning what we do not know. Asking questions
help us learn”.
Exam results released in August 2014, indicated that on
average, students continued to earn low grades in the core subjects of math and
English. There was also a marginal rise in the G grades, which is the lowest
and it was noted that difficulty in comprehension and problem solving skills
were evident.
Mr. J encourages parents to play a more active role in the lives
of students, ensuring that they are being proactive in their school work.
Parents need to invest at least half an hour of their time on a regular basis
to find out how students are doing and to give assistance where they can.
The
song can be requested on all local stations, including the family islands and
downloaded from iTunes, CdBaby and popular music sites. Mr. J can be reached by
searching MrJ Bahamas on Facebook.
LISTEN HERE