Damion Crawford keeps free math lessons going strong

Politics may be his calling, but for Damion Crawford, teaching mathematics is his true passion — one that has grown from a classroom at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, to a movement reaching hundreds of students across St Catherine.

That passion first took root in 2005, when Crawford, a UWI student began offering free mathematics classes to students who could not afford extra tuition. Nearly two decades later — amid political campaigns, parliamentary debates and community projects — that mission has never faded.

Born in Haddo, a small district in Westmoreland, Crawford often references his humble beginnings and the difference education has made in his life. After passing the Common Entrance Examination, he earned a place at Kingston College and later pursued both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree at UWI in tourism management, and later setting up a business that services the sector. But his heart was always in mathematics.

“He started those extra lessons at UWI because he felt mathematics was a subject that could determine a child’s entire future,” Alicia Graham, a former student of Crawford said. “He wanted to make sure no one was left behind because of money.”

That drive to help others later shaped his political journey. After winning the St Andrew East Rural constituency in 2011, Crawford carried his classroom energy into representational politics. He organised free math sessions for students in his constituency and, even after leaving that seat, continued the initiative in Portland and now in St Catherine North Western, where he currently serves as member of parliament.

A growing movement in St Catherine

At Charlemont High School in Linstead, his latest mathematics programme has flourished. “We started in the constituency 18 months ago with just over 40 students and now we have grown to more than 200,” Crawford told The Gleaner.

“We have established another centre at Ewarton High School where they watch live by stream, and we are also hoping to include McGrath High School as a centre as well very soon.”

When The Gleaner visited Charlemont on October 18, Crawford was midway through a four-hour lesson, energetically working through equations before a packed auditorium. Some parents sat among the 200-plus students, quietly taking notes themselves.

Narisa Barclay, who drove from Highgate, St Mary, with her son, praised the initiative. “The last exam results were really good, so I decided to take my son to see how well he can improve. It’s a great initiative, I learned a lot also,” she said.

Tenth-grade student Toni-Ann Perry of Ewarton High agreed. “I am learning a lot. Him teach fast, but if you don’t get it the first time, him go over so you can grasp it,” she said.

To manage the large turnout, Crawford enlists sixth-formers as teaching assistants and credits Charlemont’s teachers for their support.

“He met with teachers when he came and would have acquainted himself with the syllabus. It’s a collaborative effort and we are seeing the results,” said the school’s principal Garth Gayle, noting that internal and external exam performance has significantly improved — “doubling the performance of 2024 this year”.

Challenging the system

Crawford’s motivation, however, extends beyond results. He remains vocal about what he sees as systemic issues in education, particularly in mathematics.

“What has happened is that they have entered less students to do mathematics, less than ever in the last decade, and also less showed up for the exam, so the percentage of passes as a per cent of the denominator has increased because they have reduced the number of persons sitting the exam,” he said.

He said the statistics being celebrated by the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information mask a deeper problem. “When we look at the mathematics passes it is really a cry for help, but unfortunately they have sold a samfie to the Jamaican public about improved passes.”

In the May/June 2025 sitting of the Caribbean Examinations Council CSEC exam, 44 per cent of Jamaican students passed mathematics, up from 39 per cent in 2024. The regional average for mathematics is also 39 per cent, meaning Jamaica is just above the regional mark.

Meanwhile, only 19.2 per cent of students (6,200 of 28,654 who sat) managed five passes including maths and English, a marginal improvement from 18 per cent the previous year

Crawford’s initiative, which includes free breakfast and lunch for participating students, costs him over $150,000 weekly.

Yet, the reward, he said, is priceless. “I get unlimited satisfaction from this initiative,” he shared. “Every time I ask them if they understand and they respond in the affirmative, I rise in immediate gratification … in addition to the many students who will come up to me and say, ‘Sir, a you mek me pass maths.’”

With corporate sponsors like WATA showing interest and students from other schools joining the programme, Crawford remains optimistic.

Because for him, the drive to serve through education is not just a campaign or a classroom initiative. It is, as he calls it, “a passion that will never wane”.

editorial@gleanerjm.com