Ronald George Thwaites (born February 12, 1945) is a Jamaican attorney-at-law and politician, representing the
People's National Party
The People's National Party (PNP) is a social-democratic political party in Jamaica, founded in 1938 by independence campaigner Osmond Theodore Fairclough. It holds 14 of the 63 seats in the House of Representatives, as 96 of the 227 local go ...
(PNP). He was Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of
Kingston Central, serving from 1989 to 2002, and again from 2007 to 2020. He served as Minister of Education from 2012 to 2016.
Early life and education
Thwaites was born on February 12, 1945 in
St Andrew
Andrew the Apostle ( grc-koi, Ἀνδρέᾱς, Andréās ; la, Andrēās ; , syc, ܐܰܢܕ݁ܪܶܐܘܳܣ, ʾAnd’reʾwās), also called Saint Andrew, was an apostle of Jesus according to the New Testament. He is the brother of Simon Pete ...
. He is the son of Ronald George Thwaites and Lena May Thwaites (née D'Costa). He received his early education at Westbrook Preparatory School and
St George's College. Thwaites was awarded the Jamaica Scholarship to
Cornell University
Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...
, where he was editor-in-chief of ''
The Cornell Daily Sun
''The Cornell Daily Sun'' is an independent daily newspaper published in Ithaca, New York by students at Cornell University and hired employees.
''The Sun'' features coverage of the university and its environs as well as stories from the Associa ...
'' and a member of the
Quill and Dagger
Quill and Dagger is a senior honor society at Cornell University. It is often recognized as one of the most prominent societies of its type, along with Skull and Bones and Scroll and Key at Yale University. In 1929, ''The New York Times'' stated ...
society. In 1968 he won a
Rhodes Scholarship to
Campion Hall, Oxford
Campion Hall is one of the five permanent private halls of the University of Oxford in England. It is run by the Society of Jesus and named after Edmund Campion, a martyr and fellow of St John's College, Oxford. The hall is located on Brewer St ...
.
He also attended the
University of the West Indies, and
Gray's Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and W ...
, London.
Legal career
Thwaites founded the Kingston Legal Aid Clinic in 1972 and was its managing director from 1972 to 1975. He also co-founded the Montego Bay Legal Aid Clinic in 1974.
He has been a partner in the law firm Daly, Thwaites and Company since 1979.
Political career
Thwaites was first elected Member of Parliament for the constituency of
Kingston Central in the
1997 general election, polling 6,907 votes to 4,643 for Christine Davis for the
Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).
He did not seek re-election in the
2002 general election, but was again re-elected to Parliament in 2007, polling 5,210 votes to the JLP's Charlton Collie (3,745).
In May 2011 he was named the Opposition Spokesperson on Education and in January 2012 was appointed Minister of Education in the
Portia Simpson-Miller
Portia Lucretia Simpson-Miller (born 12 December 1945) is a Jamaican politician. She served as Prime Minister of Jamaica from March 2006 to September 2007 and again from 5 January 2012 to 3 March 2016. She was the leader of the People's Nationa ...
cabinet after the PNP won the
2011 general election.
In 2020, Thwaites decided not to seek re-election in the
2020 general elections.
Personal life
Thwaites is married to Marcia Veronica Thwaites (née McKenley) and has five sons and two daughters.
See also
*
List of Education Ministers of Jamaica
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thwaites, Ronald
1945 births
People from Saint Andrew Parish, Jamaica
Education Ministers of Jamaica
Government ministers of Jamaica
Jamaican Rhodes Scholars
People's National Party (Jamaica) politicians
Cornell University alumni
Living people
Members of the 13th Parliament of Jamaica