Ronald Thwaites

Thwaites was born on February 12, 1945 in St Andrew. 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, where he was editor-in-chief of The Cornell Daily Sun and a member of the Quill and Dagger society. In 1968 he won a Rhodes Scholarship to Campion Hall, Oxford.[1] He also attended the University of the West Indies, and Gray's Inn, London.[2][3]

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.[4] He has been a partner in the law firm Daly, Thwaites and Company since 1979.[5]

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).[6] He did not seek re-election in the 2007 general election, but was again re-elected to Parliament in 2007, polling 5,210 votes to the JLP's Charlton Collie (3,745).[7] 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 cabinet after the PNP won the 2011 general election.[2] In 2020, Thwaites decided not to seek re-election in the 2020 general elections.[4]

Thwaites is married to Marcia Veronica Thwaites (née McKenley) and has five sons and two daughters.[5]

• List of Education Ministers of Jamaica