Let us examine this matter rationally – if that is possible. There is no shortage of school places in Barbados. Every Barbadian child who wants a secondary education can get it. That means there should be no scramble to get out children into a secondary school.
The schools – with a few exceptions – offer the same training. The exceptions would be those schools with 6th. forms; but there’s a community college, so that’s no big thing.

All of the teachers come from the same background, were educated at the same institutions, and share the same values.
Given all of this, it therefore baffles me to hear that some schools are better than others.
How did these schools get better if the resources – human and otherwise – are the same as the others.

People, the key factor is not the schools; it’s the students who attend them. If everybody wants their children to go to four or five schools, it stands to reason that all of the bright students will attend these four or five schools. The schools will therefore perform better, because they have students with greater abilities. If the same children went to any other school they would do as well. The evidence is all around of people who have gone to less prestigious schools and have gone on to excel at the highest level of academia. Some of them are Doctors; some are Professors.

I say all of that to say that we really don’t need an 11+, except that it gives parents a choice of school environment. And I would concede that some schools do have a better environment than others.

The 11+ has been abolished in many countries, including the one from whom we got it.
This exam is not the sacred cow we are making it out to be. It’s more like a menacing tiger.

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080601/cleisure/cleisure5.html

I draw to readers’ attention the following extract.

“Because the government uses research to assess what the educational needs are and then seeks to address the needs as they arise. This is because they are convinced that education is the means by which they will achieve the advancement of the people of Cuba.”

You like you using the marketing technique perfected by my farmer friend from the North.
…take care David don’t ban you.

…you on this blog pushing your music which you can’t get John Doe and them boys to play. You real smart – I know.

…why you don’t ask David if you can attach a wav file that we could download the songs you got? We would then pay you a small fee for the music every time we download one… :-)

(you know that you could trust Bajans too….)

you seem to be one of these persons who have given up on life and just accept that things will not change.

as a well read person you should know that change is constant

you are also familiar with the words–rome was not built in a day: things will take time. you cant give up. you have to make the effort.

“there is no quitting now, you gotta get up and get”——(words from my song -”get up and get”,

which the bias radio stations do not play because they seem not to favour local music-another subject for another time

but seem to have given up on life. what you need to do is try to motivate others by using your ability to teach and direct younger persons. so get on it –’john’

what are you implying with the words

“I really hope this not in an all out effort to soften me and foist Peter’s “agenda” on me.

I kick against that. YUCK!!!!!! “

peter made a prediction of an election result of 20 to 10

his prediction came true and just like rihanna -he is an instant star-that is what star quality is all about -its show business my friend,

incidentally my mother predicted the same result of 20 to 10 to me but she did not become a star as a result.

more co-incidence, my mother iz a very good singer –better probably than rihanna but my mother is not a star. I am sure that if I was as good a singer as my mother I would be doing better with my song for cropover 2008 entitled —”still 2 much FAT on the road”–

my mother still wants to sing calypso at her age and i am trying to find a way to bring her into a tent or on a recording

so star quality iz it and peter seems to have it now that iz why peter iz on everyone’s lips now
he is also opposed to owen and would gain currency with owen;s detractors

It seems you cannot listen to the news watch TV or go on the blogs without a mention of Peter Wickham.

I really hope this not in an all out effort to soften me and foist Peter’s “agenda” on me.

I kick against that. YUCK!!!!!!

seems like some kind of surrender to me

i would rather fight than surrender
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

That’s why Empires go in real life, precisely because people fight and do not surrender. It is in each of us, part of our nature.

….. but having booted “evil” empires out, many of the same people who fought the Empire somehow transform into what they fought against …… until others decide enough is enough. That’s in our nature too.

That’s life.

The cycle repeats.

Mankind is flawed.

However you care to put it, this is the simple fact that underlies all history.

History repeats itself. That is the only constant which should motivate and direct us.

It takes a while to get it clear in your head and sadly, ….. it can’t be taught, yet, everyone knows it.

The rest of history is just details for geeks to study and simplify and generalise and connect and communicate and clarify etc. etc. .

When I watched Tom Adams tear up Dipper Barrow and the DLP in Parliament back in the 1970’s I was filled with youthful zest for the cause of right!!!

Tom was my hero.

Now, 30 odd years later, I realise the thinking that drives the two parties is the same and there are no heroes.

All heroes in real life die after their heroic act.

In real life, hero to zero can be instantaneous or it can take some years and it is usually the hero that accomplishes the feat singlehandedly.

Invariably it happens … unless death intervenes and freezes the heroic moment.

Only the movies are different. The star can’t die.

So until a third party comes along with credible representatives, keep these two moving.

Always vote the incumbent party out and try to limit the number of years of damage it inflicts after it gets comfortable.

“Fight and never Surrender”

Both parties seek to establish “evil” empires!!

In time, even if a credible third one does appear, it will too.

…. unless it can establish rules which are rigorously enforced unlike the other two who have failed miserably

….. kind of like the establishment of the rule abolishing slavery,

… one of the bright sparks in the history of Empires.

We need to make sure those rules are enforced …… or history will repeat itself.

We don’t need to be taught this, we know it instinctively.

That’s all we need to get straight in our heads.

Let the geeks study the details of history, that’s what geeks do and enjoy it!!

If we need some elaboration on the detail to assist us in keeping history from repeating itself, ask geeks for it, or periodically listen to geek talk ……. then let the geeks go back studying what the geeks were studying if the geeks want while we (geeks included if geeks want) set about ensuring history does not repeat itself.

All have a role to play, geeks and non geeks in making sure history does not repeat itself.

Simple really, that’s all there is to it!!

That’s life.

———————————————————
seems like some kind of surrender to me

i would rather fight than surrender

knowing the history is one thing

using the history as a motivating factor, a weapon and a tool of liberation would be the preferred choice for me

i am ready to fight and i am not about no defeatist attitude —it is like this —no giving up , no retreat , no surrender

we are too quick to shrug our shoulders therefore we become easy targets for re-enslavement

the 11 plus exam should not be used to keep us in perpetual slavery. WE NEED TO TEACH OUR HISTORY. THERE WILL BE NO LIBERATION WITH OUT THAT EXERCISE

WE IGNORE THIS AT OUR PERIL
THOSE WHO KNOW IT SHOULD MOTIVATE THOSE WHO ARE IGNORANT

JOHN WRITES
The Bible is replete with instances where it was quite acceptable to own slaves.
————————————–
ASIBA ASKS

which Bible
written by who
translated by who
king james ?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Asiba

The KJV according to Wikepedia came out in 1611.

The first attempt at colonisation of the New World by people from England was in America in 1585.

It failed.

In 1611, England was yet to establish a strong presence in the New World, “discovered” in 1492 by Spain.

It’s “navy” had been able to defeat the Spanish Armada in 1588, but was no great striking force.

In 1492, the last Moorish stronghold in Spain was defeated. The Moors, from Africa first made their appearance in Spain in the 8th Century.

Spain was the dominant European power in 1611 yet it had been dominated for centuries prior to 1492 by peoples from Africa.

I don’t know what was in the minds of the translators of the KJV when they released their work in 1611 and I am only guessing but I doubt Africa and Africans could have been regarded as inferior savages.

JOHN WRITES
The Bible is replete with instances where it was quite acceptable to own slaves.
————————————–
ASIBA ASKS

which Bible
written by who
translated by who
king james ?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I am guessing your implication is that the choice of words in translation was made to make slavery appear acceptable in the Bible.

Never occurred to me, I just think of the Bible as the Bible but yes, on the face of it, this is possible.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_James_Bible

The KJV came out in 1611, just before England started colonising the New World which had been first “discovered in 1492″.

Prior to 1492, the Moors (from Africa) ruled much of the Iberian Peninsula (Europe) which is credited with “discovering” the New World.

The Moors first appeared in Spain in the 8th century.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moors

I don’t believe Europeans would have regarded Africans as inferior because for almost seven centuries, peoples from Africa had ruled a part of Europe.

In 1611, Spain, a century after Moorish rule, was the dominant European power.

England counted India as its “property” from 1750, (Robert Clive) up to independence, 1947, about two centuries.

It took it from the Mogul Empire which ruled from the 1500’s. No doubt the Moghuls took it from somebody else.

Empires come and Empires go. They rarely strike back like in the movies so we only see the last one without realising that several existed before, …. each with its share of slaves and contribution to slavery.

That’s life.

The British Empire was the first Empire to abolish slavery within itself.

The Moghul Empire built the Taj Mahal in India.

Shah Jahan commissioned the famous Taj Mahal (1630–1653) in Agra as a tomb for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child. (Wikepedia)

The Moors built the Alhambra in Cordoba, Spain. It is simply beautiful.

Each left its mark on the world before it was supeceded and passed into oblivion.

that was stink

kicking a man when he is down

that was stink