The wonderful sight of teacher and pupil reunited at the Alexandra School – Photo credit Barbados Advocate
He who knows that enough is enough will always have enough – Lao Tzu
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is defined as all “the final goods and services produced within a country in a given period of time”. Can BU draw a parallel and define the well being of a country by the quality of key decisions made by the ‘leaders’ in a given period?
The debate which continues to gain traction in Barbados is about the Alexandra dispute and related issues. It has displaced discussion about the upcoming general election, and significantly, a conversation about the state of the economy. If one were to ask any educated Barbadian what issue should be occupying the attention of the country, the answer should be ‘managing the economy’. It does not mean that all the issues at play in the country should be ignored, just that the exigencies of now require priority planning how we allocate resources.
Tension at the Alexandra School has peaked and troughed since 2005, surely an indictment on the management system with oversight for education. Many problems currently being wrestled by the government have straddled both political parties and different personnel in the public service. What it exposes is a rotten core which drives decision making in Barbados.
A scan of traditional and social media also exposes the inclination by Barbadians to dwell on the minutia of the argument. Some favour Broomes and others the BSTU to pick two of the main actors in the unravelling imbroglio. After observing a ten year dispute at a secondary school, what should be the priority position of the actors involved in the dispute and general public? Should it have something to do with children at the school perhaps? What should be obvious given the hardened positions built up over a decade is that all sides in the dispute need to thaw positions and demonstrate a capacity to compromise; for the children’s sake.
It was predicted by many that one of the options available to Jeff Broomes and the transferees was to resort to the filibuster tactic of sick leave. Does any sensible person believe these people are sick? Does anyone believe that the children looking on believe these people to be sick? How will this dishonest action impact the children’s future behaviour?
The Prime Minister suggested on the weekend that if all the players involved in the resolution of the Alexandra School problem – who are mostly university graduates – cannot solve the issues they should return to the cane fields. We have become so divisive a people that the statement by the Prime Minister has evoked discussion along partisan lines. Surely educated Barbadians understand what the Prime Minister meant by comparing knowledge workers of today to field hands of yore?
We urge all parties to remember the children.
I had put an end to this issue at AX – wih the circulting thoughts that the timing is was wrong I beg to dfer.
Many key teachers in both primary and secondry schools are allowed long leave (one term leave) during the second term. I was shock when I first experienced this insensitivity at primarylevel with my son then to endure the practice at secondary school.
One form cannot be more important than the other. Teachers go on maternity leave from second term as well. As long as the students had a solid first term work with the syllabus for that period having been completed then the students are well poised to succeed.
Assigned teachers also receive the syllabus all they are doing is following on reference to a syllabus. If students are looking for a bossom buddy they will rebel to their detriment not the teachers’.
CHANGING TEACHERS IS NOT A BREAK IN DELIVERING THE REQUIRED SERVICE. Our approach to change is determinant factor in our engaging parties and staying focus.
Miller
I am stuck … I have no idea how to respond to you
“get serious work instead of being duped into Inniss’ weed whacker programme and expect to frighten land owners into paying them idiots every time them cut down a river-tamarind tree off your property. You know some of these weed whacker idiots cutting lots that have already been cut so that the minister through his high office would pay them. Absolute rubbish!’…….
Wait, they are actually encouraging the young people to use weed wackers? Wait, I remember the Dems last election lambasting the BLP’s Project Oasis? OMG!
o,k. caswell so ac might not even have a brain at all but still know when u talking bulll shit. which was plenty of as of recent so much so that a toilet paper shortage was becoming problematic. so there u have it and guess whAt all said without a brain!yes! without a brain. GO figure ! btw ask bushie what that old relic still have plans for destroying bubbados making you leader of some concoction. yuh think i crazy .wait a minute i notice yuh smelling rats.The best thing u said all week ! RATS!
Over 2000 persons are gathered at Market Hill St. George way past 10 o’clock . PM Stuart have declared that the DLP administration has performed so admirably in the past 5 years that the people of Barbados have returned the DEMS to office unopposed for 2013.
So there you have it folks the announcement for the 2013 general election have been given….the DEMs have been returned unopposed.
David of BU is mighty please with this outcome.
Miller , Onions and Enuff beak brek !