All professions are important to ensure the productive capacity of the country is firing away on all cylinders. Is is true to say however that some professions can be viewed as being more important than others? BU subscribes to the view in the Barbados context teachers, policemen and nurses represent core professions which are key to building and sustaining a productive society.
It is interesting to observe in recent years how the three professions named have declined if measured by their ability to attract and retain human resources.
Many of our teachers can’t wait to retire. This is an indicator which can be used to judge the state of teaching in Barbados. Many of our teachers are also being recruited by several countries around the globe. BU recalls in the last 3 years several of our best teachers were raided by school boards from Kentucky and New York. Importantly is the fact few men are being attracted to the teaching profession in Barbados. Some statistician worth their salt maybe able to do some analysis to show cause and effect as far as tracking the lack of male relationships in the school system and the boys (men) in crisis syndrome which has appeared.
In recent weeks concern has been expressed by some of the possibility in the near future the need to source police recruits outside of Barbados. This reality like teaching, exposes how another key profession in Barbados is under threat. Although it is accepted our policemen have been sought after over the years by Bermuda and Cayman to name a few countries, we have always been able to satisfy the manpower needs of the Royal Barbados Police Force from the local labour pool. If the current trend continues Barbados will join other countries very soon by having to source recruits from external labour markets.
We could easily write ditto for the nursing profession. Of the three professions named nursing has been forced already to source labour in Nigeria, Philippines, St. Vincent and other external markets. To compound the problem the transition to a Board at the QEH has seen some nurses falling through the crack. What a waste! Our nursing profession is known to be working overtime to keep our healthcare system working.
About each of the problem professions quoted above BU could have detailed many more issues. The focus of this blog is to discuss how the current trends affecting the three professions will impact the kind of Barbados we all love. Picture being stopped on the highway by a Jamaican speed cop. How about Guyanese teachers in our primary schools? Barbadians have already vented on the perceived deterioration of nursing at our primary healthcare institution given by some who struggle to string together coherent sentences. The idea of a good nurse by a patient is the comfort the patient feels from the bedside manner of the nurse, Florence Nightingale style!
Yes nothing under the sun remains the same but …
interesting post !
TODAY’S NEWS IN GUYANA
Benschop arrested for obstruction, NFMU seizes ‘illegal’ transmitter
Fishermen missing after pirate attack
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Fire leaves Canje family of eight homeless
Police visit Corbin for info on alleged Roger Khan murders
Fire leaves Canje family of eight homeless
Guyana restores cement CET…but still questioning TCL capacity
Camp St prisoner charged with murder of inmate
GPL signals load shedding on West Coast during peak period
Stabroek News
The bad news never ends in Guyana no wonder everyone is running away.
Pirates shoot two, abduct two, in C/tyne River
Friend confesses to being mastermind
Coast guards handed over to Army; file sent to DDP
There is no enforcement
19 Postmasters being quizzed in money order fraud probe
Riverview shooting suspect promises to surrender
Government wanted to misuse funds without real oversight – PNCR
Headlines news from Kaieteur News.
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This is all by design, all by design. They are traitors at the gate and traitors within. She is guided by visionless, unscrupulous beings. She constantly ‘educates her children to measure up to to the Europain standards which are woefully wanton, lacking in morality and spirituality. Instead of constructing a better person, we follow the Europains’ lead to construct better things. We no longer focus of building a more spiritually advance society, we are only interested in financial, material and personal gratification. A country led by THIEVES and LIARS…….the firm craftsmen of our fate!
@BU Family… If I May please share…
I was very privileged, and thus empowered, to have the teachers I did in High School.
(Rather exceptional, considering the hell-hole I grew up in — central .BC.CA; 40 degree centigrade during the summer; -40 degree during the winter.)
Mr. Sheck taught me mathematics. He introduced his students to Calculus well before it was required knowledge.
Mr. Beck taught us physics. Not just Newtonian, but Einsteinian too. And then Quantum. And then he introduced us to the thinking of Buddhism.
Mr. Smith, my English teacher, recognized my personal dyslexic difficulties, and told me “Just write Chris. Just write.”
I would have left school before graduation, if it had not been for these three Men.
And your point is?
@Georgie Porgie: “And your point is?
To whom are you speaking?
@ Chris
I have been all over BC. I remember no hell holes. I loved all of it. The Charlottes, Teslin, Carcross, Atlin, Dease Lake, Cassiar, Quesnel, Williams Lake, Wells Grey Park, all beautiful with lovely people. Then there were Prince Rupert, Port Arthur, Bella Coola, Terrace, Kitimat and on. You come from a very beautiful place, learn to love it. I do!
OFF TOPIC
TORTURE IN GUYANA
If you want to see how cruel Guyanese can be, including the Guyana Police force, then follow these two links below:-
http://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/
http://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2009/10/31/torture-2/
THERE IS AN EXTREMELY GRAPHIC PHOTO OF A 14 yr. old boy who was tortureed on Tuesday while in Police custody. It will sicken your stomach.
TORTURE
Teen experiencing hell in custody
GENITAL AREA SOAKED WITH METHYLATED SPIRITS THEN SET ALIGHT BY POLICE
In what may be one of the worst cases of police brutality, ranks from the Leonora Police Station have been accused of setting a 14-year-old boy’s genitals alight while questioning him about the murder of former Region Three Vice Chairman, Ramnauth Bisram.
Can you believe that our AG and the Royal Barbados Police Force are considering hiring Guyanese for the Royal Barbados Police Force?
God help Barbados if this happens.
Barbados has done well over the years despite our shortcomings (limited resources) to have created a culture and ethos which rules our lives of order, respect and integrity. The three professions fingered in this blog as being under attack were key in the underpinning to our strong governance to date.
Barbadians should thread with great caution as we move forward from this point.
I remember the AG saying that due to the quality of applicants perhaps it was time to consider recruiting officers from other countries I don’t think he specifically said Guyana. In any event I think that this was a trial balloon to see what reaction he would get from the public. I would advise the AG that if he wants to improve on the calibre of recruits he should look at improving the pay, benefits and working conditions of the Officers of the RBPF. If the force is seen as an attractive work option people will join otherwise no amount of speechifying will encourage high quality recruits.
Barbadians were recruited as policemen in Bermuda in the 60’s out of high school primarily because the pay was better and you had to have a certain number of “O levels” to join .Other recruits may also have come from the RBPF who did not have the necessary academic qualifications. Many of these recruits distinguished themselves (one is now a senior magistrate in Bermuda) conversely Bajans policemen recruited to Montserrat ended up being thrown out because they abused the local population. Bermuda also had its share of riots against the British policemen (who used to be recruited before the Bermudan authorities turned to the other Caribbean countries) because they had nothing in common with the locals. People have a habit of disliking “foreign” forces of law and order. If they are going to be ordered around they prefer to have it done by people whom they have much in common with and who are sensitive to local culture and conditions. Perhaps the Caribbean recruits were seen as an acceptable compromise.
That is why the AG will do the right thing in the end.
Our key professions in crisis?
What do you expect?
I remember in the mid 90’s there was a cop from the Carlton St James area who made top cop one year, and for years, he was the only cop that made top cop who was not promoted to Sergeant. And guess why? He was indeed a top cop?
What did he do wrong? Just be a top cop…..and fearlessly so.
One morning on his way to work, he saw a chap in his area, that was known to the police, so he followed him. This led to the arrest of the man and his accomplices who had with them 32 kilos of drugs smuggled in by boat.
So what was wrong with that you asked. The accomplice was related to the then chief of police and his brother, who was also a top police oficial.
This young po;liceman was harrassed by being called into several meetings, because he stood his ground.
I know of a doctor who got fired (didnt have his contract renewed) when a certain boisterous wicked female lawyer (whom he had destroyed in court giving evidence for the crown) became MOH.
Man we will be going steadily down hill.