Bring me up to Speed
Ah just returned from Miami
What Hilary do ??

JUST ASKING

@ Benny

Adult to 4 to 5 year old (Barbados, circa 1933) “what you want to be when you grow up?” Child’s response ” a doctor or lawyer”. Ask that same question today and you will get the same response.

Tell me what has changed from 1890 when the Education Act was first established Benny?

I would ask both you and David [BU] is there, or can there ever be, a Bajan equivalent to the Singaporean “Ten Years Programme for Education Policy in the Colony of Singapore” that would prepare us for true self-governance? I would answer that with the response “there is none”

Jones and his ilk will not engage persons like Ralph Jemmott in the fight against national apathy and the academic stagnation that defines our primary, secondary and (as a consequence) tertiary education systems

We still have been unable to develop, and employ, an integrated curriculum where there is ubiquitous access to academic and vocational disciplines at every single secondary school.

Simply put, a system which can manifests in a student from Harsun College having equal opportunity to learn and excel in maths as well as carpentry, masonry or auto-mechanics.

Equalization through Integration and not the elitism currently being practiced at our schools where for example pupils at Springer Memorial are exposed to all the Home-Economics training while the Queen’s College crew have premiere chemistry, physics and biology laboratories.

Dear Minister of Education, please don’t stop there with the ‘aesthetics” of pretty buildings, Edutech, notwithstanding, but try to engage in a serious analysis of what our HR skills pool is.

Should that empirical data you need ever become available from the Census Department this might permit you to determine/project what the needs are for the current work force. How many lawyers actually exist, what are their average incomes and if it makes sense to pursue a career where local employment opportunities are few.

One of our Labour Department Statisticians computing who is retiring, and/or incorporating actuarial calculations e.g. resignations and deaths could augment the MoE analysis/projections.

Overlaying this analysis with future market needs, local and global, that might inform on a long term education/training curricula to meet these needs and try to make our education system more relevant.

But here is an old man talking about high science things like a “national survival driven education programme”, expecting that the Director of Census, The Ministry of Labour, the Minister of Education, Minister Buffalo Sinckliar from Finance and of course Data Processing (and other big wigs) to meet and collaborate on syncing Barbados’ education system.

It is easier for (the illiterate) Gearbox to get a degree at UWI in Social Sciences than these entities to collaborate in meaningful Curriculum Reform.

My Gearbox example was not a good allegory given that the “idiotoramus Patrick Tull” finally got one. I will ask The Miller or Baffy to help me use a more suitable example of “making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear”.

I am not the first and will likely not be the last to comment on the irrelevance of, and non-synchronicity of our dated curricula across the primary/secondary and (commensurate) tertiary levels.

I know. I seem to repeat my chant that Sir Hilary is not the author of “the plethora of graduates with low reasoning skill and writing deficits”.

As far back as 1933, “the relevance of what was being taught to the various objectives of education” and by extension national development “was questioned when the Mayhew-Marriott report suggested ways of adapting elementary education to meet local (development and nation building) needs

While Wikipedia is not as yet a “reputable source” of scholarly acceptable materials, David, I will momentarily quote the following lines from the link you provided

“More differentiation for pupils with different academic abilities were implemented, such as revamping vocational education under the new Institute of Technology and splitting of the Normal stream in secondary schools into Normal (Academic) and Normal (Technical) streams. The Gifted Education Programme was also set up to cater to more academically inclined students.

1933 until 2013, 80 years of stasis where our country that sits on its UNDP conferred laurels for being “the most literate country in the world” and has not awakened to the reality of change being critical to our development and our having to address and retool a niche industrialization strategy for Barbados starting first with our outdated educated system.

I have a question for you David [BU] and Benny.

Of the 30 sitting MPs and the 30 others that lost in their “pretentions to the throne”, give me the name of an MP who has the vision, competency (and BALLS) to craft, then implement, this medium/long term strategy?

I don’t have much in the way of knowledge to give an objective
assessment of the educational system in Barbados. And to make an assessment that is based primarily speculation rather than fact wouldn’t be fair and well founded on my part. However, I think that the curriculum at the tertiary level ought to focus more on “Science” and “Technology”. In order for it to generate the sort of talent that is needed to compete in this new global economy.

I talking soft ’cause I know that pieceuhderockyeahright!! could mash up David’s question, but I just want to say that the “private sector” is interested only in the EXPLOITATION of Barbadian wants and needs. The only “DEVELOPMENT” that they are interested in is the “development” of (local) markets for their largely imported goods and services. Over to you pieceuhderockyeahright!!

Some time ago, Sir Hilary Beckles characterised the “average” Cave Hill student as a part time Social Science/Arts undergraduate, female, unmarried with one child and employed in the Civil Service. These persons go on to be graduates with a degree in Social Sciences/ Arts, female. unmarried with two children and employed in the Civil Service. Their careers, their material and social well being and their contribution to Barbados continue apparently without any reference to the degree acquired at Cave Hill.

I often wonder what was the point of it all!

“How does it benefit industry to have an irrelevant education system?” Well David, Industry is not a very sophisticated aspect of our eco system now is it. The Captains are basically interested in a “skilled” artisan labour force that will work for a bit more than bus fare and lunch money. “How can industry be competitive and productive manned by questionable HOUR?” No need to, if there are competing in areas where the cost of shipping from overseas suppliers makes things a bit more difficult and if they are operating in areas that have taken on a cultural (without reason) bias, ie solar water heaters.

But this ain’ ’bout me, I would prefer for pieceuhderockyeahright!! to do the answering … HA HA

Gotcha… Though you meant Humans Operating Under Restrictions

@pieceuhde…
You are on a roll, rollin, rolling …
What will Sir Hilary’s legacy be : Rum and beer drinking contest, wuk wukup, netball champions, triple cricket champs , honoray doctorates all over the place
Don’t blame the primary & secondary system for what is at Cave Hil now.
Under Sir Keith Hunte Cave hill had purpose and direction ; Sir Hilary is on
frolic of his own ego

There is a lot of senseless rhetoric regarding the antiquated educational system in Barbados. And the fact that it has failed miserably to equip the future leaders of our country to meet the ever present challenges of the new global age. But, little in the way of substance has been spoken about regarding the policies and practices of the two political parties in Barbados. Who for the most part was the sole overseer of these institutions of learning in Barbados?

@Ping Pong “a part time Social Science/Arts undergraduate, female, unmarried with one child and employed in the Civil Service”

Is there something wrong with being female?
Is there something wrong with being unmarried?
Is there something wrong with being a ,mother?
Is there something wrong with being a social science graduate?
Is there something wrong with being a cilil servant?

And what is stopping the married, childless men, with or without jobs in the private sector from earning degrees in the sciences.

Has it occured to you that these women will earn a raise once they earn their degree?

Hs it occurred that this raise will raise their standard of living
Has it occurred to you that they are teaching their children the value of education?
Has it occurred to you that these women are the mothers of our next generation of university graduates, and that such graduates will include those in computer science, medicine, engineering etc>

Do you know that university grad mothers are more likely to encourage their children (both boys and girls) to attend university?

Do you know that it can take one or more generations to create social change? But you wouldn’t know this because you never studies the socilal sciences.

Did yo know that it took 90 years from the abolition of the slave trade in 1808 to the abolition of slavery in the last country of the Western hemisphere Brazil in 1898?

But you wouldn’t know this because you have never studied the social sciences.

Yet you presume to denigrate those who do.

Did you know that 2 of my ” part time Social Science/Arts undergraduate, female, unmarried with one child and employed in the Civil Service” sisters have already raised 2 engineers and a doctor?

Who did you imagine are raising Barbados’ next generation of engineers, doctors, computer scientists, architects etc. as well as its next generation of everything else including artists, writers, craftsmen, tradesmen, truck drivers, lawyers and yes even politicians? ?

HA HA HA pieceuhderockyeahright!,,

Stoking the ball to all corners of the field and turn round and say people call me batty … HA HA HA. Let dah person step forward now … f#cker… who it is , Moneybrain? Man alright I say that you is blow hot and cold but you explain that it got to do with insulin, so I am forced now to be a little more circumspect … HA HA HA. Look to be honest, with all of the incentives in the world this local group of comfortable “private sector” operatives ain’ gun participate in one shite that spells national development on the scale that you allude to. And the thing about broadcasting ideas on a national scale .. HA., the judges would fail yah on purpose and then have some one they know run with the campaign before the originator could find time and the money to seek protection. This is Ba’bados man. Look John Maynard Keynes is my personal hero. Intelligent Government. Attain this and light will appear at the end of the tunnel.

@Simple Simon

There is nothing wrong with female (or male) graduates of any kind. I did not denigrate anyone and you cannot begin to imagine the content and extent of my formal schooling. But I would encourage you to read my post again and note my observation that for many (if not most) persons their outcomes and life achievements seem not to have been significantly influenced/ affected/ enhanced by the attainment of a university degree. My post (intended to be provocative without being verbose) is to question/ speculate inter alia as to;

-whether the offerings at UWI really fits in with the objectives of most of the entrants,

– whether students really know what they want or need re. training and higher education and

– most critically whether our society is making good use of these graduates with regard to the knowledge and skills acquired in the course of their studies.

It is notable that Prof Beckles also commented on the low enrollment of males at UWI. Based on investigations done by the university, it was found that a high proportion of males did not regard UWI degrees as providing significant leverage in advancing their career goals and were too long in duration.

I believe that it is important when ones speaks of Government to refer specifically to either Public Government (headed by public sector administrators) or Private Government (headed by private sector administrators from a social entity with no legal personality who accept pay from the public’s purse). You see Public Government is expected to serve the need of the public, one third of which is included in the public service, but Private Government is expected to serve the needs of the financial backers and supporters. One must be clear for of course there is still the Private Sector which is expected to serve the needs of its principals. In serving their specific needs, the Private government people and the Private Sector people must by necessity give the impression to the public that their (the public’s) needs are being looked after. So in reality the only people with the true responsibility to service the needs of the public is the Public Government. How do you get that group to be correctly staffed and functioning …? Maybe this is where the Beckles’ plan was to have made a difference …

In 1948 my father, a poor, uneducated, working class father of 3 determined to send his daughter to secondary school. His best friend warned him “why you wasting money on she for. As soon as she come out of school somebody gine breed she” My father ignored his best friend’ s mis-advice, but he never forgot his statement. So my sister went to school, and indeed all she could get when she came our was a job as a store clerk.. But the British came recruiting for women with some secondary school education to train as nurses. My sister worked as a registered nurse from 1958 to 2001. Her children are exceedingly well educated. One is listed in his country’s Who’s Who. His friend’s daughter went to the U.K and worked in a Lipton’s tea shop. Her children have joined the ranks of the poorly educated poorly socialized chavs in the U.K. The have joined the ranks of the poorly educated second generation West Indian youth who are filling up British jails. And we wonder why?

Sometimes we are so short sighted.

Don’t be simple, Simon
Can’t you get the difference between GETTING A BABY and RAISING A CHILD?
Shhhhhhhh!

How much that is decided in Cabinet is actually implemented? How much that is promised via the manifesto is actually actioned in Cabinet? You see David I am of the view that all the speechifying and pageantry is mere pantomime. There really is NO fundamental difference between dee and dum and in the past twenty years it has all boiled down to which of the two could better manage the economy. Twenty Ministers to manage an economy. It is all show and an obscene waste of money. Today flying a plane does not call for a plane load of pilots particularly when said plane is on auto-pilot. There is a chief civil servant and a host of subordinates, that if properly chosen could do the job that is required.

Here is Prime Minister Keith Mitchell expressing similar concerns about the UWI yesterday:

http://www.barbadostoday.bb/2013/04/10/sluggish-uwi/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sluggish-uwi

I borrowed the following article from the Kaufman website.

MIT Most Highly Regarded University Innovation Ecosystem
Ask an expert which university has the leading university-based technology innovation ecosystem in the world and you are likely to hear them say “MIT.” A ranking of 120 universities that demonstrate a “decisive impact and significant contribution in the field of entrepreneurship and innovation” has pointed to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as the world leader.

The full article can be read at http://www.entrepreneurship.org/en/Blogs/Policy-Forum-Blog/2013/April/MIT-Most-Highly-Regarded-University-Innovation-Ecosystem.aspx

The point that I am submitting to you goodly gents is one where a University with functioning “Centres of Excellence” or in common parlance, working parts can not only be self sustaining, (MIT’s research budget is US$ 2.7 billion dollars or twice the size of what it takes to run the Barbados economy see http://web.mit.edu/facts/financial.html

Sir Hilary has surrounded himself with clowns and incompetents to drive his vision for implementing similar programming. While they talk all the big words, they simply cannot deliver, Dr. Anthony Fisher and the bungling Sonia Johnson.

Turn north to Prof. Cardinal Warde himself of the prestigious MIT and what do you find? A posturer who cannot even secure one Science scholarship for one Barbadian at MIT but who has been able to get SAGICOR and friends to underwrite some airy fairy Carispice fantasy

David [BU] and you wonder why I think that the private sector can’t lead any revolution in industrialization, in addition to what BAFFY says about its motivation being exploitation, it lack the ability to discern capacity and competence.

If after 40 years at MIT I can’t get a single slot for a bajan at MIT why in Tom Dickens should I be investing money in your hair brained ideas?

Oh what a tangled web we weave when we first practice to deceive

@ BAFFY

Keith Mitchell, Owen Seethru and other of this cadre are practicing “Reincarnation”

You remember Sparrow song bout wanting to return as a dog well that is what the reincarnation theory is in “simple talk” the religious or philosophical concept that the soul or spirit, after biological death, begins a new life in a new body that may be human, animal or spiritual depending on the moral quality of the previous life’s actions.

Now there is an important component in this reincarnation thingy to unnerstan which I at 81 will soon get a chance to put to the test, AFTER BIOLOGICAL DEATH!!!

It would seem to all intents and purposes Batty, sorry, but I think dat you and I is cyberspace brudders and can call each other names, yes, yes, u can call me pieceuhshite if you want, after all my new following and stalkers does call me worse, it would seem that BIOLOGICAL DEATH is not a perquisite after all.

Political death also qualifies. So once you die politically, or you are in any field where your career get assassinate you can reincarnate and come back, with a “your sins are forgiven thee” certificate and institutions like the Central Bank of Barbados, and the University of The West Indies, all three Campuses, will pay you money to rotate through these institutions while you talk of your previous incarnations as an incompetent politician, priest or pederast.

I expect that Hamilton Lashley affectionately called Hamilah will soon be on the circuit as well.

I give you Keith Mitchell, “Washed clean in the pyre of a civic life which was without blemish” and coming soon to a theatre for monkeys, near you

You ent know nobody up pun de Hill dat I cud get a speaking engagement from Batty? I apply tuh dat piece at de nation twice, using pseudonyms of course, but Vivianne and that fellow Ezra Alleyne, he is also a reincartionist you know, tek all dem people client money and now is a lecturer at UWI teaching Ethics in the Law Faculty, dem see my application and my CV and dem ent gi’ me a pick.

Tings hard bout here Baffy and becausing de Commishoner tell me not to wear out any jewellery cause uh de robbers I does stay home and guard my jewels, de goadies and my copper bracelet that indicate that I am a diabetic.

Dat is why getting a piece doing online article bout people business would be good fun me, anything you need me to write bout and you wants to pay me a few pennies?

I is just as good a fabricator as Vivianne or she antithesis Sinckliar and I got 81 years in this incarnation to prove it

@ Pieceahderockanthing

Skipper….you is DE boss…..

Meanwhile Grenada defaults on its external bonds and the unemployment rate is at 25% …

BAF…I dunno whether NEW BLOOD was in point….but what he said, sadly, was absolutely spot on. Love ya.

Oh HUSH Ross,like you want to eat all, greedy son-of-a bitch.That attitude of wanting to kick down the ladder is dirty and selfish . 70% of law entrances come from abroad anyway.So what’s your point Mr.Pop-Belly ?