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Ministry of Education Must be Professional Executing Role as Final Arbiter

Submitted by The Mahogany Coconut Think Tank and Watchdog Group The Mahogany Coconut Group (MCG) is concerned that Barbadian school children, can go to the Ministry of Education and have a legitimate punishment enforced by their school’s principal, overturned by a civil servant! Such a travesty occurred recently, when a group of school children turned…

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Submitted by The Mahogany Coconut Think Tank and Watchdog Group
Laurie King, Chief Education Officer
Laurie King, Chief Education Officer

The Mahogany Coconut Group (MCG) is concerned that Barbadian school children, can go to the Ministry of Education and have a legitimate punishment enforced by their school’s principal, overturned by a civil servant! Such a travesty occurred recently, when a group of school children turned up at the Ministry of Education, and succeeded in getting a senior ministry official, to overrule the punishment imposed on them, by their principal, for frequently being late in arriving at school.

What transpired sets a very ugly and dangerous precedent that will most certainly, result in far reaching negative effects on the dispensation, of discipline in our schools. The unbelievable actions of the civil servant, dealt a very low blow, to the principal. We know for a fact that many principals are now contemplating if it is worth their while to discipline students.

This brazen assault on our educators is a trademark of both the Barbados Labour Party and the Democratic Labour Party. It is now very clear to all concerned that when party supporters from either side are placed in powerful positions, their inability to understand their job description becomes a major problem.

Whenever administrations change in Barbados, they are followed by shameless attempts to rapidly place party loyalists in top positions in the public service. MCG knows that a former BLP Minister of Education, on his/her second day in office, marched into a senior education officer’s office and demanded that a party supporter, not known for his/her professionalism be “given” a school (made a principal). When the minster’s demands were not met all hell broke loose. We are also very aware that recent appointments to top positions in the Ministry of Education seem to favour those who hold DLP passports. These two political monstrosities have succeeded in effectively ruining the administration of education in our island state.

There are many extremely professional and dedicated teachers, who do not even bother to apply for promotions because they are mortally and professionally afraid of the vicious political exercises that now characterize the ministry of education.

The MCG therefore calls for a full investigation into this matter and wants to know why and how a senior ministry official can overrule a principal without fear of reprimand. This kind of excessive interference with the proper dispensation of discipline in our schools cannot be allowed to escalate. We call on all principals to be diligent and avoid the traps and professional sabotage now being executed at the Ministry of Education. We await a response from Minister Ronald Jones.

42 responses to “Ministry of Education Must be Professional Executing Role as Final Arbiter”

  1. Caswell Franklyn Avatar
    Caswell Franklyn

    Interference in the promotion of teachers is the reason why most of our good teachers opt for early retirement, thus leaving those who have to rely on politicians for promotion. Effectively, we are left with a whole host of politically appointed school administrators. Those that weren’t are having their lives made miserable.

  2. David Avatar
    David

    What can be done about this Caswell? It seems like it is something all the parties do.

  3. Caswell Franklyn Avatar
    Caswell Franklyn

    Instead of retiring individual teachers who have been disadvantaged must take the matter to court. It makes no sense going to the unions for representation since BUT is now an unofficial arm of the DLP, and no one is taking BSTU seriously.

    Earlier this year when they appointed principals of primary schools, some of those who had to revert were told that it would have been best for them to retire now in order to secure their pensions at the level of principal. And you guessed it they retired early.

    >

  4. David Avatar
    David

    So political tribalism continues to trump what is right, the result, a demunition of our teaching service.

  5. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    Instead of retiring individual teachers who have been disadvantaged must take the matter to court.
    *****************
    What foolishness you talking now Caswell?
    Which court?
    You talking bout the same shiite system we have centered down Whitepark?

    So which teacher you think can afford the $40,000 to do this?…and
    While they are “in court” (the ten years or so) what becomes of their career/ family/ entitlements like leave etc?

    you REALLY serious bout this court thing…?
    …or are you really saying that the education system in Barbados is so fcuked up that the most logical option for any GOOD teacher is to retire?

    The VERY first step in fixing the education system is to disband the Ministry of Education….what a colossal FAILURE!!!
    Hand each school over to the Old Scholars Association’s Committee of management to appoint 50% of the school board
    The PTA appoints 30%……and the main union 20%.
    The principal and two other teachers to be exofficio members.

    That Board then runs the school for the full school year.

    Second Step:
    EACH SCHOOL must submit a FULL report of financial and educational results (as prescribed) within three months of the end of school year …IN THE PRESS.

    A brass bowl is someone who thinks that they can keep on doing the same shiite year after year, and somehow get different results….

  6. David Avatar
    David

    @Bushie

    Agree with you Bushie but why would political parties want to relinquish CONTROL?

  7. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    So Barbados is about what political parties want….?
    How about what Bajans want….?

  8. Caswell Franklyn Avatar
    Caswell Franklyn

    Bushie

    Sometimes our courts get it right. Unity Workers Union had to resort to the courts to get justice for our members. So far, one got appointed as a result and the Government offered an out-of-court settlement in another case. Not bad for a one man union.

    >

  9. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    LOL @ Caswell
    Good marketing.
    Want to give the overall stats? Or are you saying that these teachers need to join Unity and thereby get some real action?

    You and Bushie know that, faced with people who REALLY know their rights and what the law actually says, the courts can be man-handed into effectiveness….
    But we are talking exceptions here not the rule….

    EDUCATION in Barbados has FAILED.
    Check the back page of the Nation today….
    45% of school boys and 25% of school girls between 13 and 15 report being sexually active.
    Wuh shiite….
    That is a BETTER percentage than their OVERALL academic pass rates….

    As Bushie says, we are running a $500M per year dating service …..and you will find that those student who do achieve academic success HAVE BEEN EXTENSIVELY EXPOSED TO PRIVATE TUITION AT THEIR PARENTS EXPENSE.

    What more do we need to recognize FAILURE?

    Bushie’s rating: BB

  10. Caswell Franklyn Avatar
    Caswell Franklyn

    Bushie

    The marketing was unintended, but you are right: they should join Unity.

    >

  11. islandgal246 Avatar
    islandgal246

    We are raising a population fooping youths with a bunch of fooping employers from the old school. This has been the scenario for years: You looking for a job…de boss man think he got a right to foop yuh. Yuh want a promotion, yuh got tah foop de bossman. De supervisor doan like yuh because yuh won’t foop he, de Bossman want tah fire yuh because yuh won’t foop he. De union boss promoting yuh because he does foop yuh. De Minister give yuh a job because he fooping yuh. De Minister want tah move yuh because he can’t foop yuh. De school teacher gine fail yuh eff yuh doan foop he. De university professor gine fail yuh eff yuh doan foop he. And soo de fooping saga will continue. Ah forget de Pastor play he doing God’s work and still fooping de congregation. De former PM did beating he wife and fooping he secretary. Dis present one noboddy doan know who he beating or who he fooping. By de way where wunna peoples get dis word fooping from? Dis is one fooping country!

  12. Well Well. Avatar
    Well Well.

    This clearly shows that the school children are way more organized than the leaders DLP/BLP..maybe it’s time to let the school children manage the country, i am sure they will do a much better job, why? children can see much more clearly, why? no political interference in their thought processes at that stage.

  13. Well Well. Avatar
    Well Well.

    Island…>>>>LOL………..SO TRUE…

  14. Caswell Franklyn Avatar
    Caswell Franklyn

    Islandgal

    Crassly put but you have summed up our society. Mind you, I don’t want the Ministry of Education to clean up Barbados: I just want it to clean up this type of behaviour in schools. They could start with the music teacher at Foundation ( Worrell) that was having sex with one of his students. He is still there with the full knowledge of the entire management team of the school.

    >

  15. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ Well Well
    What school children more organized what??
    The school children are just being school children…in need of guidance.

    ANYBODY can be more organized than a bunch of jackasses with high percentages of goat…. BOTH Bs and D’s….

  16. Well Well. Avatar
    Well Well.

    Bush Tea…….and you think that the present leaders (Ronald (jackass) Jones) ‘the children are possessed with demons’ has the skills to guide them, him of the ‘crack some heads and shoot some people fame’……….do you think the teachers who are having sex with the same school children are capable of guiding them, yea, into having more sex…..

    i raised children, all you need to do is point them in the right direction and they willingly and gladly do the rest, better than any adult…..look how well those school kids organized, approached the ministry and had a decision overturned…..imagined if all the kids across the island organized like that, if they have not already been tainted and corrupted by adults, yea Bushtea, they could easily overthrow the bunch of jackasses in the government as well as the opposition and run Barbados smoothly and successfully.

  17. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    Bushie normally avoid such arguments, however today feels like a funny night 🙂 so Bushie will make an exception here Well Well…..

    Do you understand the concept of a LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR?
    Of course school children could take over and run things (as if they have not already done so)…. BUT that does not mean that these children can do an effective job….think leadership is sport?
    The fact that they can outdo the jackasses we have only says how low we have fallen. The world is MUCH too complex to be run successfully by EITHER jackasses OR children (or women, but Bushie don’t want to get Islandgal vex after that “fooping”mood she had this morning 🙂 )
    THIS IS A JOB FOR REAL REAL MEN…..with real real balls.
    Settling for the lowest common denominator does not cut it….

  18. Well Well. Avatar
    Well Well.

    Bush Tea said:
    “Of course school children could take over and run things (as if they have not already done so)…. BUT that does not mean that these children can do an effective job….think leadership is sport?”
    ______________________________

    you missed or forgot the part where i said if they (the children) are pointed in the right direction………..i bet you they can do a more effective job than the lot you now have…….there were leaders from the old school of intelligence that made leadership look like a walk in the park, why?? because the were INTELLIGENT, now where do you think they acquired that intelligence??……show me the intelligence from either DLP/BLP???

  19. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ Well Well
    The reason that the old-school fellows were effective leaders had NOTHING to do with intelligence….in fact some of them were not particularly bright (Bushie would know ….he was there)
    ….BUT those fellows had BALLS
    …they had INTEGRITY
    …and they had COMMON SENSE (wisdom) ….because they UNDERSTOOD that there is a GOD from which such is obtained…

    Wunna modern day jokers listen to the white people and play wunna deciding that God is dead …and that wunna “intelligent”….and wunna working with wunna “money”…

    THAT, friend, is the single major reason why, despite all the ‘education’, the technology, the science, the military power, the money and the pride, ALL of them look like jackasses….. with liberal amounts of goat…..and not just the Bajan ones either….

    LOL …even by Bushie’s low standards the Toronto fellow overdoing it though ….. 🙂

    BTW Well Well….if you honestly think that you can “point a child in the right direction” and that’s it …..then you are not very far from our politicians in Bushie’s humble opinion….. LOL

  20. robert ross Avatar
    robert ross

    There is nothing ‘crass’ about the Island comment. It is beautifully constructed and exquisitely expressed. BUT – we always assume one side of a story. …..that is, we assume that there is a power imbalance between the ‘fooper’ and the ‘victim’.. The male is always the ‘abuser’.
    Yet where is the power advantage if the female is voluble, educated, intelligent and ambitious? We males are a pretty weak lot and a clever woman knows very well how to manipulate that. Priests are very vulnerable and there is a sort of female who actually ‘goes’ for priests. I suppose they all want to play Eve. I have had female ‘clients’ who have sat opposite me with legs apart and all the rest. I’m sure doctors have had the same experience. And the problem is that because of our own weakness and inner turmoils we fall for it all. Then they play ‘gotcha’. Of course, I’m not saying that men do not also fall into the predator category.

  21. islandgal246 Avatar
    islandgal246

    Ross because you can see up between a woman’s legs that is no invitation fuh yuh to foop she. How de hell yuh expect a doctor to do a pap smear pon a woman wid she legs closed? Man looka doan try to mek excuses fuh de amount of wutless menz dem got out dere.

  22. robert ross Avatar
    robert ross

    Island Gal

    I am making NO excuses…see my last sentence. Of course ‘leg opening’ is not enough if by accident; my point is that it takes two to tango – and for some women the challenge is to get the fella on the dance floor. Nor was I talking about pap smears. There are some women who ‘go’ for doctors, priests, lecturers, lawyers, politicians, Bush Tea. The fella ‘falls’ for it. Indeed, he wants to fall for it. It suits his ego.

    The point seems so obvious, and recognized, I half wonder why you’re willfully distorting what I said. Island – what’s YOUR poison?

  23. Georgie Porgie Avatar
    Georgie Porgie

    ROSS
    When I was a very young Dr I got a little locum job deputizing for a colleague. I was making some money too. A young Jamaican woman came in and I examined here adequately for her complaint { or so I thought} When I walked a way, she said ‘”But you havent done an internal!’” So you can conclude what you wish there.

  24. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    There are some women who ‘go’ for doctors, priests, lecturers, lawyers, politicians, Bush Tea.
    ************
    Wait RR!!!!
    How “Bush Tea” got into that clan?
    You see the bushman here YEARS now trying UNSUCCESSFULLY to get Islandgal to take a Pap smear….. no dice…

    WHAT WOMAN GO FOR WHAT BUSH TEA WHAT?!?

    LOL…you should worry bout that one that “gotcha” Ha Ha lol
    …that is why Bushie does “talk – but doan touch none…. ” 🙂

  25. robert ross Avatar
    robert ross

    Georgie

    Exactly.

    Bush Tea

    Yes, but in her heart’s desire you’re the one. We all realize that no matter what she may SAY.

  26. Well Well. Avatar
    Well Well.

    Bush Tea said:
    “BTW Well Well….if you honestly think that you can “point a child in the right direction” and that’s it …..then you are not very far from our politicians in Bushie’s humble opinion….. LOL”

    ___________________________________

    it worked for me, what kind of children have you been dealing with, give the kids some credit and remember we only mostly hear about the bad kids and all the bad things they do, we very rarely hear about the brilliant high achievers and what they have done and are doing….unfortunately adults tend to focus on the negativity that oversexed and misguided kids do and paint them all with one brush….
    _______________________________

    Bush Tea said:
    “BUT those fellows had BALLS
    …they had INTEGRITY
    …and they had COMMON SENSE (wisdom)”
    ____________________________________________________
    Sorry to burst your bubble, but all that you have said above falls under the aegis of INTELLIGENCE, you are thinking intelligence comes from a book, NO IT DOES NOT, neither does common sense, neither does integrity, neither does balls, all are natural phenomena and are NOT man made.

    By the way Bush Tea, who listens to white people anymore? not even white people listen to white people anymore, they are all played out, all the lies that were to be told have been told, they do not even believe their own lies anymore…lol

  27. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    @Bush Tea “Hand each school over to the Old Scholars Association’s Committee of management to appoint 50% of the school board”

    Why?

    Sill man what have the old scholars done to deserve 50% of the seats on any school board?

    And the current teachers and current parents get 30%?

    What anti-democratic nonsense.

  28. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    @Bush Tea “45% of school boys and 25% of school girls between 13 and 15 report being sexually active.”

    Teenagers lie.

    Teenage boys especially lie.

    And the boys further claim that they have more than one sexual partner.

    Heck even grown men lie.

    Before Viagra not a single man is Barbados suffered from sexual dysfunction.

    And yet Viagra was and is the fastest selling drug in Barbados.

    Who are those liard men without sexual dysfunction who are making Pfizer rich?

    Probably the fathers and grandfathers of the same liard 15 year old boys who calim to have multiple sexual partners.

    ROFLMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  29. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    @Bush Tea November 23, 2013 at 1:44 PM The reason that the old-school fellows were effective leaders had NOTHING to do with intelligence….in fact some of them were not particularly bright (Bushie would know ….he was [one])

    True, true.

  30. Caswell Franklyn Avatar
    Caswell Franklyn

    Simple Simon

    You are absolutely correct. The only way I would believe the survey that was conducted by the Ministry of Health is if it was done while the boys were undergoing lie detector tests. If little boys’ penises grew half an inch every time they told a lie about having sex, most of them would have 15 foot penises.

    >

  31. David Avatar
    David

    If there is anyone out there who knows the website school children are sending explicit videos to get phone top ups please email BU.

  32. robert ross Avatar
    robert ross

    I have never understood why strong, lusty rogues need Viagra and yet, yes, it is the miracle worker for so many. I want to ask whoever it was whether it is a racial thing peddled by the albino celts from North India as yet another form of enslavement.

    Bush Tea said “You are not very far from the politicians”

    But is anyone on here other than ‘not very far”? What of David, busily making us toe the party line? What of Well Well, busily threatening anyone who gets in her way? What of Miller, busily demanding we place mind over matter? What of Bush Tea, busily pushing old ideas? What of ac, busily play-acting? What of Amused, busily being a toff to all the right people except when his slip is showing? What of RR, busily being the spokesperson for the lunatic fringe without a dog’s chance of moving mountains? Players all.

  33. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    @Bush Tea “45% of school boys and 25% of school girls between 13 and 15 report being sexually active.”

    Since they surveyed only trh 13 to 15 year olds. if all school children had been surveyed the headline could well read

    “99% OF BARBADOS’ SCHOOL CHILDREN ARE VIRGINS”

    But I guess that would not be news and would not sell newspapers or attract the interest of elderly Viagra dependent perverts

  34. robert ross Avatar
    robert ross

    SS

    I guess you are not saying that an elderly person who has not lost ‘it’ is a pervert if he takes Viagra?

  35. Well Well. Avatar
    Well Well.

    Ross said:
    ” What of Well Well, busily threatening anyone who gets in her way?”

    ___________________________________

    Ross…. i did not threaten you, i offered you a chance to be my pet eunuch, that would cure your perverted ways and you will no longer have to take viagra….did you not hear Dr. Charles recently say that using viagra incessantly, particularly as an old man, would eventually cause the blood to cease flow and result in a GANGRENOUS PENIS??……which would mean the same thing as becoming a eunuch……only difference, you would be my pet…….lol

  36. robert ross Avatar
    robert ross

    Well Well

    Your pet? Why thankyou. But….. Err…I don’t think I have enough body armour.

  37. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ Simple Simon
    …talking about lies….
    Let’s do a small survey with you…..
    Of all of those EX-boyfriends that you claimed on BU to have had…
    How many COULD be virgins as far as you know for sure?

    Bushie did not conduct the survey….but perhaps one way to get a good idea of what is happening may be to ENCOURAGE cell phones in schools and to install CCTV systems….

    Were it not for those two boys with their video – no doubt this incident would also be a case of the exaggeration of teenage boys….
    …so if we can ban the cell phones the problem goes away….right?

    BB

  38. Well Well. Avatar
    Well Well.

    Ross……spoil sport…

  39. Mark Fenty Avatar
    Mark Fenty

    @ IsLandgal
    Islandgal, if what you’re saying it true?
    Then perhaps, it’s time that the small island of Barbados gets with the program. Listen! There are laws on the books against sexual- harassment in the work environment and has been for many decades. And these laws carry serious criminal as well as punitive consequences as far as my understanding goes. So why hasn’t The Barbados Government been proactive, given the vast corpus of documentation surround this very sensitive issue?

    Now, are you telling me that we’re that antiquated with respect to this aspect of our political development? You know, I used to hear about this kind of abuse prior to leave Barbados some twenty- six years ago. And, I fail to accept the view that it is still happening as I speak. Now, doesn’t it say something very fundamental about the political process in Barbados?

    carry serious criminal as well as punitive consequences. Now, are you telling me that we’re that antiquated with respect to this aspect of our development?

  40. islandgal246 Avatar
    islandgal246

    Fenty you did always know dat a tiger cahn change its stripes. Fwooping is a way of life pon dis rock. Fwooping fuh wuk, fwooping for pleasure. fwooping fuh education, fwooping fuh justice and fwooping fuh remy hair.

  41. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ Islandgal
    ……you sound like you know what you talking bout yuh! 🙂 LOL Ha Ha

    @ Mark Fenty
    “…..are you telling me that we’re that antiquated…..”
    **********
    …you live around a lotta white people right? Man stop sounding so naive do…..!
    Um is people like you that inflicted coeducation on Barbados and now playing that they surprise at how um turn out….
    …all like Ralphie Boyce so… 🙂

  42. robert ross Avatar
    robert ross

    “Laws against sexual harassment in the work place have been around for many decades”

    Under the Sexual Offences Act 1992, in the case of ‘fooping’ consent is negatived where D has used his position of authority over the complainant. The concept of ‘authority’ is not defined. Does it apply only to a situation where a person has the right to issue orders and enforce obedience OR does it extend to any situation where there is a significant power imbalance such that there is an ability to dominate and influence?

    Prima facie covers student/teacher, parent/child, doctor patient, cleric/penitent, attorney/client, employer/employee etc

    The accused must have USED his position of authority. It is not enough merely to have it. Anyone , even a lecherous priest, is entitled to fall in love.

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