est. 2007

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Common Entrance Examination: Termites Jonesing!

Submitted by William Skinner
Hon Ronald Jones, Minister of Education
Hon Ronald Jones, Minister of Education

Once again the annual ritual surrounding the release of the Common Entrance Examination results, has taken center stage. While the Minister of Education rants and raves about the mathematics results, the Principal of the University of the West Indies seems down spirited about the science results at Cave Hill. Any alert observer will see the connection. If the foundation is bad the building would eventually fall.

The Minister of Education refuses to see that if the results are deteriorating under his watch, it may be time for him to move on to another ministry. But we have little regard for holding our leaders accountable. Dragging retired teachers from their gardening and other hobbies to teach math will not work because there is no retired teacher in his or her right mind, who will leave healthy flowers and vegetables, to return to the quagmire that now envelops the Ministry of Education.

Our entire education system is on the verge of collapse but like many other decaying structures the final fall may take some time. Carpenters know about new coats of paint giving the impression that there are no termites. However the termites are there and they will get the job done eventually. Truth is that we are afraid to “touch’ a single rotten board because we fear that the house will fall down. Just slap some paint on it!

We went about claiming that we had an almost one hundred percent literacy rate, while some of our children sitting the Common entrance, could not construct a simple sentence or count to fifty. The loquacious principal of the University at Cave Hill talked about a graduate in every household, while the employers were complaining that many graduates had not mastered basic English. No problem –just flood the place with them and hope for the best.

So next year around this same time, we will parade the “bright” students and some Minister will talk about math and English results. And some principal of Cave Hill will lament that the science results are not encouraging. The termites will be the only focused group on the island; slowly but surely making sure the house crumbles. Then we will call in retirees from the pest control industry.

They will probably say on arrival: We cannot treat dust-too late!

166 responses to “Common Entrance Examination: Termites Jonesing!”

  1. Lemuel Avatar
    Lemuel

    Dompey:
    Go and take your medication!! If they are not working present yourself later to the psychiatric Hospital for electric shock treatment. They now give you medication to control the contortions so you would not hurt yourself, but the treatment really clears the mind of people like you!!

  2. Dompey Avatar
    Dompey

    Lemuel, one does not have to use an empirical reality, to validate the existence of the metaphysical God. One can use reason and common- sense, to arrive at the conclusion that God exist because the evidence in our universe clearly points directly to his existence.

  3. Dompey Avatar
    Dompey

    Lemuel, so what has practical experience to do with our young Barbadians making a decision? Most of what we learn are first conceived through ideas brother and ideas are formed on the basis of theory.

  4. de hood Avatar
    de hood

    @ Lemuel

    So, what the heck does Balaam’s ass know besides what he was told to say by he Lord!?

  5. Lemuel Avatar
    Lemuel

    Dompey:
    You are really a lucky lucky person. The standard treatment for person in your state was to push a sharp object just over the eye and scrap around to induce some sort of brain damage to normal people but in your case normalization of that great organ!!

  6. Lemuel Avatar
    Lemuel

    De Hood:
    How would I know what Dompey knows then that would make me just like him!!

  7. de hood Avatar
    de hood

    @ Lemuel

    Do you think that Domps and Ronald ” we jonesing” Jones could be blood relations?

  8. Dompey Avatar
    Dompey

    De Hood
    You sound real funny man… I love your jokes because their kinda minded me of the days when my grandmother and grandfather sat in a circle and told jokes in the village at night.

  9. Dompey Avatar
    Dompey

    Good night De Hood, my wife just order me to pluck her chin; she is growing a beard now. Enjoy the rest of your Father’s Day old man.

  10. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    Dear Dompey”

    Your wife is an escapee from a circus?

  11. de hood Avatar
    de hood

    Sounds like the ideal thing that you should be doing- pluckng your wife’s hairs!

  12. Dompey Avatar
    Dompey

    Georgie Porgie

    I do agree that we have to encourage our young people to strive for excellence, but in our quest to inculcate this notion, we ought and must be realistic regarding our expectation of today’s young people. Not everyone is cut out for academics and why do you think trade schools were Invented in the first place?

    PG, this where you’re lacking in the critical thinking department brother.

    Simple Simon

    I didn’t know monkeys could talk these days? And how did you get on BU in the first? Did PG leave your cage door open SS? Oh shame on PG, is endangering the public safety by free such a wild animal.

  13. David Avatar
    David

    Discussion about education is happening all across the Caribbean:

    PUBLIC EDUCATION TOTAL FAILURE – WORKING CLASSES LET DOWN IN GUYANA

    This PPP regime has failed the working people of Guyana, despite all its talk of being a working class party and government. There has been a systematic and systemic failure on the part of the Ministry of Education and the PPP minority regime. 
    They have failed – dismally – to develop an education system that can meet the basic needs of the very poor and oppressed section of our country. The sloth in developing comprehensive institutions, where the less educated and disadvantaged could develop relevant skills to meet the growing demands in New Technology, agriculture and the construction industry.

    The fact that Education Minister MANIC-CHAND cannot accept abject failure when she sees and knows of it – must be a very worrying and a serious crisis facing our nation.

    My niece’s daughter took the 5th. place in the national award, but she was sent to a PRIVATELY-run institution and very dedicated support at home, particularly by her mother, and to a lesser degree her father, who is a "round the clock" medical surgeon.

    Our Public education system is being run by a wholly incompetent Education Minister and worse – yet, by an uncaring and corrupt government – that is incapable of producing the kind of children that the nation needs to enter the 21st.century.

    The top 5 – all went to PRIVATELY-OWNED institutions. That says a lot about our Public education system. No parent has any faith in the Government-run schools. When I returned from the UK, after 30 years, I was amazed to learn that a significant number of our children, who left school could not read and write.

    I wrote to – now deceased – Public Library Chief – to get the mobile Library to come down to the Greenwich Park Primary School and lend books to the children and their parents. Another institution approached me to get similar help and that also was afforded. These are very basic things that does not cost the nation much. But it is very essential for our community and our nation. Our children must be able to read and write, as an elementary tool.

    Today, we live under a regime that tells the world that it is "SOCIALIST" – which should mean – working in the interest of the working class, the poor and the oppressed of our country. But this is far from the truth. The PPP has become a government of the rich class and a rapidly developing middle class that has isolated themselves in "gated communities" all around the country.

    Parents are not given the right opportunities to educate their children and the right environment to bring them up. The lack of youth facilities – rising crime of all sorts, juvenile delinquency, drugs and alcoholism – is a very serious threat to the development of a highly educated and healthy young generation.

    Law and Order in Guyana has totally broken down. The manic display by the Education Minister, Pryia Manic-chand, in a recent debate in the National Assembly shows that we have no leadership in government. Not surprising, the youths have no respect for the elderly and there is little parental control.

    The trained and highly skilled teachers and lecturers are leaving the country – due to bad working conditions and poor salaries. Who expects them to stay when presented with better conditions of work and living conditions abroad?

    The educational institutions from nursery to university have experienced poor funding, poor teachers and lecturers and a serious crisis at the managerial level. Guyana needs a total change of governance – the sooner he better. Our future in our hands – not in the PPP.

    JINNAH RAHMAN

    New Guyana School boy tops national Grade 6 exams

    http://www.stabroeknews.com

    By Samaria Deonauth and Desilon Daniels New Guyana School student Jorrel De Santos topped the country at this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA)

  14. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    WHERE IS …what has become…what is the status of ….the $3,000 busuraries promised to UWI Bajan student Minister Jones promised since August ? Has anybody received anything? Do let the BU family know…..

  15. David Avatar
    David

    Maybe the MoF will address it on Tuesday…

  16. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    No christmas budget. Page 3 BarbadosToday.

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