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The Jeff Broomes Affair, Again–What About the Children?

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Submitted by Anthony Davis
Jeff Broomes, Principal of Parkinson School
Jeff Broomes, Principal of Parkinson School

“Teachers at Parkinson Memorial Secondary are expected to go on the picket line tomorrow morning to protest principal Jeff Broomes’ failure to take disciplinary action against students who took knives and other weapons to school.” – Barbados Today 9 Feb 2015. It is incomprehensible to me why the teachers unions are always ready to strike. Is it because about twelve weeks’ vacation – plus about an additional three days as “Teachers’ days” – are not enough?

I don’t see any other profession getting extra days every three months, so why should teachers? The most of the tax payers who pay them, and whose scions they are supposed to teach, do not even get a quarter of the time off for vacation. They seem to have utter contempt for the parents/guardians of their charges, and by extension the students. They already have their education – paid for by the said people whose children they seem bent on depriving of theirs.

Mr. Broomes is concerned that the action may “leave too many children unsupervised”, but they are not the least bit concerned. Barbados must top the list for teacher strikes in the Caribbean – if not worldwide. This situation comes again during the time when students are preparing for exams. Will the BUT and its cohorts be able to alleviate the additional stress being placed on the tax payers who pay them, and on their scions/wards? Will the BUT help pay for the extra lessons for which the parents/guardians will have to pay? I doubt it.

What is the other reason for the strike?

Is that just a red herring for the strike?

I don’t know why so many things in this country are being done covertly!

On the other hand, weapons of any kind do not belong on a school compound, and those who are found with them should be punished. However, it is no excuse for striking if the students were not punished because there are so many things that go unpunished in this country, and no one goes on strike because people are not punished for them. Last year the BSTU and its members played the grand old duke of York and his men, so it seems to be your turn this year. It seems to be nothing but callousness on the part of the teachers and their unions!

For me our children are of paramount importance as they are the most vulnerable in our society, and I have very little sympathy for anyone who wants to deprive them of their education – no matter for what reason. They are an integral part of our society, and some of them are deviant like some adults, so that is no reason to put all of them in the same basket and put stumbling blocks in their way. They are already being deprived of tertiary education by this “people-centred” Government, and now you want to deprive them of their secondary one.

You must remember that you should not put stumbling blocks in children’s way!

I think that teachers should take more responsibility for those whom they are supposed to inculcate with what is set out in the curriculum. Why are you always attacking Mr. Broomes? He seems to be running his school with a tight rein, because before he was appointed principal of the Parkinson Memorial School one used to see many Parkinson students lingering in the Fairchild St. Bus Terminal, at bus stops, and elsewhere. Nowadays that is in the past, so he must be doing something right – perhaps more than some of you who keep haranguing him.

“Do good, reap good; do evil, reap evil.” Chinese Proverb

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180 responses to “The Jeff Broomes Affair, Again–What About the Children?”

  1. pieceuhderockyeahright Avatar
    pieceuhderockyeahright

    @ Artaxerxes

    Have you in your lifetime heard of anyone, in Bulbados that is, teaching Calculus successfully to a 3 year old?

    I have found with Legion that it is best to simplify things or they cant understand

    So Legion, here goes

    A doctor is examining a patient with a suspect case of appendicitis akin to the Judicial Managers “examining” the CLICO matter.

    During the examination a nurse comes in and sees the patient and has reason to admire the lovely appendage.

    The nurse is the equivalent of the political detractors who while theirs is understandably not the focus of doctor, use the occasion to eye the man’s appendage lovingly or in this case as you are so intent to highlight, the fact that political interest seek to get mileage out of the CLICO incident for their own goals.

    What several commentators here have been seeking to point out to you, oh slothful of thought, is that the “main issue” is the appendix/CLICO and while others are focussed on the man’s private parts Leroy Paris and his “relationships”, the appendix, the CLICO fiasco, where “insurance policies, pension plans and their life savings in the CLICO Balanced Fund” have been obliterated/squandered and otherwise disposed of by Parris et al and forms the substantive issue at hand.

    Son and Successor of Xerxes, Artaxerxes and the Sage and others here, while they can accept the fact that it is in the interest of certain factions to highlight this matter, for political benefit, have tirelessly sought to point out to you that what is at issue here is the appendix – the shareholders and investors and the discommoded in this Ponzi Scheme, and not your beloved Fumble of Leroy is not a leper, but my friend.

    I know that with this simplification you will be able to understand it better BUT will still persist in your path as in “a fool convinced against her will, is of the same opinion still…”

  2. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Just imagine.

    A person works for 40 years and during that time makes a rational decision to contribute to a policy that will make his/her retirement manageable.

    Then because of the actions of others there is no money to pay their pension.

    What if there is a medical emergency?

    Why should anyone be punished for doing the right thing?

    It is easy to deal with problems you bring on yourself but when others cause you pain it is intolerable.

    Let us not forget the real victims in this debacle caused by greed and treachery.

  3. David Avatar
    David

    @Hants

    A human view and then they are others who see just the political.

  4. Georgie Porgie Avatar
    Georgie Porgie

    a reasonable rational view also

  5. Artaxerxes Avatar
    Artaxerxes

    How convenient for you to mention people “who have perched themselves high on the window sill looking for a political outcome latching themselves on to the victims of Clico who is deserving of better representation and not having to be caught up in a political sideshow whose interest will benefit a few.”

    Was BIPA’s president, June Fowler, “deserving of better representation and not having to be caught up in a political sideshow whose interest will benefit a few”, when Chris Sinckler, during a political meeting held in February 2013 at Clevedale, Black Rock, St. Michael, said Fowler was as “ignorant as his bald pooch cat? Were you not on BU commending Sinckler for his actions, while at the same time condemning Fowler?

    However, despite your usual rhetorical party political diatribe, you have not provided any evidence to substantiate you expressing sympathy for the CLICO policy holders.

    My being consistent in effortlessly highlighting your “monstrous perversion of common sense”, is actually becoming quite boring.

  6. Artaxerxes Avatar
    Artaxerxes

    pieceuhderockyeahright February 16, 2015 at 3:33 PM #

    “………… while they can accept the fact that it is in the interest of certain factions to highlight this matter, for political benefit, have tirelessly sought to point out to you that what is at issue here is the appendix – the shareholders and investors and the discommoded in this Ponzi Scheme, and not your beloved Fumble of Leroy is not a leper, but my friend.”

    Well said, POTRYR. I agree and endorse your comments. Rather than focus on the financial improprieties perpetrated by Leroy and “related parties”, these AC individuals prefer to politicize EVERY ISSUE on BU into to DLP versus BLP scenario.

    Quite frankly, “for what it is worth”, after making the following contribution, I think the members of the AC consortium should take a break from BU, and perhaps use the time re-focus:

    “ac February 10, 2015 at 7:11 AM # : Question Where were the JM managers between the years of 2004 and 2007 when Clico was failing to live up to their statutory arrangements , It is truly amazing how the JM seem to exempt self from their role of negligence in the Clico collapse but have used the Houdini method in pursuit of justice…”

    A monstrous perversion of common sense.

    Surely we now have an idea what gives “Fumble Froon” the inspiration to develop such phrases as “sanctimonious hypocrites” or “monstrous perversion of common sense”? Obviously he has been reading AC’s contributions on BU.

  7. DeeWord Avatar
    DeeWord

    Artax to be fair to AC, this is like a boxing bout with a determined but clearly over matched opponent.

    You knock his backside to the canvass sometimes so hard that we at ring-size cringe ourselves from the blow.

    But determined he is and up he gets time after time.

    As lethal a puncher as you are I suspect he is getting some performance enhancements every time he goes back to his corner.

    So, I don’t think you can put him down for the full count and he will hang around to the end of time until we can get an independent official in there to put a stop to the stimulants.

    He is imbibing heavily of that political joy juice; he refuses to separate fact from folly and thus constantly leaves his stupidity exposed.

    So good sir, pulverize him mercilessly.

    We should never brutalize senseless animals but sentient adults who should know better deserve whatever they get.

  8. ac Avatar
    ac

    so what do you think that a flaw in my comment can deter me from exposing the gawd awful truth upon which the BLP yardfowls has sat high in judgement to villify and execute by use of opportune time as one of seeking justice for the millions of policy holders Artexeres you can pull as many flaws as you want about ac, however the biggest flaw gonna happen when the BLP yardfowls failed in their endeavors to deliver the justice that say is necessary for the policyholders to be compensated on that ac await with baited breath, do not count chickens before thy hatch yuh hear, like dee say it is hard to knock a good person to the ground, so home boy keep trying ac always get the last laugh,

    and dee i laughing at you btw you still doing the research to show ac that MKL was associated with violence, n HEE HEEE HEE!

  9. DeeWord Avatar
    DeeWord

    No sir, no further research needed. I closed that out last time around.

    And this is another flaw in your comments:”like dee say it is hard to knock a good person to the ground’.

    Sorry bro, never said any such thing. But I did suggest it’s hard to knock a cheating drug stimulated AC down. Nothing good about you.

    You are just drugged up and thus in your impaired state you are continually displaying your awesome ability to mis-read, mis-lead and mistake basic facts and details.

    That remark: “Where were the JM managers between the years of 2004 and 2007…” was not flawed commentary but a clear indication that you are completely out of your depth.

    Absolute and impressive stupidity.

    That was not a case of you taking the exam and getting the answer partially wrong. Brother, the exam was in January you turned up in April to take it.

    You just didn’t know what you were doing. Sorry, but it manifests itself often with you.

    And you want me to tussle with you re another of your brain freezes re MLK. I don’t think so.

    I’ll leave you to Artax. Enjoy your joy juice!

  10. Dompey Avatar
    Dompey

    Donna, how about that former minister of tourism from the right of evil, who used pay big dollars fah he votes? But I in gine call naa name though becausing I ting yaa know who I mean aa ready.

  11. ac Avatar
    ac

    so whatever ac will press on to expose the blp flaw in underestimating the intelligence of bajans who knows that BLP intentions in reference to Clico is far removed from the better interest of the policyholder . ac remember MIA stood up badly and said six years ago that she would do whatever necessary to find a solution like a misfired rocket she did nothing, however she left the clean up job for the yardfowls who now have pick up the gauntlet and proceed with one intention purposefully and forcefully to deceive the policyholders that their best interest would be served by catching small fry, a bunch of hypocrites,

    and dee stay on what matters most ac await your proper timing and report card on my next comment,

  12. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Artaxerxes,

    I merely used the example with which I was personally familiar. This does not mean I believe that the DLP is free from any such behaviour. I was attempting to point out how the ruling in the Wynton Campbell case could be used by any government as a political tool to further control the civil servants in a partisan way.

  13. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Bushie,

    No, you haven’t scared me off. You’d need a bigger and more powerful whacker for that!

    Sometimes you stray out of the place assigned to you by the BBE. I was merely putting you back in that place. Sometimes you forget that you belong down here with us fallible mortals and assign to yourself all-seeing and all-knowing powers.

    I have known many teachers, my father, his friends, my former school mates, my son’s teachers, as a matter of fact I have even been one myself and I am yet to meet one who is so disgruntled or stupid to follow a union in the manner you described. This is not to say that they do not exist but it seems that all of them have been assigned first to the Alexandra School and then to the Parkinson Secondary.

    I repeat – even if there is a political agenda manipulating the concerns of these teachers, the fact remains that they do have concerns. Even though I do not share those concerns about Mr. Broomes’ competence in dealing with the students I have to acknowledge that teachers have a right to be concerned and to have those concerns addressed.

    As for the rest of your submission – I’ll be back to deal with that later. I suggest you put away your whacker or you might just hurt yourself.

  14. Caswell Franklyn Avatar
    Caswell Franklyn

    Donna

    How do you account for the fact that over 800 teachers were misled into attending a meeting on the first day of school for the children? Their stated reason for withdrawing their labour that day was that they did not want to disrupt the schools. The teachers are being led mindlessly around by misinformation that is design by the BUT to create a situation where Government would bribe some or all of them with promotion to achieve industrial peace in the schools. It has worked in the past.

    Sent from my iPad

    >

  15. ac Avatar
    ac

    key word +spin= design

    Bring the proof ,,Prophet

  16. David Avatar
    David

    Next unrest looming, BAMP and the QEH.

  17. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Caswell,

    My experience of the first morning of school was that it took a while to get the children settled. Teachers missing the first morning of school would not have caused any real disruption.

  18. ac Avatar
    ac

    “create mischief” and misled with a design by the BUT to position self for appointments

    the above excerpts were taken from a diary of a madman

  19. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ David February 17, 2015 at 8:15 AM

    Unrest looming what.
    BAMP is just the medical equivalent of BIPA & June Fowler.
    A bunch of selfish cowards easily fooled by the current deceitful lying pompous administration.

    Watch and see what will take place. Another set of empty promises by the moribund Minister of Health, backed by the post mortem specialist PM and confirmed by the pathological lying Minister of Finance, similar to what was recently said to the terminally ill CLICO pensioners and policyholders. “The financial morphine dependent QEH will get a big injection of funds in a few days and certainly before the end of the current financial year”.

    After these comforts and grandiose commitments to putting the QEH back to sound financial health the BAMP fools will again fall in line and return to rest in its sick bed of comatose silence.

  20. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ ac February 17, 2015 at 8:47 AM

    Nobody is paying you any mind.
    Why don’t you operate within your job description’s realm of ignorance and intellectual pay grade?

    Go and cuss BAMP for creating the problems at the QEH and putting the lives of Bajans in jeopardy. It’s never your dear loving party’s fault. Always looking for a scapegoat for the antics of a bunch of monkeys playing at running a government.
    Everything you guys have tried to manage has turned out to be infected with a dangerous level of pathogens killing the body politic called Barbados.

    Why don’t you guys just give up and call it a day? I am sure something can be worked out to ensure your pension entitlements are not negated.

  21. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Bushie,

    When you refuse to acknowledge statements that I have so clearly articulated I realize that you are trying to dilute my argument. Again I say that I am not overly concerned with senior civil servants who, I agree, should be able to defend themselves and should even have a nest egg to see them through to the next job or until they are vindicated in the justice system. I am concerned with lowlier members of the civil service who could be left floundering through no other cause but political mischief.

    I am a woman, so I don’t have “balls” but what I do have is an honest nature which does not allow me to kowtow to any human being. So, fear of losing a position and my benefits never stopped me but then again I have a safety net called “my family” who wouldn’t allow my child to suffer. So who really knows what I would do without that safety net?

    I am saying to you Bushie, that it is very dangerous not only for the government to be able to hire along party lines but now to abolish posts and effectively dismiss along party lines without fear of the immediate expense of gratuities and pensions. In the wrong hands this would be a very dangerous tool. That is double jeopardy!

    There are procedures for ridding the civil service of unsatisfactory civil servants. These procedures should be followed. As a leader of my former union once informed us – “All the people have to do is follow the procedures, fully document the procedures followed and there would be nothing that we could do for you. So go to work early and regularly and do the people’s work.”

    Bushie there are civil servants who care about their jobs and try to do a good one. Sometimes they are frustrated by inefficient systems and sometimes they are frustrated by small-minded bosses. Sometimes they are frustrated by political interference. These civil servants should not be in jeopardy of being cast aside at age fifty-five without pension or gratuity. They could easily lose their house through no fault of their own. Do you know how hard it is for a woman to find a decent job at age fifty-five?

    We all know that the current system is broken. We all know the hiring process should be more stringent. If you can fix that then Bushie, please go ahead. But sometimes Bushie, the right person happens to be placed in the right post and these are the people for whom I am concerned. These people who are appointed to the civil service do not pay into the unemployment fund and therefore do not even get unemployment benefit. I stand to be corrected but don’t think they are entitled to severance pay from the NIS either. Pension and gratuity would have been their only benefits. Caswell, will correct me if I’m wrong.

    Stop whacking indiscriminately Bushie, control that whacker before you end up whacking yourself.

  22. David Avatar
    David

    @Miller

    The QEH continues to challenge all comers B and D.

  23. ac Avatar
    ac

    @miller FYI ” paying ac no attention”what a lark couldn,t. careless ac does not eat off nobody table is not sitting looking for govt assistance! handouts!concessions or whatever freebies needed to survive so what is your problem sir you seem to be still snorting from the bashing you endure from last election now with little or if any issues related to rebuilding the economy you have joined forces with the B u kangaro court on escalating verbal abuse on ac. just for the record and you can check with the judge for clarification the same war of words were launched againsta ac but in the end ac came out triumphant.so bro sledge away all u like it will be the final product that counts.
    In the meanwhile bring something to table that would rebuild your economy.leave ac out not going to help

  24. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Please forgive my typos in the last submission.

  25. David Avatar
    David

    Yet again BU calls for some of you to button heads on the issues and avoid the gutter of personal exchanges. It can’t be because it is intellectually stimulating.

  26. ac Avatar
    ac

    miller people of your ilk like the Caswells pour gasoline on the system however when the system does not bypass its laws to accomadate and single out favourtism towards yourself the very laws that are in place all of a sudden should be done away forthwith .listening to caswellthe great pontificator a couple days seeking discourse while engaing the public as to why he should be given a pass to extract sibling personnel information without proper verification is another reason barbados. is still consider a banana republic because it seems every one musy have and write their
    own laws
    It seems as if some would prefer it that way having a sytem that can automatically allow or disallow at the drop of a hat

  27. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ Donna

    First thing is that we don’t do typos and grammar here on BU…. so no need to apologize….

    Second is that your concerns are clear and well understood.
    HOWEVER, all the concerns you raised ALSO exists in the private sector. The reality is that bosses can also be nasty and vindictive if they want to be…

    They can give preference to their family and friends; they can be spiteful as shiite to employees who don’t kowtow to their whims…
    Severance pay has been reduced to practically nothing…
    Pension age has been raised until after you die…
    ..same shiite as with the public service….
    How many people have been dismissed from the public service for cause? (except for Winton)
    Steupsss ….
    All we see from these public servants and teaching service people is them complaining and griping over petty selfish issues….
    imagine that stupid BUT union gone on strike for four half-days, and then gone back to work as if nothing had happened, ….and in fact nothing happened…..talking shiite bout he has a tradition to follow….

    All those teachers’ asses should be sent long home for a breech of common sense…

    What protection what?!?
    …does the Auditor General have more protection than everyone else? He seems to call a spade a damn spade every year…..

    You won’t get any sympathy from Bushie on this…. NO ONE FIRES A PRODUCTIVE AND ENGAGED EMPLOYEE, and even if they did, such employees will succeed even better elsewhere…..protection is for sheep and rabbits….we need lions and tigers in our public service.

  28. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Bushie,

    I am not looking for sympathy as I retired early and received my benefits.

    I beg to differ on that “Nobody fires a productive and engaged employee thing” Small-minded people are capable of anything. Some people want you not only to be engaged and productive but also to kiss their behinds and join them in dishonesty. It all depends on their agenda.

    That severance pay which you term as next to nothing if handled properly provides a cushion until the worker can figure out what next to do. So does unemployment benefit. There is an emotional response to losing one’s job. There is a period of adjustment to new circumstances. Being out in the cold at fifty-five with no such buffer is hard.

    I have a cousin who left the civil service where she was considered conscientious and efficient. She quickly got work in the private sector. Unfortunately each time she got settled the companies she worked for changed domicile and closed their offices in Barbados. They all wrote sparkling recommendations for her which were well- deserved but at the age of fifty it seemed everybody was looking for young blood.

    Bushie, you are too harsh you need to see the human side.

    As for the teachers’ strike – I never agreed that they should strike but I still believe they have concerns which need to be addressed. Unfortunately the leadership of the BUT may not be the ones to properly articulate those concerns in a manner that will be conciliatory instead of combative. And the Ministry of Education….. well enough said.

    As for Jeff Broomes, I hope he starts his own school or at least an after school programme to help these children. As Deeword said, he should be able to attract sponsorship. I would donate my services free to help in whatever capacity he sees fit. Somebody has to try with these children.

  29. ac Avatar
    ac

    harsh and unrealistic the same type of domineering and controlling effect Broomes dishes out to grown ups whom he does not treat as his equal
    In the real world that kind of bombastic attiude is challenged and stamped rejected

  30. Caswell Franklyn Avatar
    Caswell Franklyn

    Donna

    Your comments at 9:18 a.m. are absolutely on point. There’s nothing for me to correct. Do not waste your time arguing with Bushie, he is starting to sound like “ac”.

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