Submitted by Anthony Davis
Minister of Education Ronald Jones has raised concern over the drop in the number of students writing the 11-plus exam, saying this was due to a declining national birth rate. Jones pointed out during a news conference Wednesday morning at his office at the Elsie Payne Complex on Constitution Road, that 3,216 students wrote this year’s exam, representing an 8.8% decline from last year’s figure of 3,527. And that is as a result of . . . if you have been following what has been happening, there’s been a declining birth rate in Barbados and this is being reflected in the number of students at age 11, who have been writing the exam,” the Minister of Education told reporters. He warned that the implications of the falling birth rates extend beyond education – Barbados Today June 07, 2017
Pray tell me, Mr. Minister, if you need more children, why don’t you go right ahead and do it?
I guess you mean yourself and your colleagues who run this Government, because I don’t think you could mean the rest of the populace of this country.
Haven’t you just ganged up with the tax collector to hike the NSRL from 2% to 10% knowing full well the burden of the taxes on the population of this country is putting many of them on the poverty line, making them lose their jobs, their homes, their cars and, above all, their dignity and respect?
The Minister of the Environment already said he doesn’t see any garbage in Bridgetown, so I guess you don’t see any vagrants there. You don’t see that they are increasing, and also younger because you ride around in your limos with the windows rolled up and the AC on to avoid the stench which emanates from these individuals.
The problem, Mr. Minister, is that many of those citizens who you are addressing are already having difficulties raising the one or two they already have, because of the high taxes they already have to pay on everything – especially VAT which was raised to 17.5% for 18 months, but I have surmised that that year hasn’t come yet, and now the NSRL will be raised from 2% to 10% come July 01. A whopping 500% increase!
All you have to do is check with the various NGOs – the Salvation Army, the Barbados Red Cross and others, and you’ll get a run down on what’s going on in our country.
Check with Mr. Saffrey of the Vagrants organization.
It’s obvious that they have wide-reaching implications for every facet of our society, Mr. Minister, but you and your colleagues just sat around, and thumped your tables and shouted “hear, hear” as the tax collector set about the demolition of everything which those who have gone before put in place as safety nets for the poor, the needy and the vulnerable of our society.
Do you really think that anyone would bring children into this world in which we live in Barbados these days?
Should the people put out the children to graze?
Methinks not!
You would be the first person who would want to charge them for child neglect.
Just imagine, Mr. Minister someone having to get up at 3AM to get a bus that leaves at 5AM. The bus arrives punctually and the person gets to one of the terminals hoping to catch a bus about 6AM or 6.45AM to get to work for 8AM.
When does the person get a bus? At 9.45!
By the time that person gets to work three hours of that person’s working time has been lost. That person then has to do without three hours’ pay.
In the evening it’s the same nonsense.
They can’t get home before 8PM or 9PM.
By that time one or both parties may be too tired to partake in any sexual intercourse, and therefore no children can be procreated.
Others just can’t afford children in this overtaxed country.
You have money for an S-Class Mercedes Benz, but you don’t have enough for welfare!
Who owns the new E-Class Mercedes Benz with the number MP100?
How many Mercedes Benz have you purchased recently?
This is a case of hiding and buying land and trying to hide and work it.
Sooner or later the others will be spotted by someone else.
You have money for the S-Class, but you don’t have any to give the public servants who haven’t had a raise for years!
Do you still wonder that the populace of this country just can’t afford children under such circumstances?
It’s only you and your colleagues who couldn’t live without a 10% cut who can afford to have children!
You’re “entitled” to get back your 10%, but the rest of us can suck salt!
Now this tax on forex being taken/sent out of the country will make life even harder for the poor, the needy and the vulnerable, because if they want to visit relatives in one of our neighbouring islands or further afield they have to look for extra money to pay that new stupid tax.
I wonder how much you and your colleagues are allowed to take out without paying one red cent in tax!
I believe you are the one who is being selfish, because you are only seeing the children as numbers growing up to sit the Common Entrance exam!
A child isn’t just a number, he/she must be well looked after – a roof over his/her head, a good meal daily, clothing, schooling, sports, good parenting, etc.
We can’t do it like Adolf Hitler – set up a place where certain women are held for procreation only.
In other words, Mr. Minister, you cannot determine which female in our society should bring forth a child just because you want to fill exam rooms.
If people can’t afford something – especially in our overtaxed society – they can’t do so, and that’s that!
Will you give up your 10% to help?
Donville Inniss surely won’t, because he said up front that he couldn’t afford to have 10% of his money deducted because he has bills to pay – as if the cash cows of this country don’t have any to pay.
What will happen when the people decide to have more children?
Will you and your colleagues give them a ride to the QEH, or polyclinic when necessary to save them the long wait for the buses?
Will you be there for them when they have to go to the Welfare Department to collect what little they are getting nowadays?
Will you ensure that the fathers pay their meagre dues?
Will you make sure that the Transport Board gives an appropriate bus service, instead of having to listen to the stuck record: “Passengers please note, we are having some challenges with our services,” whereas the buses are lined off at the terminals, and only certain routes are being serviced – especially the one where the ZRs come into play in the Fairchild St. terminal.
When they do get a bus after they guess that all of the school children are out of the terminal – some of them being there up to 9.30 or 10 – they hear the other stuck record: “We do apologize for the lateness in your service.”
The only “challenge” is with the logistics.
What you should do is to listen to the head of the Barbados Family Planning Association, but neither you nor any of your colleagues know anything about listening, because you are all infallible, and therefore have a condescending attitude.
I’ve heard that:
1) Red means danger
2) Yellow means cowardice
I wonder if that’s the reason why no one in the ruling party has stood up to the tax collector when he decided to introduce new taxes or raise some old one – one even by 500%!
My dogs will decide for me for whom I should vote – if I vote at all. The louder they bark when people come canvassing will make the difference for me.
It’s the “silly season” already, so I would advise my compatriots to be wary of gift-bringing Greeks.
Pride goes before destruction, Mr. Minister!
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