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APB for Minister Santia Bradshaw, Police, Teachers and Parents

Submitted by Paula Sealy

We are listening.

The silence on this brawl is no less troubling or unsettling than the brawl itself.

Two years ago the minister asked the police to do their job should teachers strike students. When students strike students where is the outcry for the police to do their job?

What have the teachers’ unions to say?

Where is their leadership?

Leadership is lacking across the education system. It is time for the minister to do her job.

We are watching.

We continue to listen.

73 responses to “APB for Minister Santia Bradshaw, Police, Teachers and Parents”

  1. Dompey Avatar
    Dompey

    What has a teacher to do when a student strike another student, but trying to redirect the student who is the aggressor? And if the incident arise to a level where someone is injured, then the Police should be notified.

  2. Dompey Avatar
    Dompey

    But no Teacher has no business whatsoever beat a student in the year 2021, unless it is a case of self-defense.

  3. David Avatar
    David

    Let’s know sex offenders!
    By Maria Bradshaw mariabradshaw@nationnews.com
    The Caribbean Committee Against Sex Crimes wants Barbados and other CARICOM states to implement sex offenders registries to allow information to be shared regionally.
    Chairman and attorney at law Jonathan Bhagan said with the CARICOM Single Market and Economy’s (CSME) freedom of movement among member states, tracking of offenders was important, noting Trinidad and Tobago was already benefiting from the implementation of the registry.
    Last year the committee, which was founded in 2104, announced it had partnered with OffenderWatch, a United States-based sex offender registry management solution, with the aim of monitoring sex offenders across the Caribbean. The two organisations were also hoping to implement sex offender registries across the 15 nations of CARICOM.
    At present only Trinidad, Jamaica and Belize have relevant laws in place.
    Asked about Barbados, Bhagan said: “In early 2021 we did send information through a Barbadian contact to persons in the Government and opposition who found that it was a good idea but had to focus on the coronavirus pandemic for now.
    “Each country needs to pass their own registry laws and allow specifically for data sharing in accordance with their data protection legislation. Then we will partner with OffenderWatch and each nation’s police commissioner to share each CARICOM nation’s data on the same database with the United States.
    “The OffenderWatch software will allow for realtime tracking on social media/email for offenders who try to message children. Tracking across borders is also possible for travelling sex offenders. Caribbean police agencies can partner with the [Federal Bureau of Investigation] and US Marshals to gather data to crack human trafficking rings once sex offender movements are monitored.”
    Responding to concerns that some Caribbean states such as Barbados were too small to have a public sex registry, Bhagan said while this might be so, given the CSME’s freedom of movement provisions under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, there should be a registry for police and immigration use.
    Need to protect the citizens
    “Prolific paedophiles can rape 50 or 100 children in their lifetime and police in Trinidad have found underaged girls being sold into prostitution. We need to protect the citizens of our region from predators moving from nation to nation . . . ,” he noted.
    Two child rights advocates
    in Barbados, Shelly Ross and Felicia Dujon, said a sex registry was needed.
    “When one considers the potential dangers to the general public and especially to unassuming young vulnerable girls and boys that convicted sexual offenders pose, a sex registry is needed,” said Ross who operates the online Children’s Directory.
    “While some argue that Barbados is too small for a sex registry or that a sex registry does not prevent sex crimes or help victims, a sex registry is vital in helping us to know if the ‘very nice’ neighbourhood, the teacher, coach or even the baby sitter who we trust with our children are a danger to our children.
    “Parents have the right to know who is having authority over their children . . . . Parents also need to be aware so that they can look for signs and speak to their children before irreparable damage is done,” she added.
    Dujon urged caution with a sex registry as she did not believe young sex offenders should be included.
    “The State should not include juveniles who committed sex crimes in the sex offenders registry due to their age, as such criminal records can damage their entire lives.
    “In many developed countries like the US , the sex offenders registry is made public. As a result, parents, schools and law officials have immediate access to the criminal background of the sex offender. Given the increase in sex crimes against minors and young women and men, having a local sex offenders registry may increase an awareness and additional safety information. Sexual violence is a public health issue and as a result, the state should implement the registry to increase their policing of repeat and new offenders. In other instances, rehabilitation efforts can be used to deter repeat offenders of such crimes.”
    Noting there were numerous requirements which could be used to manage sex offenders registries effectively, Dujon said the onus is on public cooperation to avoid further harm from being done by perpetrators of sexual crimes.

    Source: Nation

  4. David Avatar
    David

    Focus on quality education
    By Dr Verna Knight
    A Facebook cartoon spread I recently encountered depicted various scenarios where young graduates were accomplishing workplace tasks in backward ways. It was titled, What We Can Expect From 2021 Graduates.
    While others found this funny, I didn’t. As I watch the regional pressure build against the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) from parents, from governments, from CARICOM and other regional agencies, the possibility of CXC lowering its academic rigour and standards become more real and I begin to ask myself why isn’t CXC speaking on its own behalf to explain the danger such actions would pose in terms of devaluing our regional certification? Why aren’t our local and regional accreditation bodies or councils advising against the difficulty such a change will pose for the very same students who will want to use the 2021 CXC certification to matriculate into higher educational institutions worldwide?
    International tertiary institutions accept our regional certificates – certified by CXC – based on the understanding that students who have attained such qualifications have been confirmed through relevant assessments as having covered a standardised set of content knowledge in each subject area. What is being asked of CXC is for the regional assessment body to assess less content in this year’s exam because students have not fully acquired all the required knowledge for completion of the CSEC and CAPE qualifications, but still grant them the certificates which will provide the equivalent assurance that they have.
    I am troubled by the implications of such a request for lowering our assessment standards for several reasons: First of all, such an action will make the CXC certificate a lie and the value of such certifications can become questionable. Even if Caribbean entities have no problem employing such graduates (who will be even less equipped with the required skills and knowledge the certificate implies), I can see international educational institutions and agencies shunning 2021 graduates and applicants into higher education as “questionable”.
    Secondly, when will we address the learning gaps in knowledge and skills of these graduates? It is doubtful that the institutions and employers who take in these 2021 graduates will make provisions to fill these gaps. It will be easier for them to avoid accepting them once given an option.
    What’s the message?
    Thirdly, what kinds of messages are we sending about schools and education by such policy actions?
    If schooling cannot be extended for an additional year, and increased provisions made to ensure that our students learn all they should before moving to the subsequent level, then we continue to send
    the message that schooling is only about acquiring exam certificates and not necessarily about quality learning. This is troubling for me as an educator in an era where all educational policies across the world, and education plans especially in developing countries like ours in the Caribbean, emphasise the need for increased focus on “quality” education more so than “quantity”.
    My final concern is that our children were crying out for additional supports to improve the quality of learning in our schools way before this pandemic.
    Our results were showing that at least one-third of Caribbean school students were struggling to or not attaining worthwhile success at the end.
    As the possibility of seeing an increased number of students failing to attain the standards required for success in 2021, our answer as educators and education policymakers (and influencers of policy action) should not be focused on lowering the educational attainment standards. How can this be the best way of helping our children learn all they should? Our focus should rather be on giving them the additional opportunities and supports to successfully complete their learning.
    I appeal to my fellow educators to not allow this ongoing debate surrounding assessment to be limited to merely how many can acquire certificates. Certificates are merely tangible exhibits which represent student learning. If we change the assessment standards it still does not address the core problem of learning – as these students will proceed and struggle even further because they will do so with greater learning gaps than they have had in previous years. And how can this be best done? Is not deferring taking the exam this year worth these costs our children will pay? That the regional CXC institution we have built will pay?
    Let those who are sufficiently prepared take the exam. And let us focus our efforts on helping those who are not yet ready to be ready in the next year.
    Our national and regional development goals are dependent on “quality learning”, not how many certificates we will fail to distribute this year.
    Dr Verna Knight is a regional educator.

    Source: Nation

  5. David Avatar
    David

    As stated many times the issue of crime and where we are today is complex.

    HITMEN FOR HIRE
    Detective says some killers in their teens being recruited
    Trigger-happy young men are turning into “contract killers” for between $10 000 to $15 000.
    “That is the going rate. People in the underworld know who these guys are and they use them to carry out these bloody acts,” a detective, who has been involved for many years in solving murders, told the Sunday Sun.
    He said a number of killings over the years, including drive-by shootings, are being undertaken by hired hands and he was concerned that a number of young men, some teenagers without “a care in the world,” are being recruited.
    “Sometimes it is an initiation to show their loyalty to the boss; sometimes they do it for money, drugs and guns. Men who sit on the block share a lot of information among themselves, including who they want killed,” he said, as he lamented that the block culture was a big contributing factor to the crimes.
    Another senior cop disclosed that some contract killings were for “petty stuff”, as in one case a contract killer confessed that he and the getaway driver were paid $5 000 each to carry out the dastardly act.
    “A man carry way another man girl or a man come on the block and look at another man too hard. These people are taking another human being’s life over nonsense.”
    He said there were also instances where there were revenge killings over stealing drugs or refusing to pay for them.
    “. . . A hitman was taken out by another hitman because anytime you are a contract killer your life is also at risk. These hitmen have to walk and look over their shoulders. For instance, we have killers confess that they kill a man who killed their family or friend sometimes ten years earlier and they were waiting for the opportune time to ‘tek them out’.”
    “We have also had situations where families – a brother or a cousin – would hire a hitman to kill someone who killed their relative,” he said.
    Sources said a well-known hitman who may have killed more than five men was recently gunned down because it was believed that he was responsible for the killing, earlier this month, of another man who was considered a “boss”.
    A man who limes on the block revealed that killing was a moneymaker for the young people.
    “Five grand to carry out a job is nuff money for these young men who do not work. They hit mollies or blackies (illegal substances) so that they can psyche out themselves to do the
    job. They become ruthless and would hit anything in their path to get at the target. That is why we have so many drive-by shootings.”
    He recalled that a few years ago a notorious “hitman” who had assassinated many men was “killed like a dog” in the Pine, St Michael.
    “He kill the wrong man. Men drag he in the road and pepper he with bullets. Up to this day, nobody ain’t get charged. That was a big one that get tek out. People say he use to kill men for a spliff.”
    One of the cases which exposed the hitman trend in Barbados was the 2004 Coroner’s Court inquest into the 1999 shooting death of Carl Lashley, where witnesses testified that he was killed by 18-year-old Jerry Grant, a notorious “hitman” who was also murdered.
    Two weeks ago in the No.2 Supreme Court, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Alliston Seale mentioned that there was a “vigilante system in Barbados where everybody is exacting their own revenge among these various lawless groups”.
    “When you hear of a shooting, when you check the history, we who deal in the criminal justice system know that somewhere along the line this man trouble somebody some time.”
    Seale, who was prosecuting in the manslaughter conviction of Ryan Omar Samuel, of Grape Hall, St Lucy, who killed Charley Dume on April 26, 2014, reacted to the news of a man being held with an AK-47.
    When contacted, Deputy Commissioner of Police Erwin Boyce said he could not comment at this time without a review of investigations.
    However, three weeks ago he told this newspaper: “The [police]Force is indeed concerned about the recent incidents of violent criminal acts, particularly those that are gunrelated, bold and reckless acts of execution, which seem to be centred around certain areas or districts . . .”.

    Source: Nation

  6. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    the article is disturbing in that the writer is cognizant that the education for African children remains substandard, but still bellyaching about useless CXC exams for this year, not worth wasting any energy reading the rest….the so called educators are a huge part of the backward problem..

    can’t have it both ways, either advocate for radical changes to education output and a revolutionary upgrade FROM over 60 years of BRAINWASH EDUCATION, miseducation lack of information and outright lies taught to generations of unaware children and accepted by their parents, because they know no better, or shut up.

  7. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    https://barbadostoday.bb/2021/05/28/btcolumn-the-moral-dilemma-of-appealing-to-cxc/

    Another perspective, the frauds talked about getting rid of the mentally disabling colonial created 11 plus but still keeping it in play….

    a) they should take a long look at their own mental state and see how much damage it has caused and still is,

    b) they should wonder why they CAN’T get anything RIGHT,

    c) they should wonder why their yardfowls are such WORLD CLASS EMBARRASSMENTS.

    maybe right there they will find the answers.

  8. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    @3:35
    Very good article.
    Thought provoking. The writer asked -Is it all about a piece of paper at any cost or having standards and giving our children a quality education.
    Recommended reading.

  9. David Avatar
    David

    Note students have the option to defer.

  10. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    ‘Ministries of Education are finding it convenient and safe for these children to return to in-person classes in schools in this, the third term of the academic year, so that they can be “adequately” prepared to write this “screening” test.’

    I did not read the full article so I may have missed where the author proposed a sound alternative to the ‘screaming test’ (no typo).

    I would bet that unless an objective assessment of these students is done, many poor bright young children will not make it any of the top schools. Suddenly, all of the village idiots with money are HC bound.

    I am fearful that a lack of objective assessments will place barriers in front of those who are intelligent but poor.

    We need to stop pretending that we are a ‘fair’ society. We can criticize what we already have, but let’s have a good discussion of any possible replacement.

  11. David Avatar
    David

    To repeat: CXC students have been given the option to defer.

  12. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    One student said straight up, deferring is prolonging the agony

    but the 4th and 5th formers might find it the better option.

    keep depending on colonial minded idiots to keep your children AT THE BOTTOM, the world has moved on to bigger and better.

    ..in just ONE GENERATION…of rigid useful education….they are on top…one generation…let that sink in.

    “Pichai Sundararajan, better known as Sundar Pichai, is an Indian-American business executive. He is the chief executive officer of Alphabet Inc. and its subsidiary Google. Born in Madras, India, Pichai earned his degree from IIT Kharagpur in metallurgical engineering.

    August 19, 1967 (age 53 years), Hyderabad, India
    Satya Narayana Nadella is an Indian-American business executive. He is the chief executive officer of Microsoft, succeeding Steve Ballmer in 2014. Before becoming CEO, he was the executive vice president of Microsoft’s cloud and enterprise group, responsible for building and running the company’s computing platform/”

  13. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    “I would bet that unless an objective assessment of these students is done, many poor bright young children will not make it any of the top schools. Suddenly, all of the village idiots with money are HC bound.”

    They like it so..it’s been happening for decades and decades, nothing new…they are proud of it and boast of it and the island will remain in flux.

  14. Dompey Avatar
    Dompey

    Sex Offenders Registry

    We have had this discussion before and it was said that Barbados was much too small to have such a Registry, because such a Registry might potentially invited or encourage vigilantism, however, I believe that such a Registry is needed to deter the efforts of those persons who have a predilection to sexually abused minors.
    Nevertheless, we have witnessed the conviction of Police Officers who have sexually abused minors in recent years and the conviction and sentenced one just a few weeks ago, as well as Teachers.
    And the one case that comes to mind is the case where the Teacher stuck his hand in a student pants and held his balls tightly, because the student was not following instructions.

  15. Dompey Avatar
    Dompey

    Sex Offenders Registry

    Yes, a Sex Offenders Registry cannot prevent the predator from abusing children, but it allows Law Enforcement and the community better awareness of the location of the predator.
    A Convicted Sex Offender, is placed on the Sex Offenders Website for public viewing, but beyond that the Sex Offender have to give Law Enforcement his or her place of residence after he or she is released from prison, so that Law Enforcement and the Community knows at all time where he or she resides, and if the Convicted Sex Offender moves, he or she must first notify Law Enforcement, if not he or she can be arrested and sent back the prison for violating the terms of Sex Registry.
    And beyond that the community is made aware of how many Sex Offenders are living in their neighborhood and where, by pointers on their cell phone.

  16. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    A good read
    https://barbadostoday.bb/2021/05/29/advocate-focused-on-ensuring-rights-of-children/

  17. Dompey Avatar
    Dompey

    Contract Killings

    A common practiced in Jamaica so it is no wonder the Bajan youths are imitating this kind of killing.
    Now just to give you a little background on this contract Killing or gun man business, a Jamaican coworker whom was involved in criminal activity in the States, was advised not to go to Jamaica on vacation because a contracted had been taken out of him, but he ignored sound advice, and went back to Jamaica.
    And the same day he returned to Jamaica, a gun man came to his home and called him out, and shot him in his face, where he died on the spot.
    So Contract Killing is not a new phenomenon in Caribbean, this practiced had been part and parcel of the Caribbean landscape from as far back as the 1980s, but Bajan youths are not getting into the game.

  18. Dompey Avatar
    Dompey

    TheoGazerts

    I question the motives of Faith Marshall Harris and Shelly Ross, whom I have had a lot of discourse with on social media, and the only thing these two women are good at, is to jump on Social Media, and spew a lot of hot air, when there is an issue involving a minor, until another issue involved a child arrives.

  19. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    The “new” perspective of experts, one that observation and common sense brought me to many years ago, is that what we call “village idiots” are simply people with different intelligences.

    Some people should really do some research in such areas.

    My idea has long been that we need to identify each child’s intelligence in primary school and rather than demoralise some of them with academic pursuits leading to a SCREAMING test, we should provide opportunities for them to develop and shine in those areas. The basics of Mathematics for everyday living and functional English would still be taught, of course, as well as Social Studies, History, Geography, Health and General Science in some form but simply to equip the child for living not necessarily for examination purposes.

    Specialist schools have recently entered the lingo of the MoE. FINALLY!

    Now all we need to do is reprogramme parents and society as a whole to delete the term “village idiot” from our vocabulary when referring to children.

    And to let go of the debilitating Queen’s College/Harrison College Snob Syndrome.

    And the most sickening and damaging Doctor/Lawyer SNOB Syndrome.
    .

    I have always had a healthy repect for all intelligences from way back when I realised that there were a few of them I did not have and that it was necessary for me (through my parents) to use the services of those who did.

    Watching me with a needle and thread was like watching a monkey handling gun! And boy did I try! I needed to wear clothes!

    My son is competent at academics but not excellent. But his Deighton Griffith ass runs rings around my Queen’s College ass in certain areas and leaves me scratching my head, with my mouth open, trying to keep up with his explanations.

    “Slow down!” is my cry, “I have to understand this before I can back your investment with my credit card!

    Three days later, “Oh, I get it! Here’s the credit card.”

    “Don’t worry, mum! I made some money online and used my PayPal account.”

    He is skipping right past me and reinvesting into the business.

    “You have to spend money to make money, mum! I have a plan to set up my work space by July with everything it needs to produce quality. You probably will not have to invest much.” The boy already has a vast network with successful connections worldwide and clients waiting for his upgraded services.

    At his age I had not made one damn cent! He had been making hundreds of dollars at thirteen without my knowledge. Found it hidden in his backpack one day and nearly had a fit! Was my son selling drugs? Was he the world’s greatest actor? How could he fool me like that? I nearly died waiting for him to come home from his outing that day.

    Well, turns out it was not drugs and it was not nefarious. He just thought I might not approve of his choice which he had already decided to pursue as a career. And I was indeed skeptical and needed to be convinced.

    Some time later we were shopping for shoes he needed and I refused to pay five hundred dollars for sneakers. He went downstairs, met a young client he had arranged to meet and came back with two hundred and fifty dollars. I had beat the price down to four hundred dollars. He had money left over.

    Thank God I shut his father down with the “at least one of my children must be a doctor” crap!

    He already had a lawyer and was looking to complete the set.

    My son was his last chance.

    I let my son find his way. He works passionately and happily for as many hours a day as it takes.

    We must learn to respect square holes as well as we repect round holes so that we can learn to respect square pegs as well as round holes.

    It DOES take all sorts to make a world- ALL SORTS OF INTELLIGENCES!

  20. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    Just want to point out that my village idiot comment was directed towards being able to assess children so that those who are capable get the spots they deserve.

    Without a process, we may end up with a system where the rewards are based on who you know, what your family have and not on merit.

  21. TheoGAzerts Avatar
    TheoGAzerts

    I know not women. I found the article interesting and brought it to your attention.

  22. Dompey Avatar
    Dompey

    “How do you help a student to reach his or her full potential?”

    Well you bring the necessary resources in the classroom so that the student can reach his or his full potential, but how do you do that? Well you have a team meeting with the parents, the principal, the school psychologist, behavioral specialist, the speech therapist, the special ed teacher, and the teacher of the class, to help devise the best teaching strategies, to help the student reached his or her full potential.

    Now the concept of segregating students according to their intellectual abilities, has stigmatized those students that have fallen below expectations, so the teaching strategy moving forward is to bring those necessary resources right into the classroom, instead of isolating the underachiever, in an effort to help him or her reach his or her potential along with a class comprised of students with different academic abilities.

  23. angela cox Avatar
    angela cox

    Govt once again setting out a plan of intrusion
    Instead of finding a plan upon which a better Barbados can be built for the youth
    Barbados have a juvenile justice system already in place to deal with such problems
    It is therefore up to parents to be guided by the authorities already in place to deal with such behaviour when occurs
    Govt intrusion when will it stop
    One step closer to authoritorian
    First the adults now the children
    People keep eyes wide open all things not always what the seem
    Hitler also had got intentions until it was too late

  24. Dompey Avatar
    Dompey

    The focus is on the (“individual needs”) of the student who is having difficulty understanding the material, so that he or she can reach his or her full potential.

  25. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    “Without a process, we may end up with a system where the rewards are based on who you know, what your family have and not on merit.”

    what are you talking about, it’s always been like that…..the main reason why they are all right where they are right now and someone coined the phrase, square pegs in round holes.

    the non-ex-magistrate will take too much energy to comment on, these days am conserving mine….still wondering why she was upfront in condoning the jailing of the parents who wanted to homeschool their children away from the dangerous inferior quality colonial education system that now sees ALL OF THEM as laughing stocks….while indians, whites and syrians are welcome to homeschool theirs if they so desire and NO ONE ARRESTS THEM on the island.

    she should also answer why as a magistrate in juvenile court for decades, she has always been aware, as a lawyer, of the 18th century laws used to torture Black children at GIS and never advocated to end it……until it blew up on all of them…these people are frightening, don’t know how they live with themselves.

  26. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    @ David
    There is absolutely nothing new in this debate or what has been reproduced here. The calls to get rid of the gas chamber examination knoww wen as the Eleven Plus, go back to the late 60s. It reached its zenith in the mid-70s and there has been little or no radical change in how we educate our children since 1962 when they say education was made free.
    What we have done is build schools and turn the Ministry of Education into a political football. It is elementary that each human being possesses different skills. There are some who are what we call “ bright” and we usually mean academic. We refuse to see a mechanic or great mason as bright. We reduce them to they “ have a trade”. And the elitism in argument takes over from there.
    Even when trying to dismiss elitism , we subconsciously still measure it by intellectual snobbery. We still believe that winning an argument with somebody from Queens or Harrison is an achievement. Even on BU there are those who tend to address those they consider their academic/ intellectual equals differently and then pretend they hate the elitism. I have carefully documented where this attitude was most evident and persistent. I can publish my findings tomorrow if I so choose.
    This whole debate has now reached the joke stage. Nonsense emitting from all the Ministers of Education for at least forty, nearly fifty years.
    The simple truth is that our society is only small numerically but it is gigantic in all forms of snobbery. One notes in the last by-election the term “ pedigree” was used. That was by no accident. Reifer was judged almost entirely on whether he had a basic command of English. His intellect was questioned more than his ability to deliver representation to the constituency. (Please note this is a mere comment on a campaign and not any endorsement of Reifer. ) Thank you ,my BLP friends here on BU.
    The way forward is a blueprint on continuous assessment beginning from the primary school. This is no magic wand but is the best way to try reform of the educational system. Furthermore it cannot be achieved by the whims and fancies of fancy delivery on television. To completely reform the entire system will take anywhere between three to seven years, in order to do it comprehensively and fairly.
    To put it very bluntly it’s a task beyond the capabilities of the current MOE. And it was a task beyond every single one before here including the current Prime Minister.
    Until we remove education from the stranglehold of politicians and appoint a Director of Education , we would continue ,m to have , these almost now useless debates. While this Director will of course be answerable to the powers that be; he or she should be given full authority to implement the reform of the system and to remain in office until his or her contract is up. We can then either give them a new contract or advertise for a new Director.
    This is not a task for party hacks. We need educators equipped with wide experience in the the field both at the technical and managerial level. A professional Director , whose cheque is earned and not given free food every Tuesday.
    Until then our children will continue to fall through the cracks and the elitism and political skulduggery will continue
    .The Ministry of Education has been and remains one of the biggest political cesspools for decades, under both the Barbados Labour Party and the Democratic Labour Party. Anybody with a sense of smell knows this .
    It gets stinker by the minute.

  27. David Avatar
    David

    @William

    Yes the debate is not new, the problem is still a problem to be solved. Until it is solved, it has to be repeated. The caveat here is that the problem is trending across the Caribbean.

  28. TheoGAzerts Avatar
    TheoGAzerts

    @WS
    A solid contribution.
    Have a great day, sir.
    HAGD, Barbados

  29. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    “One notes in the last by-election the ​term “ pedigree” was used. That was by no accident. Reifer was judged almost entirely on whether he had a basic command of English. His intellect was questioned more than his ability to deliver representation to the constituency.”

    yet the pedigreed frauds are quite adept at delivering presentations and representations of only lies and deceit…..and boast about it for the whole world to see.

    don’t care how they self-massage and preen, they just don’t have what it takes..not even for the continuous assessments that have been suggested on BU ad nauseum…..they will always introduce an element of corrosive nepotism, yardfowlism etc to disenfranchise someone else’s child….that’s who they are…a stain on the earth and embarrassment to Africa….can’t say Barbados, because they are applauded for that lowlifeism.

  30. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    @ ac
    Having an app to monitor or to be quickly informed of disruptions at the school plant is not and cannot be realistically deemed “ government intrusion.”
    We should not allow our political leanings to so indoctrinate our thinking, that we cannot even give it a rest , where and when our children are involved.
    We keep opposing sensible policies when they are not implemented or proposed by the party we support.
    I recall the big fuss made over passports, cameras in customs and even scanners at the port. I recall the opposition to random police searches.
    I recall call for AG Brathwaite to resign( Jones to resign and Sinckler to resign.
    Now we want : Bradshaw to resign; Marshall and Duguid to resign.
    Suddenly calling for resignations is being condemned. This is the crap that these two parties engagein. And the supporters of both the BLP and the DLP
    have found a real conveyor of their particular brand of political waste on BU.
    Violence in our schools has been a problem since the 80s. However it was usually swept under the carpet. Many teachers will tell us that they have been literally afraid to enter some class rooms.
    We are dealing with different societal problems. I know some will jump in and say it’s so all over the world. And that is known. But we want to stamp out the malady in Barbados. We will get back to stamping it out in the world later!
    One of the biggest problems is the use of drugs and alcohol by our children and although we don’t want to admit , sexual norms have changed dramatically and our children are also dealing with hypocritical adults, who talk about values but act completely differently.
    For example we tell our children to stay away from deviant characters but we have them on speed dial.
    In short, we need to stop politicizing every damn issue. Imagine when murders were 28/ 39 and the then AG had held a press conference with the now AG while he was opposition spokesman on crime, and they both agreed that “ We were all in this together”. The public would have positively responded to such a national call rather than the now AG calling for then AG to resign at 28/ 35 murders or so and he now expects that nobody should ask him to resign when it is at 40/ 50.
    The Duopoly will destroy Barbados if this foolishness don’t stop soon.

  31. BAJE Avatar
    BAJE

    @WS
    A solid contribution.
    Have a great day, sir.
    HAGD, Barbados

    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    AGREED.

    PROBLEM IN THE 2 x 3 ISLAND AND BY EXTENSION THE REGION THEY ARE STILL COLONIAL MINDED CANNOT THINK CREATIVELY AND ARE HAPPY WITH COPYING OTHERS WHILST ACTING SUPERIOR.

    BRITAIN WHERE THE 11+ ORIGINATED FROM GOT RID OF IT OVER 50 YEARS AGO.

    UK, USA etc WHERE NO 11+ ARE FAR MORE ADVANCE IN TECHNOLOGY AND CREATIVELY THAN SAME BACKWARD ISLANDS WHO FIND IT DIFFICULT TO MOVE AWAY FROM WHAT WAS LEFT BEHIND BY COLONIAL MASTERS RATHER THAN COMING UP WITH THEIR OWN SYSTEMS.

  32. Dompey Avatar
    Dompey

    William Skinner

    I do not believe that most Barbadians think that winning an argument with someone from Harrison College and Queen’s College is an achievement, when these these schools can be classified as merely community colleges.
    But this how the system of education in Barbados had been erected, on the basis of prestige or schools of national repute, but I hardly think, knowing what I know now that these two schools are what they cut out to be.

  33. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    “But we want to stamp out the malady in Barbados. We will get back to stamping it out in the world later!”

    well said, you want to deal with your own tiny corner first, clean that up, you pay the bills as taxpayers and FUND THE WHOLE THING…

    …the continents are way ahead in finding solutions for their OWN PROBLEMS and when they do, there will no longer be a trickle down into small societies who love to copy, but if ya don’t fix your small corner, you will be the only one left with the filth….and the corruption…and the tiefing…and the sellouts…and the subpar obsolete colonial education system..and the archaic colonial political system…and the criminal minorities.

    William they got a lot of work to do, at least they know, at least they have the information, much more than they had before.

  34. Observing Avatar
    Observing

    Wuhloss David, ya pack nuff in this one thread to unpack!!!

    Silence about the school fight video? Wasn’t that one of those “big up” schools that were not part of the App rollout??
    Contract killings? Nothing new, read any of my posts from the past 8 years about a sub culture becoming normalised. Why not pocket a couple grand, eat free in jail, come out on bail and get “big up” on the block?? Seems like a fair trade to any unemployed dejected youth.
    CXC? More of the same. Nuff noise, nuff hot air, and CXC does what it wishes with the FULL blessings of the Ministers and Ministries. As you correctly said, if ya don’t like um…defer um. Ask Mary if she marking SBAs this year
    Sex registry? Not sure if there is enough paper in Barbados to record this. Sexual abuse is a standard feature of Barbadian culture, hidden and covered up even more in “certain households.”
    Irony: Pushing for the removal of Common Entrance, but forcing students to do CXC AND force the same Common Entrance down their throats.

    This is who we ARE!

    Just observing

  35. David Avatar
    David

    @Observing

    The Ellerslie School incident comes to mind from a few years ago. Many teachers are too scared to confront and deal with deviant behaviour for fear of reprisal. We can add politicians as well.

    We are at a dangerous place and before the yardies chime in, it did not start today. The weeds were sprouting in lawn for a while.

  36. de pedantic Dribbler Avatar
    de pedantic Dribbler

    Agreed @Skinner, forceful, pinpoint commentary above.

    I take minor issue with your brief that a ‘professional’ Dir of Education would solve the issue of political interference… I have not seen that work ANYWHERE!

    As you know well that basic concept is done in US (in fact a Bajan/or descendant from – Dennis Walcott – was said Dir of Education/Chancellor in NYC under a past Mayor in recent times).

    We can agree that the ethos is ideal and needed but the reality is that there will still be political pressure applied … and in our small operational environment it will be often suffocatingly intense pressure.

    And @David any sexual registry would be excellent-In theory – but as noted above re size and to badly pun, our incestuous/know everybody business culture, I would be truly shocked if that legislation was ever properly implemented locally.

    The only fellas (gender neutral) that would get on the register would be those of the so called ‘lower’ and a few ‘middle class’ deviants…..

    Not a fella from the higher class (monied set) would EVER be there.

    So wha we would be doing really but further stratifing our society…. as also noted above … deviant and perverted sexual behaviours (and the pun above can be taken literally now) are all to common here… it desperately needs to be reduced and eradicated where possible …

    Thus any registry must be REAL and capture all offenders not just those with no strings to pull!

    I gone.

  37. Dompey Avatar
    Dompey

    David

    The Minister of Education in connection with RBPF, Parents, Guardians Teachers and Students, are the only ones who can addressed the issue of School Violence. Because a lot of the school violence originates in the community, so a Community Outreach Program is a good start in the process of addressing this School Violence.

  38. David Avatar
    David

    Advocate focused on ensuring rights of children: https://barbadostoday.bb/2021/05/29/advocate-focused-on-ensuring-rights-of-children/

  39. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    “Fair trade for unemployed, depressed youth” INDEED!

    They have nothing and so they have nothing to lose.

    Seems to me the solution is to get them something to lose. How about dreams of a worthwhile future!

    Maybe that is why David posted the two articles on one blog. Education and block crime are linked.

    “But these guys are monsters! They are cold blooded killers! This is the life they want!”

    So tell me why they have to take dope to “psych themselves up to do the job”.(paraphrased)

    The article taught me nothing I had not already surmised.

    Except that they need artifical numbness in order to kill.

    What does that teach us?

    They don’t consider it a fun thing to do????

    The article pointed out that $5000 is a lot of money for an unemployed youth.

    So… seeing that they do not think it a fun thing to do and seeing that they are simply doing it for the little bit of money….. what would be the solution????

    Ministry of Education – stop writing off our youth in Infants A! Find opportunities for them to identify and develop their intelligences SOONEST!

    Society, stop bigging up book work and putting down all other work!

    I bet there would be fewer boys on the block.

    We are 166 sq miles and fewer than three hundred thousand people.

    Wura is correct in saying that our problems should be easier to solve.

    I do not agree with William Skinner that it is such a huge task. Not once we change our mindset.

  40. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    Here is a success story, despite the evil-minded on the island.

    https://www.nationnews.com/2021/05/30/jones-sets-new-long-jump-record/

  41. Observing Avatar
    Observing

    @Donna
    Changing our mindset is indeed a huge task.

    Just observing

  42. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    @ Donna
    “ do not agree with William Skinner that it is such a huge task. Not once we change our mindset.“
    The reform of education is a huge undertaking Especially when one has to deal with the existing attitudes toward the system . The reason it has taken so long and is so sporadic in public discourse is that the Eleven Plus is seen as the holy grail of our educational system.
    This is not going to be any slam dunk matter unless we want to create pure chaos .
    It needs political will and public endorsement and believe it or not, there is a considerable proportion of citizens who do not want the Eleven Plus’ abolished because in their thinking it is still the fairest examination possible.
    Those of us who want the examination abolished and want to reform the educational system should see it as a very huge and necessary undertaking.
    I know it it possible and it should be commenced forthwith but I am not underestimating the enormity of the task ahead.
    What I question is the ability of those in charge of the system at the political level to do what needs to be done. And changing peoples’ mindset is not always an easy task.
    I question them on very good grounds. Just look where we are today after calling for reform after nearly fifty years.

  43. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    “there is a considerable proportion of citizens who do not want the Eleven Plus’ abolished because in their thinking it is still the fairest examination possible.”

    fairest as opposed to WHAT……it’s the only exam they have ever known, post emancipation and the standards testing, they are acting as though they have ever had any choices…all of this was IMPOSED ON THEM…most of them don’t even know that…they have never created an education system for themselves and their children…that’s why it’s all now TURNED ON ITS HEAD…

    William….first, they have to face reality, if that’s a bridge too far, nothing is going to work..

  44. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    But check out the irony, now they HAVE the freedom to UPGRADE the educational system to include their ancestral knowledge and the REAL TRUTH about themselves to be able to advance and move forward as a people, they don’t want it, the comfort zone of nothingness.

    some people were earmarked to be perpetual slaves…and they apparently can’t help falling in line as designed to the detriment of their future generations…but that’s on them..

    i gotta conserve my energy for other things..lol

  45. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    @ WURA
    Agreed. And that in itself is the Herculean task. My position is , even made more Herculean because of the bogus politicians ,who themselves have refused to reform the system.

  46. David Avatar
    David

    Public endorsement will be difficult to secure because of the affinity to the ‘school tie’.

  47. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    a former student of Alexandra School

    https://barbadostoday.bb/2021/05/29/bajan-wins-pittsburgh-leader-of-the-year-award/

  48. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    “because of the bogus politicians ,who themselves have refused to reform the system.”

    for pure SLIMY SNAKES PURPOSES, thievery, corruption and all the dirty things they do with the criminal minorities…it does not fit into their narrow interests to have the population better educated and thinking independently, how will they ever get away with tiefing billions of dollars if the people can see what they do and PUT AN END TO IT…

    how will they get away with their crimes, if the people realize they keep them believing they can do nothing for themselves and need all the criminals to do everything for them…..while keeping them locked into generational poverty..

    the old colonial school tie…another SCAM that they fell for and now corruption rules roost and they are all trapped in it..

  49. WURA-War-on-U Avatar
    WURA-War-on-U

    William…i don’t envy your task, the most that can be done is to point out these criminals to everyone, let the world know who they are and keep them in the spotlight everywhere, don’t give them a moment’s peace, but something has to give, this cannot continue.,,not for the long term…those who saw this coming warned them, but their colonial titles are wrapped too tightly around their empty heads..

    the newer generations thankfully have choices they can utilize, some already decided they want no part of the humanity degrading filth that passes for politics or a degenerate and decayed system with vicious governments that rob them of everything….i listen to them all the time and that gives me hope, they are not pushovers and definitely not yardfowls/Slaves, so they will be unstoppable in removing themselves from what they rightly see as beneath them..

  50. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Observing,

    Yes, the Herculean task is indeed the changing of the mindset!

    Not the actual work.

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