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Simulated Incompetence

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Is Barbados trapped in a vortex of incompetence?

Chief Education Officer – Dr. Ramona Archer-Bradshaw

In light of today’s fiasco which went horribly wrong at the Springer School earlier today the following comments posted by the blogmaster on the blog Education Transformation – Substance or Smoke? to which Bush Tea replied are instructive.

@Bush Tea

When a society and by extension people lack confidence in the leadership, there will be negative consequences. We can discuss, distill, slice and dice these proposals all we want but if people lack the confidence and complementary self esteem, it will be an academic exercise.

In the land of the blind, a one eye …

@ David
It is not that people ‘lack confidence in leadership’.
There is NOTHING that Bajans would like better than to have leaders in whom they can have confidence.

The problem is that the people lack COMPETENCE in leadership…. and even with the most expensive PR in the world, the most rancid of their yard poultry is being forced to lose confidence…

A bunch of emotion-driven ‘leaders’ appealing to party loyalty can only go so far…. Even Santia has now fallen into the trap (with that ill-advised speech a few days ago).
Clearly, these are TOUGH assignments – requiring WISE leadership….

…and Boss, ‘WISE’ has ONLY ONE origin…..

Education Transformation – Substance or Smoke?

Implementation of projects and activities will sometimes go wrong; milestones have to be changed because additional resources maybe required, events outside the control of project management may occur and so on. However, under successive governments and especially the incumbent, the label that Barbados suffers from implementation deficit has grown.

There is one example the blogmaster likes to use to define the ineptness of successive governments starting from the Tom Adams era in the mid-1980s. No it is not the government of the day ignoring Auditor General reports. It is how we have allowed the Zr/Minibus subculture to take root. To the extent it has compromised our once orderly society. An orderly society that differentiated Barbados from Jamaica, Trinidad and the others. In was a characteristic in the 80s which encouraged immigrants from other islands to flock to Barbados to enjoy our quality of life. This is no longer the case.

Here is the question.

If the government cannot bring order to the transportation sector that is responsible for a negative subculture- we see it on our roads daily- where are Barbadians to be infused with the confidence that the largest Cabinet in the history of Barbados can be a successful agent for transformational change?

It is no secret the blogmaster for years has always adopted a cup half full outlook. In recent years it has become difficult to maintain a positive outlook with the level of inertia and incompetence being visited on the people of Barbados by elected officials. The irony is if a general election were to be held next week a Barbados Labour Party (BLP) would probably be reelected.

Here is another question.

Is Barbados trapped in a vortex of incompetence?

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163 responses to “Simulated Incompetence”

  1. John Avatar
    John

  2. Hopi Avatar
    Hopi

    I don’t think Shakespeare could have penned such a tragedy. For this is not a tragedy OF LOVERS. Neither is it a tragedy borne out of a POWER Struggle.

    but

    This tragedy has been fuelled by that incessant mantra of a little island’s gnawing desire to ‘punch above its weigh’ That mantra has also given birth to the “not wanting to be left out syndrome”

    These are all traits of ‘mimicking’ minds which have always copied the values and behaviour of ‘de Mother Cuntry.” and “Uncle Sam.”

    The former team leaders have proven their unadulterated incompetence, hence the electorate were willing to pass the torch to the opposite team with the hope that those feminine qualities of emotionalism, intution and compassion would return a balance to the landship and not only balance but an elevation as well…but my my my………………….

    I hope y’all still got some Black Belly Sheep in the Pen and de Pasture, cause dem is de only species left with its 100% Bajan DNA in tact. They might have to run in the next election and be called upon to rep Barbados on the International Stage. Even though they are Bajan, they are unencumbered by education and pomposity, Good luck!

    ————————————————

    Please DO NOT invite any more terrorism to Barbados! Aren’t the World Bank and the IMF enough?

  3. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    Bushie

    Yuh caaant win! You deaf?🤣🤣🤣

  4. Frank Avatar
    Frank

    You omitted the steal houses were “brought” (not bought) in COURTESY of a Chinese firm East West (Barbados) Ltd.
    Can anybody tell me where those light gauge steel homes are currently being constructed?

  5. TLSN Avatar
    TLSN

    Her arrogance is off the scale. Here we have a female government education minister addressing the journalist in such a haughty and an aloof manner. It makes one think of Marie Antoinette and her infamous quote: “let them eat cake”; when she dismissed the Parisienne underclass to ward off their hunger pains with some cake.

    https://youtu.be/VO9He_KhGy4?t=651

  6. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    Boss, Bushie has been in winners row now for YEARS!!!

    You may need to review exactly WHO is not only deaf, but blind and dumb too….

    …and it AIN’T stinking Bushie ..LOL

    If you need a sponsor …just shout…
    The Boss Bushman man like Bushie BAD as shiite..!!!
    …Bush even gotta coat of ‘many colors’…
    LOL
    ha haha

  7. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    De woman takes arrogance to a new low…

    Perhaps this is why she is so favored….
    For ‘political’ reasons, the Empress has to PRETEND to be ‘caring’….

    It is only natural to have someone who exemplifies your REAL persona..
    Wonder if she does cuss stink too…??

    Ha ha ha

  8. Nuclear Noddy Avatar
    Nuclear Noddy

    Half of Africa is going nuclear.

    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-67098444.amp

  9. Changes required at BU Avatar
    Changes required at BU

    Dear Sir,
    We urge you to create an Education Corner as we are seeing an increasing number of comments on education.

    At the same time, we urge you to kill the Sports Corner. It pains us to be reminded that we ‘suck’ at all types of sport. I cannot take any more sports news.

    A smart Bajan invented a game that only Bajans played and were therefore the best at. Some idiot got ambitious and took the game overseas and we will soon be beaten by others from far away and all over.

    Removal of Sports Corner will be seen as a patriotic act and an attempt to bring joy to all Barbadians.

    Thanks in advance.

  10. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    I formed an opinion based only on the videos I watched.

    Looking forward to the PM’s comments on the “incident” at Springer Memorial.

  11. David Avatar
    David

    Children’s group demands answers for school drill
    The Watch Out My Children group is calling for more answers surrounding the Springer Memorial school debacle that centred around a drill with armed, masked assailants “storming” the school on Wednesday.
    Marcia Weekes, one of the people behind the organisation, said that she and others, pending police approval, will be staging a march today from Kensington Mall carpark to The City, demanding answers.
    “Why was this event initiated? Was the nature of the event made available to people on the school compound? If so who was it passed onto and at what time?”
    Weekes, in a virtual press conference on Zoom yesterday, said she has heard the responses from Ministry of Education officials and the principal of the school [Cheryl Gill] at a “hastily called press conference on Thursday that there was only one reported injury”.
    “ . . . But injury does not mean a wound with blood gushing. Injury is also trauma. And teachers and students at the school on that day suffered so much trauma,” she said, while reading Whatsapp text messages and playing voicenotes as supporting evidence from students and teachers.
    The husband of one of the affected teachers gave a secondhand account on behalf of his wife yesterday, saying she was on medical leave for a while because of the incident. He said one of the masked men rushed into her classroom with a cutlass and terrified her and the senior students who were there.
    Reverend Dr Ferdinand Nicholls, one of the members of the panel, said that in the last four years there have been “too many misadventures under the tenure of Minister of Education Kay McConney and she needs to be relieved of her post.
    “What I saw at that press conference was the ministry distancing themselves from the principal’s action. There are too many questions surrounding this simulation and one is was training implemented for the participants?” ( NS)

    Source: Nation

  12. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    PMMIA has no equal in Barbados.

  13. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    She is reported to have said.

    “If the metrics show us that one in every five Barbadians is below the poverty line (according to the World Bank the poverty line globally is $2.15 a day), what does that also tell us? It says that four out of five Barbadians are above the poverty line,” Mottley began.”

    https://www.nationnews.com/2023/10/14/vulnerable-get-help-one-family-programme/

  14. Hants Avatar
    Hants

  15. Terence M Blackett Avatar
    Terence M Blackett

    “Chocolate-Colored White People…” https://youtu.be/WoPPZdPDInc?si=yZsSu5ywx8Quv8wi

  16. Mia, hold the cake. We need help Avatar
    Mia, hold the cake. We need help

    “If the metrics show us that one in every five Barbadians is below the poverty line (according to the World Bank the poverty line globally is $2.15 a day), what does that also tell us? It says that four out of five Barbadians are above the poverty line,” Mottley began.”

    This response is in the ‘let them eat cake’ zone.

    It points to a problem that is highlighted here often. The condition of the less fortunate is often ignored and attention is given to those who are better off.

    We see that terrorizing our children is now a new tool in her arsenal; we are aware of the abuse and robbery of the elderly; we follow the delivery of injustice in our court system and the hammering any hungry person bold enough to steal a loaf of bread.

    The better response would be “That 25% is if concern. My administration loses sleep over it and we will work towards reducing it.

  17. TheOGazerts Avatar
    TheOGazerts

    Some will say that the issues highlighted above began long before the arrival of Mia. We agree.

    But both administration do not make an attempt to correct the gross ills of our society. New initiatives that are not followed up on, money making schemes to put money in a few pocket and generally maintaining the status quo (often described as implementation deficit) is the trademark of both parties.

  18. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    some Bajans blue vex.

    https://barbadostoday.bb/2023/10/14/scores-march-in-protest-over-simulation-exercise-at-springer-memorial/

  19. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    What detracts from the effectiveness of most of these protests is the presence of the damned DLP.

    This reminds Bushie of Mia marching in white against the DLP, and Bajans giving her a mandate to do the lotta shiite we are now enduring…

    So now the DLP putting on multi-colored marches, in an effort to regain the ability to become our new shiite leaders.

    ..ya mean we can get fooled OVER and OVER and OVER and OVER…?

    First thing Bajans should march AGAINST are these ‘MAFIA political shiite parties’ that have destroyed all the initial gains made before OSA.

    ANYONE joining a Bajan political party should be listed as a “shiite terrorist”, rejected by all right-thinking Bajans, and placed on a permanent bond to keep the peace.

    Some NON-POLITICAL group (Pinelands Creative Workshop? / Dash Valley Social Club?…anyone..) should then advertise for 12 Country managers, with clear job descriptions, set the minimum qualifications, and promote the successful applicants as candidates in a new elections to be called in January 2014 (after shutting down the shiite country and forcing Mia to go long to the UN where she is ideally suited, …and to carry long the MoE and Liz with her).

    How hard is THAT to do ….if we want to survive as a country
    …and not as a cuntree ?

    Steupsss…

  20. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    https://barbadostoday.bb/2023/10/14/surge-in-visits-to-accident-emergency-department-qeh-says/

  21. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    “Some NON-POLITICAL group…….. ”

    “Pinelands Creative Workshop??!!??”

    🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣

    Surely you jest. 😃

  22. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    @Bushy
    ANYONE joining a Bajan political party should be listed as a “shiite terrorist”, rejected by all right-thinking Bajans, and placed on a permanent bond to keep the peace
    ++++++
    “Right-thinking” Didn’t the Minister use the same phrase in response to a question? It is amazing when people on opposite side of an issue use the same phrasing, maybe it should be retired since it has lost its effectiveness.

  23. David Avatar
    David

    Mock invasion ‘overkill’
    This article was submitted as a letter to the Editor by Lisa Cumberbatch, lecturer in theatre, Faculty of Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill.
    The school invasion simulation recently staged at Springer Memorial Secondary School involved the use of role play – persons costumed as masked assailants (shall we say, actors), brandishing machetes as props, pretending to storm the school, as if it were a real attack. Drama. Role play is at the heart of drama. The word “drama” means “action”.
    On social media, this happening has been compared to ambush theatre and invisible theatre – terms referring to alternative, often communityoriented forms of theatre art when applied in the service of education, development and training. The theatre is the arena in which the drama takes place. Happening without prior notice to unsuspecting spectators, these forms use the element of surprise to excite and engage the audience, who are expected to respond to the action in whatever ways the makers of the event intend.
    ‘Chalk and talk’
    Educational research shows that the arts applied to education stimulate learners in ways that “chalk and talk”, the screen, and even other technological devices and apps which project virtual realities, will not. The performing arts (dance, music, drama), in particular, are live, embodied and visceral, and so have the potential to elicit a deeper and wider range of human responses.
    Some of us may be familiar with secret shopper simulations where, for instance, performers “create a scene” in a supermarket or department store to test the responses of the cashiers, security, customer service, and health and safety personnel who have been trained in advance to deal with the various crisis situations which may unfold on a daily basis.
    In other settings, actors pretending to be injured or sick persons routinely assist in the training of medical students, or military personnel, in simulations intended to assess the clinical or disaster management skills they are taught.
    Further afield, actors work in simulations designed to test police, ambulance personnel and other first responders to crime scenes. Even serious crimes.
    Ensure outcomes align
    The theatre in education (TIE) practitioner who designs, plans and delivers these events takes great care to ensure that outcomes align with objectives. During the training phase, rules governing play are established between the teacher and the learner to ensure the security of the space in which the activity takes place, so as not to compromise the experience for the learners.
    The TIE practitioner will rarely, if ever, involve children in threat or crisis-themed scenarios.
    This is because, as it has been pointed out elsewhere, children (and most adults for that matter) can’t discern the difference between a perceived threat and a real one. Humans startle while watching a horror film on a screen; imagine the proximity of live drama specifically targeted at the spectator.
    My understanding is that there was no preparatory training for this event, and that not everyone knew that a mock invasion would take place to assess students’ and staff responses.
    It was a shocking surprise, a most terrifying real-life experience. These are fundamental errors. I wonder too, why the overkill – sending in masked men reportedly with a machete into a girls’ school.
    Tragic and inhumane
    Struck with sheer terror, schoolchildren were expected to manage their real trauma responses and secure themselves in their classrooms until the fictional threat was resolved. Tragic and inhumane. I know hard lessons were learnt that day – by the people who commissioned the event, and also by the performers who apparently did not know enough to shout “STOP!” when they saw the first signs of trauma, a convention strictly adhered to in TIE settings.
    Arts in education is not an amateurish scenario here in Barbados, and it is very unfortunate that this kind of terror could have unfolded when there are trained practitioners who do this kind of work every week to a high standard.
    We can do better.
    My hope is that all who need counselling receive it for as long as it takes, and that better consultation is done when such events are being planned.

    Source: Nation

  24. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    Why the Hell not…??!!
    How could they not be better than the B/DLP?
    At least they have been successful at what they set out to do…
    David was a damn shepherd…

  25. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    Sarge, this is basic English…
    When Mia says ‘right thinking’ she means people who think like HER.
    When Bushie says ‘right thinking’ the bushman means people who think like Bushie…
    The difference is that the latter group is actually RIGHT…
    LOL

  26. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    I was too flabberghasted to even comment on this before.

    Because….I was wondering why such a simulation was even necessary. I wondered, “Are there indications of a terrorist threat?”

    Then I was made to understand that this was about our little, foolish, gang boys. So then I thought, “Is this school in the middle of gang territory?”

    Then, I realised that it is not in the middle of gang territory, where gang warfare could be expected to break out at any time.

    And I realised that as an all-girls school, there is not a serious threat of beefs between gangs spilling into the compound. Girls may be on the fringes of the gangs but, so far, we haven’t seen the gang boys targeting the fringes.

    So, then I wondered, ” Why was it done in this particular school first, then?”

    And then I was made to understand that this idea originated not with the MoE but with the Health and Safety Committee of the school.

    So, then I wondered, “Was the MoE not informed of this simulation and would they not have foreseen the glaring need to prioritise what simulations are necessary or, at the very least, ensure that it was carried out in a proper manner?”

    Then I was made to understand that they were informed of a DRILL or lockdown, which is different from a simulation.

    I remember we had fire drills at my former school. But they never simulated a fire. We all knew it was a drill and there was no confusion or fear.

    Considering the newness of this “drill” I still think the MoE should have requested greater details. I with take the risk and ASSUME that having been properly informed, some big head would have foreseen what anyone with half a brain would have foreseen – that even if this was deemed necessary, the implementation had to be spot on to avoid the confusion, panic, physical and emotional damage to students and staff alike. Comunication, counselling and preparation would have been key.

    But this debacle seems to lie mostly at the feet of the Principal, who accommodated her eager Health and Safety Committee in its quest to prove that it was doing something, anything to stand out.

    As it is, the school could have caused the death of students while trying to save them from a threat that, odds are, will never happen.

    Prepare to have your tax dollars paid out in 900 lawsuits!

  27. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    The problem is not men or women. The problem is men AND women. Or some of them.

    I would not have done this. My mother would not have done this. My grandmother would not have done this.

    Stupid comment.

  28. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Bullshit! I, my mother, my grandmother would all have done this better.

  29. initiation rituals Avatar
    initiation rituals

    “Because….I was wondering why such a simulation was even necessary.…”

    freemason initiation rituals are often intended to psychologically shock and awe to hold and control people changing their brain circuitry

  30. David Avatar
    David

    @Donna

    Let us assume the MOE was advised that Springer Memorial School Health and Safety Committee had a drill planned. What did the communication advise. Was it a fire drill, smoke drill, what? How was this Simulation aka drill communicated to the MOE? It is obvious important information has been scrubbed from what was shared with the public.

  31. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    You would be talking out of the other side of your mouth if somebody had died from a heart attack during the surprise simulation. Or, an asthma attack. As a person who once kept calm while trying to reach the QEH from St. Barnabas, I can tell you that a little panic can be the difference between life and death.

    I heard the nurse tell my friend that I barely made it. As near as the QEH was, it was almost too far.

  32. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    David,

    A drill is different from a simulation. As I said, a drill does not conjure up images of masked men and guns. It is simply about an alarm and following prescribed procedures.

    A simulation requires the full experience.

    This does not absolve the MoE from all responsibility. This is a new type of “drill”. Full details should have been requested.

    I would love to see the communication that passed between the school and the MoE. But I cannot believe that proper communication could have passed through so many people without one person raising the alarm.

    Seems more likely that they were informed of a drill rather than a simulation and assumed that the principal had sense.

  33. TLSN Avatar
    TLSN

    We live in an era of extreme high end technology where physical movement can be virtually simulated and appear life like.

    Take the example of a trainee fighter pilot or an airline pilot. They will practise on a simulator that replicates real time scenarios, such as turbulence, crash landings, hostage taking and other possibilities that a pilot may encounter in real life. An F1 pilot such as Lewis Hamilton will spend hours every week as a pilot in a simulator which assists him and the engineers to trial the setup of his car.

    The kids have numerous computer games that could have performed the same “drill” exercise as was carried out by the school health and safety body. I stress once again that the school children were been used as guinea pigs by some foreign research entity. Barbados is a virtual laboratory (a soft touch) where tasks can be carried out in controlled settings where research information can be gathered unhindered due to the willingness of our government to accommodate shadowy organisations

    As for the 900 lawsuits….well, it represents a huge bonus for the ever increasing number of graduates who are entering the field of law. The law firms will welcome the work. As for the traumatised young girls and their parents………………..

  34. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    David,

    The presence of the DLP up front is one of the reasons that I don’t attend any of these marches. Sometimes, it is because of the Christians as well, and their agenda.

    Besides which, they need to speak not just to individual events but to the broader issues. And they need to keep going until change comes. One march and done can be ignored.

  35. David Avatar
    David

    @Donna

    It which case the principal is a candidate to be transferred in the dark of the night? The supporting point is that at the start of school term all schools should be submitted to the MOE and support players (BFS, BDF, BPS etc) to facilitate planning; allocation of resources to ensure oversight etc.

  36. David Avatar
    David

    @Donna

    A necessary part of how political parties operate is being opportunistic. If the party does not show public support to a good cause many will be quick to criticize. The DLP does not have the popular support still of Barbadian to mobilize on its own.

  37. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Will PMMIA call a press conference to share her opinion on this event which has traumatised the children of Springer Memorial ?

    Imagine if this had occured at HC or QC.

  38. David Avatar
    David

    #learnings

    GUIDELINES FOR DRILLS
    By Colville Mounsey colvillemounsey@nationnews.com

    Last week’s drill at the Springer Memorial School has since dominated national headlines and debate, as Barbadians are still trying to understand what happened and why it happened.
    The exercise was organised by the Government Hill, St Michael school’s Safety and Health Committee. Visibly emotional students described their fear during what many termed a traumatic incident.
    According to reports, the simulation went awry when two masked men, one armed with a “machete”, who were supposed to be depicting an intrusion, ended up creating pandemonium. There were reports that a “mock gun” was used but this has since been denied by education officials.
    The issue has also made the rounds regionally, with panellists on Bahamian television programme, Beyond The Headlines,’ joining the growing chorus of calls for individuals to be held to account.
    The Ministry of Education has since apologised while acknowledging that “some things could have been done differently”.
    However, while there is little in terms of local examples to compare this incident to, questions still swirl as to whether the outcome of the exercise was foreseeable.
    In the United States, where school shootings are a regular occurrence, the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) have developed a best practice guideline for drills of this nature.
    Titled Best Practice Consideration For Armed Assailant Drills In Schools, the 24-page guideline, updated in 2014, 2017 and 2021, warns of some of the possible repercussions if simulations of this nature are not properly executed. The guide reflects unique considerations within the school environment, including protecting both physical and psychological safety.
    After a careful study of the document, it was clear that such an exercise should only be attempted after prolonged planning which ensured that all bases are covered.
    Professionals should be involved
    The guide strongly emphasised that school-employed mental health professionals should be involved in every stage of preparation. It also noted that prior to the drill, staff should be trained to recognise common trauma reactions. During the drill, adults should monitor participants and remove anyone exhibiting signs of trauma.
    Additionally, it cautioned that after completion of the drill, staff and students should have access to mental health support: “Participation should never be mandatory, parental consent should always be obtained, and alternative methods to teach skills should be provided,” it stated.
    The guide pointed out: “While one of the primary goals of crisis preparedness is to develop a sense of empowerment and control, poorly conducted armed assailant drills may cause physical and psychological harm and negatively affect the overall learning environment. It is critical that administrators, school-employed mental health professionals, school resource and police officers, and crisis response team members work closely together to develop staff and student training protocols that follow the best practice considerations.”
    It was further noted: “An individual’s cognitive and developmental levels, personality, history of adverse or traumatic experiences, and psychological make-up are among the many factors that influence the potential for harm. It is essential to include parents in discussions of their child’s developmental level, education, and readiness for armed assailant drills.”
    This concern was raised earlier last week by head of Supreme Counselling Services, Shawn Clarke. In an immediate reaction to the incident, he said while he understood exercises of this nature must have an element of surprise, the children should have been mentally prepared through some advanced warning.
    “I understand that they wanted the element of surprise, but the element of surprise can cause exactly what happened today. So, at some point you should have spoken to the children to let them know that this thing will be happening, even if you do not tell them when. You must be incredibly careful because you don’t know what medical issues some of the students may have and therefore you need to have lessened the shock value,” he said then.
    The guide made it clear that staff should be as equally prepared for the drill, and it was strongly advised that their participation must not be mandatory.
    “If the drill will involve a sensorial experience, then participation should never be mandated for staff or students. Staff should also be taught to recognise common trauma reactions to help identify when students, fellow staff members, or they themselves need to be removed from the drill. Educators should monitor the reactions of themselves, each other, and students during the drill and have a means to quickly notify drill coordinators if a person exhibits physical reactions such as asthma or panic attack,” the document stated.
    It must be noted that there is still uncertainty over the level of preparations that went into the drill at the Springer Memorial School or whether any of the above-mentioned considerations formed the basis of the execution.

    Source: Nation

  39. David Avatar
    David

    It is encouraging to see ‘green shoots’ of public protest by a few citizens which is an important activity allowed under the system of democracy practiced. The blogmaster would like to see parents also protesting against the unregulated conduct of the PSV sector as another example. We seem to be very selective how we expressed outrage when participating in protest action in the country.

  40. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    @ David

    I agree wholeheartedly with Donna’s contributions.
    Her responses have been a bit more reasonable and rational. Even more so than the usual suspects, whose responses are usually, according to Andrew Mason, ‘swiping and throwing everything at the ball, even the kitchen sink.’

    Similarly to Donna, “I too was wondering why such a simulation (especially at a school), was even necessary.”

    Also attempted to contribute to this thread, but subsequently decided I should wait until more information was forthcoming before doing so.

    Based on how the scenario at the school was described, I assumed a ‘simulation exercise’ was conducted, rather than a ‘drill.’

    The problem is, although the objectives of each exercise are different, people have been using both terms interchangeably,

    A ‘fire drill,’ for example, is essentially a scheduled, structured rehearsal of an exercise, the primary objective of which, is to familiarise individuals with the necessary procedures to take during a fire emergency.

    A simulation exercise similarly to what was conducted at Springer, would be different in terms of planning and execution.

    Good intentions, bad planning.

    Perhaps a better option would’ve been to use parent/teacher/students meeting forums, (e.g scheduling days for 1st to 6th forms), where the BDF, fire and police services could make informative and instructional presentations.

    It is important to bear in mind that whereas soldiers and police officers are ‘trained men and women’……
    …… civilians and school children are not. Hence, the traumatic experience.

  41. David Avatar
    David

    @Artax

    Agreed.

  42. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    One day we’re big opponents of micromanaging, next day, we’re calling for the Minister to be made aware of the details of what was explained as a drill. Really? Ronnie (wh)O and his crew all hot and sweaty jumped out to blame the Minister and CEO while at the same time the main teachers’ unions, including BUT yuh, supporting the simulation and laying zero blame on neither the Minister nor CEO. When the BUT isn’t blaming those two, one needs to pause and think. Even worse, after reading Mary Redman’s comments in the newspaper it is clear that many of the early reports were incorrect. Now Caswell and the serial marchers are at it again, with Caswell talking about ” in any other democracy” the Minister would have resigned. Really? Clearly the gentleman needs to read more–Jamaica, Tdad, UK, US etc. Pure comedy seeing Irene somehow comparing her actual robbery to what happened at SMSS, even funnier is the call from Dem to fire the minister considering their own Jones called school children demons. Errors were clearly made but fire the CEO and Minister, really?

  43. David Avatar
    David

    @Enuff

    You like to point to the UK to support positions taken or no by this BLP government. In the UK system a minister often is forced to take responsibility when things go wrong in assigned ministries: it has nothing to do with micromanaging.

  44. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    What exactly does Enuff not understand about leadership, and where ‘the buck stops’?
    There is NO WAY to be ‘in command’ …but not responsible for the end results.

    Indeed TRUE leaders actually TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, even when it can be shown that they were out of the loop.

    You need to wheel and come again Enuff….

  45. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    David,

    I won’t be marching alongside opportunistic pretenders.

    But regarding the principal, she needs to be demoted.

    I too read between the lines of Mary Redman and the “lessons learned, no blame game” mouthings of the MoE officials.

    We in Barbados have a “cuhdear” attitude sometimes. However, a school does not exist for the staff to have jobs. It exists for the children to be educated in an environment conducive to learning. The demotion would not be for punishment’s sake. It would be because the principal’s decision-making skills are seriously deficient. How can she be trusted to do what is in the best interest of the children?

  46. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    True leaders take responsibility. Taking responsibility does not mean that they must always resign or be fired. Sometimes, taking responsibility means firing the one who actually fouled up.

    The devil is in the details.

  47. David Avatar
    David

    Unfortunately Donna ours is not a culture which supports accepting responsibility. It is a CYA culture.

  48. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    “A necessary part of how political parties operate is being opportunistic.”

    @ David

    Although your above comments may be true, I believe politicians should sometimes ‘pick and choose their battles’ carefully.

    For example, recently DLP president Ronnie Yearwood suggested there hasn’t been any progress made at the Transport Board, as it relates to buses, claiming there were only 65 on the road.

    Surely someone in the DLP’s hierarchy should’ve advised him to do a bit more research before commenting on the issue.

    The former DLP administration systematically ‘destroyed’ TB, perhaps in an attempt to privatize operations, especially when one considers several PSV permits were issued during their tenure and there weren’t any efforts to purchase new buses or implement a structured repair and refurbishment program.

  49. David Avatar
    David

    @Artax

    A similar observation can be extended to the NIS mess where Caswell Franklyn seems to be the single authority. To the extent his invitation to speak at DLP gatherings has to be cloaked under ‘friends of the DLP’.

  50. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    @ David

    The fact that the DLP is now prepared to invite persons other than party members and supporters to speak at their lunch time lectures, is perhaps ‘a step in the right direction,’ even if “cloaked under “friends of the DLP’.”

    Some people may view such an arrangement as an ‘opportunistic politics of inclusion.’

    However, should a public issue arise of which Franklyn offers a different or opposing opinions, further invitations may not be extended to him.

    Since you mentioned, “friends of the DLP,” I note, with interest, the path has been paved to facilitate the return of Donville Inniss in the ranks of the DLP.

    Recall when he returned to Barbados, I expressed opinions similar to those now being articulated by the usual ‘go to’ political scientists.

    Your response was that ‘Inniss is done.’

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