Where in the world is Mary Anne Redman?

Submitted by Observing

I am not one to pinpoint any individual BUT, a few callers on Brass Tacks this week jogged the brain about what is obvious to many.

The questions begs: Where in the world is Mary Anne Redman?

During the period 2010 until 2018 and before, the most strident voice for teachers, rights, safe working environments, safeguarding of terms and conditions, violence in schools, communication and a mountain of other “issues” etc etc etc was the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union led loudly, lovingly and lustily by Ms. Mary-Anne Redman

In Bajan terms she gave Ronald Jones and the DLP hell oh hell (maybe deservedly so). But in recent times we have been hearing issue on top of issue on top of problem on top of problem at many many many schools including BOTH primary and secondary.

Yet, we are only hearing one union. Why???

Regarding BSTU think about it….

• The IADB survey? Not a word.
• The Springer fiasco? Not a protest.
• Environmental concerns at many secondary schools and nuff nuff primary schools?? Not a peep.
• Smoke and Cow itch? Silence.
• The glaring deficiencies and potholes in the botched education reform proposal? Not a contribution.
• Sudden transfer of principals and teachers willy nilly? Nothing to see here.
• Schools not ready to be reopened? Not a problem!
• Issues with CXC? Quiet.
• Repeated videos of fights and reports of violence? Nothing, nada not a sound.
• Unresponsiveness or piss poor responses of the Ministry to many many many things? No need to bother.
• Absence of the Minister on important matters? Kay who?

And the list can go on and on and on.

Now this is where the politics intersects. The average man on the street believes that Unions only keep noise when THEIR party is NOT in power or if it serves THEIR interest. Look at the days of Walter Maloney, Dennis Clarke, Akanni McDonad, Pedro Shepherd, Toni Moore, Edwin O’Neal, Cedric Murrell just to point out a few names with CLEAR political connections over the years and whose behaviours raised many an eyebrow.

We should be also now be carefully listening to the ongoing BWU-BHTA battle as well while legislation crawls through parliament. All part of the “game”.

The point is, while we here and in the shops point out all the challenges facing the country, it seems those “elected” to lead and be the voice of the many are convenient with when they open their mouths and silent when the whip gets cracked. Classic sang years ago about them being “In bed together.”

Now, the key thing about this isn’t just one person or one union, it is the general feeling that workers and the average joe keep getting shafted for political expediency or personal relationships rather than principles. The optics become more important than the objectives.

So,
Will anyone be wiling to turn over the bed and throw away the mattress for the good of the masses?

Will real leaders focused primarily on collective progress for everyone ever emerge?

Will we always be “led” by those who were put there to “serve”?

Food for thought.