REFORM THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM OF BARBADOS – SEP 27, 2017 BY EDMUND G. HINKSON, ST. JAMES NORTH MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT

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The educational system of any country must ultimately provide the opportunity for young persons, on reaching adulthood, to have developed the character, competence and personal responsibility traits that they will need to be successful independent citizens. Barbados’ educational policy must be geared towards inculcating in our children characteristics such as self-esteem, self-confidence, industry and the spirit of volunteerism at a very early stage of their school careers.

After ten years of stagnation and in fact a decline in the quality of our country’s educational system at the point of its delivery, too many of our youth do not display such characteristics on becoming adults. Under the Democratic Labour Party administration in the three year period between 2013-4 and 2016-7, Barbados has in fact declined sixteen places from 6th to 22nd on the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report in terms of the quality of our educational system.

A new Barbados Labour Party Government needs to place greater emphasis on developing the social and interactive skills of our children as well as developing their care, sensitivity and tolerance towards other’s needs and interests. Our educational system must seek to engender in our children, even in their early childhood education, a more positive attitude towards others and a greater appreciation of the differing cultures and environments which exist among our Caribbean people and among our fellow global citizens. Additionally, our youth must be provided with the necessary ability to think critically, to solve problems and to resolve conflict rather than to engage in physical confrontation or violence.

An Incoming Barbados Labour Party Administration will strive tirelessly to create a safe and nurturing educational and social environment within which our young people can fulfil their maximum potential. As a Progressive Government, it would understand that heavier investment in science and technology, business, art, creative industries and culture is required, even from our primary school system. This would act as a catalyst for the creation of innovative products and services as well as for the development of entrepreneurship in our Island.

As policymakers, a Barbados Labour Party Government needs to ensure that our current educational system is seriously reformed to cater to a wider cross-section of non-academics. It is estimated that approximately fifty per cent of our children leave secondary school without any formal certification. Rather than be classified as failures, these school-leavers need to be given the opportunity to enter a youth service programme which would ultimately provide them with some of the technical and vocational skills required to succeed in this increasingly competitive world.

A new Barbados Labour Party political directive must ultimately restore the position which previously existed up until three years ago whereby young people are not deprived of tertiary education just because they cannot financially afford it.

An Incoming Barbados Labour Party Administration will recognize that more children with disabilities, many of whom have unique skills just waiting to be given the opportunity to be tapped, must be brought into our mainstream educational system. They will consequently be better equipped when they become adults to realize their full potential. As is their entitlement as citizens, they should be given the opportunity to contribute to national development and to participate positively in our socio-economic and political affairs.

Our educational system has not undergone any curriculum reform since 2000 under the Ministerial Leadership of the Honourable Mia Mottley with the Honourable Cynthia Forde as her Parliamentary Secretary. It has to be reformed in the very near future to produce a larger percentage of young Barbadians who are productive, self-reliant, capable and multilingual global citizens with the confidence that they can make a decent living anywhere in the world.

Edmund Gregory Hinkson Member of Parliament, St. James North, Attorney-at-Law and Shadow Education Minister.

 

CRITICAL MASS: SMALL JURISDICTIONS AND BIG PROBLEMS-LOGISTICS AND
INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES TO MEET SMALL JURISDICTIONS EXPECTATIONS TO ACHIEVE THE SAME SERVICE LEVELS AS LARGER ONES MAY, 2016 BY EDMUND G. HINKSON, ST. JAMES NORTH MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT

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It is an absolute necessity that the Parliament of all nation states, no matter
their territorial size or demographics, enact, implement and strictly enforce legislation providing for accountability and transparency in the governance systems of their respective countries. The cost, financial, developmental and otherwise, resulting from a failure to undertake this process, is just too significant. This cost cannot be afforded, particularly by small jurisdictions which have in the recent past been experiencing severe challenges to achieve and sustain competitiveness in the new global economic and trading order.

Clear and precise laws as well as orders and policy directives emanating therefrom need to be in place in small independent countries in order to maximize solid governance principles involving the administration of both the public and private sectors.

Auditor General departments need to be empowered with criminal prosecutorial powers to be able to properly investigate and pursue those who do not comply with modern day financial and accountability provisions. Those persons in positions of responsibility, whether from the political class, the bureaucracy or the commercial sector, must be liable in law for breaches in the system of governance falling under their purview.

Fiscal Responsibility legislation must exist so that these countries can ensure that best practices rein in terms of the fiscal management of government.

Parliamentary Committees must be established or, if already established, must be given more powers to investigate, pursue and enforce alleged breaches of the financial, tendering and accounting rules of government.

Additionally, Freedom of Information legislation must be enacted and enforced to empower the public, including the media, to obtain information relating to the country’s governance. This ought to be their right in the public’s interest. Citizens ought to be able to receive information on the basis that it is their tax-paying dollars by virtue of which the elected politicians and public officers administer the nation state. Failure to provide for this type of legislative framework and the continuation in this era of archaic Official Secrets Acts are a hinderance to any nation’s developmental progress. This is even more the case in small jurisdictions which invariably possess greater familiarity among persons than exists in larger, more developed states.

Finally, it is absolutely essential in this context that the Parliaments of small vulnerable nations, particularly those in the developing world, enact, proclaim and enforce modern day Prevention of Corruption, Bribery and Integrity in Public Life Legislation.

Persons who come into public life, whether they are elected or unelected officials, must be subject to the full weight of the law for their corrupt practices and for breaches of trust and faith if small jurisdictions aspire to achieve the same service levels as larger ones.

It is estimated that corruption costs individual nations millions if not billions of dollars each year, if not dealt with and pursued. This comes at a tremendous price and disadvantage to those citizens who are consequently denied maximum educational opportunities, health care and social and welfare services which the state would otherwise be in a position to financially afford them.

Small jurisdictions, while not having the human and financial resources at their disposal which richer developed countries possess, have absolutely no excuse in failing to make legislative provision for their best systems of governance through insisting on the development of a culture of accountability, transparency and anti-corruption throughout their respective societies.

Edmund Gregory Hinkson
Member of Parliament, St. James North, Barbados.

 

CONTRIBUTION TO DEBATE ON PRIVATE MEMBER’S RESOLUTION BY LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION OF NO CONFIDENCE IN GOVERNMENT ON 10^TH MAY, 2016 BY EDMUND G. HINKSON, ST. JAMES NORTH MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT

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1. INTRODUCTION:

Praise to Leader of the Opposition for her outstanding and commendable marathon effort in presenting Resolution.

Substantial majority of St. James North constituents, similarly to other Barbadians, now have no confidence in Government’s ability to take country out of socio-economic malaise of last eight years, to properly and effectively, manage nation’s affairs of state or to govern in the best interest of people. Every day people ask me when are the Elections and what BLP doing about changing the Government.

PM’s statement that you have to experience Good Friday to celebrate Easter Sunday makes no sense in relation to what is going on in present day Barbados. The suffering has gone on for too long and Easter Sunday is nowhere in sight.

2. MISGUIDED FISCAL POLICIES, POOR ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT AND FAILED LEADERSHIP

DLP Government came into office in 2008 to bat with a firm foundation laid by outgoing BLP Government. Unemployment was down, foreign reserves were up, Barbados was occupying a leading role in Caricom. Ball started to swing and seam slightly. But DLP batted with very poor technique and soon put team Barbados in trouble. High taxation in first budget, failure to make timely fiscal interventions before 2013 General Elections, followed by continuous fiscal adjustments strategies one after the other starting with 2013 Budget, all of which failed. Result has been over 3,000 laid off from public service after PM on Saturday, 27^th October, 2015 assured Barbadians that DLP will not be cutting jobs in the public service. “We are going to protect the people of Barbados and the public service from that kind of political slaughter. It will be a recipe for disaster”. Result of this promise has been that in many cases, not only one but both breadwinners in a household no longer have a job having been fired from government employment. House has been lost, young adults have had to drop out of Cave Hill University and people’s health care has been placed at severe risk. No right-thinking person can have modicum of confidence in this Government which in 2008 told us that they will not “lie, cheat or steal” but has proceeded to break every major Manifesto commitment made to the people.

Government has continued to impose draconian taxes and fees on citizens, over 33 in eight years, whilst removing the vast majority of tax allowances which income earners could have claimed as tax refunds. The Government has used the same kind of thinking which it used to create the problem in its attempt to solve them even although, as Albert Einstein said, “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

All this whilst restricting the quality of social services which people had become accustomed to receiving paid for by their taxes. This has especially affected the community of persons with disabilities and senior citizens, two categories comprising the most financially vulnerable persons in Barbados. The middle economic class is under increasingly severe pressure while poverty is growing, as revealed in the last study on poverty submitted in 2010 which indicated that 20 per cent of Barbadians at that time were living below the poverty line. End result of Government’s incompetent economic management and political leadership is that Barbados, our beautiful country, has fallen from a lofty ranking of 37^th of 182 Nations on the Human Development Index in 2007 to 57^th of 188 in 2014. A very large number of Barbadians have no confidence in Government going forward.

3. DLP’S ANTI-TRADE UNION STANCE:

This has been most despicable. Mention PM’s condemnation in July last year of NUPW leadership in calling it bullies, irresponsible, etc. BLP under National Heroes Sir Grantley Adams and Sir Hugh Springer founded BWU and was instrumental in legitimizing of trade union activity over 75 years ago. PM’s threat to amend section 49 of the Constitution to curtail trade union’s power is unbecoming of someone holding the office of PM.

4. BLUNDERING EDUCATIONAL POLICIES:

Nowhere is this Government’s incompetence to manage and lead our country more patently obvious than in its educational policies or lack thereof and its management of the Ministry of Education. Minister acknowledged as worst Education Minister out of 13 by the press, teachers’ unions, university students, BCC students who now also have to pay tuition fees for their degree programmes, polytechnic students and parents alike.

Country was previously known among small developing countries newly emerged from the trappings of colonialism as having a globally competitive educational system which was the envy of many. Sector after 8 ½ years under Jones is lurching from crisis to crisis.

Inability to resolve industrial relations disputes with respective teachers’ unions, as “shoot off heads and crack skulls mentality” has been adopted. BUT members are now “on work to rule.”

Inability to resolve growing number of issues related to student on student violence, conflict between teachers and students, principals and teachers, principals and teachers on the one hand and parents on the other hand and teachers and the Ministry. Jones’ approach has been to label some children as “demonic” and to establish a committee two weeks ago to investigate violence in schools which, he says, will provide recommendations as to its resolution.

This decision is a complete dereliction of the ministerial duty of Jones as the person entrusted with the very important political mandate for the educational development of our people, especially our youth. It is indicative of why the general population and the stakeholders in education have no confidence in him as Minister. Numerous studies already have been undertaken. The establishment of committee is merely a substitute for decisive political action which is required. The Education Act and Regulations have sufficient teeth to effectively deal with this issue. We have no confidence in this Minister.

This government has failed to reform curriculum after 15 years to make it more relevant to modern day Barbados. The Education Ministry is now apparently preoccupied with partisan politics.

There has been a refusal by Minister Jones, a former BUT President being advised by a Chief Education Officer and Parliamentary Secretary, both former union head and secretary respectively, to meet with teachers. My advice to the teachers is not to meet with him or with those in cabinet who have publicly voiced support for him when they come to ask you for a vote.

Failure to appoint 100’s of eligible teachers to permanent positions in spite of promises to do so.

Failure to resolve a plethora of environmental issues at a myriad number of schools, as the Ministry has no policy of proper maintenance of the school plant and infrastructure.

Failure to establish Teachers Service Commission provided for in the Constitution of Barbados as promised to the teachers on 6^th September, 2012. Minister Jones then told them that the paper to establish this Commission had already gone to Cabinet.

Jones has presided over the dismantlement of 50 years of hitherto previously free university education for Barbadians, resulting in the loss of hope for 1,000’s of Barbadians from working class backgrounds. No Barbados government has ever been able to afford free university education but all of our governments previous to this one did. PM had in October 2012 committed to Barbadians that the DLP will continue to fully fund UWI education of our citizens. This promise was broken within one year afterwards.

Failure to clearly enunciate policies relating to funding of tuition fees of some UWI students, whether it is by way of bursaries or grants, again resulting in hundreds dropping out.

Jones should be removed as Education Minister. Furthermore, he has failed to honour pledge and commitment to this Parliament first made 14 months ago and repeated in March this year to deliver policy documents relating to education to the Opposition Party. Under Westminster system, he is no longer fit to be a cabinet minister.

5. LACK OF TRUST:

The people have lost trust in this Government led by a PM who has presided over an administration which has been marked by broken promises after broken promises. Ultimately he has to take full responsibility for his party’s failure to honour its commitments.

6. PROPOSED CABINET MEMBERS’ SALARY INCREASE:

Government’s display of callousness, insensitivity and contempt for Barbadians is demonstrated by Resolution which was laid in Parliament last week to raise salaries by ten per cent in a situation where public servants have not had a salary increase, bar increments, for the last 7 years. These Ministers are effectively telling the public who pay them and who they should serve that they cannot exist on a monthly salary of $13,000.00 plus travel and entertainment allowances plus over US$150.00 each day whenever they travel overseas as they frequently do flying first class. However, the DLP government is telling the electorate that the 1000s who have been fired from their government employment and are still unemployed as well as those who have not received their termination pay or even vacation pay after over two years must find a way to survive.

7. LACK OF COMMITMENT TO PROPER GOVERNANCE:

PM has to take responsibility of failure of Government to enact Prevention of Corruption Legislation. The AG’s recent statement that those who draw reference to this failure are making “stupid noises” demonstrates that he too is not fit to be the principal legal advisor to the government.

There is a total lack of accountability and transparency in Government. No Freedom of Information Legislation. These are further breaches of 2008 Manifesto promises.

8. COVENANT OF HOPE:

We in the BLP today pledge to restore hope to our country’s youth as opposed to the hopelessness that many are now experiencing under DLP. We will create a safe and nurturing environment within which they can grow to their maximum potential. We will aim to create through our policies, a new generation of confident and capable, multilingual world class citizens, as we are capable of doing. We will give them the skills and provide them with the opportunities which will allow them in turn to make our Barbadian brand again the envy of other small developing countries.

9. CONCLUSION:

I fully support this Resolution and call on the Government to dissolve Parliament and place the fate of our citizens during the foreseeable future in the hands of the electorate, since we cannot continue on this path for another 20 odd months.

 

THE NEED FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD AND PRIMARY EDUCATION REFORM IN BARBADOS