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Golding: Man of the Year
Ken Chaplin
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
It is education, especially at the secondary level, that has given tens of thousands of Jamaicans and their country the great leap forward economically and socially since universal adult suffrage (one person one vote) from Britain in 1944, which led us to self-government and independence in 1962.
Scholarships, the common entrance examinations and GSAT have exposed thousands to free tuition at the secondary level. Cost-sharing, introduced by the PNP government a few years ago, was a retrograde step because many people could not afford to pay their share of the tuition fee. The new JLP administration led by Prime Minister Bruce Golding removed the tuition fee, re-opening the way for more children to attend secondary schools. However, many children, despite government assistance, are still experiencing difficulty attending school regularly because of the inability of their parents and guardians to fit them out with uniforms, books, lunch et al.
There are many Jamaicans who have individually made a meaningful contribution to the education of children, but more is needed. There is joy in assisting, as I felt recently. Some years ago I met a boy from a humble parental background while he was in primary school. He was bright and ambitious. I helped with his primary, secondary and university education. He graduated recently from the University of Technology with the MSc Degree in Mechanical Engineering with first-class honours. He is now far more academically qualified than I am, which makes me happy.
Recently, he married a girl from a prominent family, further enhancing his social mobility. It is my belief that this would not have been possible without the type of education he received. There are many other similar success stories.
Many of the social problems in Jamaica are caused by those who have been left behind in the great leap forward in education. More children are expected to attend secondary schools under the new dispensation, and enter the stage for the second half of the great leap forward. I sensed that since the campaign began about a year ago to emphasise the value of education, many more people seem to be making the sacrifice to send their children to primary and secondary schools.
Another matter of tremendous national importance was the decision by the Golding-led administration to abolish fees at government hospitals as from April this year. The fee was imposed by the PNP administration which later made a welcome move of removing it for 18-year-olds and under.
Golding went a step further and decided to remove the fee altogether. It is a bold move, but which has financial implications for the government. However, as I have often said in these columns, if government is able to stop the widespread corruption, the money can be found to remove the fee at state hospitals. This will be a great relief to many because the cost of medical care in the private sector is extraordinarily high. On these two counts and his leadership of the JLP into two elections, Golding earns this column's Man of the Year honours.
Of course, there were other notable performances by the Golding-led administration. Among these were:
. Allocating $500 million which will be distributed among the poor to help cushion the rising inflationary prices of a large number of commodities brought about by the sharp increase in the price of oil on the world market.
. Replacing the Ministry of Local Government with a new unit in the Office of the Prime Minister which will place emphasis on Local Government Reform and taking steps to increase the number of legitimate owners of land on the property tax register. All property taxes will be received by parish councils.
. Appointing a new executive director at the National Solid Waste Management Authority, Joan Gordon Webley, to stop corruption and to embark on projects to streamline the agency's garbage collection system to bring about much-needed improvement in those services.
. Cabinet's approval for the drafting of legislation for the creation of the Office of Special Prosecutor to investigate high-level acts of corruption in the public and private sectors.
. Drafting of a bill for an independent commission to be established to investigate the excessive use of force and instances of abuse by members of the security forces.
. Proposing whistle-blower legislation to protect people who provide information on wrongdoing which is now being considered by Cabinet. Cabinet is also considering the appointment of a special coroner who will, among other things, conduct inquests in incidents where citizens die in circumstances involving agents of the state.
. Implementing orders for the development process in all 14 parishes.
Two matters of critical importance which will have to be tackled vigorously are crime and repairs to parish council roads. One aspect of crime alleviation that must be pursued urgently is a meaningful way in the implementation of a social intervention programme. The government must realise that the killing of suspected criminals will only reduce crime temporarily. In the 1970s, the police embarked on a killing spree, but there was no social intervention programme.
Crime increased a short time after. The police force must be provided with all the necessary resources it needs. Parish council roads have been in a deplorable condition, especially over the past 15 years, but finding money for repairs is going to be a problem. All things considered, no other head of government has led the country so well in so short a time (112 days) as Golding.
Ken Chaplin
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
It is education, especially at the secondary level, that has given tens of thousands of Jamaicans and their country the great leap forward economically and socially since universal adult suffrage (one person one vote) from Britain in 1944, which led us to self-government and independence in 1962.
Scholarships, the common entrance examinations and GSAT have exposed thousands to free tuition at the secondary level. Cost-sharing, introduced by the PNP government a few years ago, was a retrograde step because many people could not afford to pay their share of the tuition fee. The new JLP administration led by Prime Minister Bruce Golding removed the tuition fee, re-opening the way for more children to attend secondary schools. However, many children, despite government assistance, are still experiencing difficulty attending school regularly because of the inability of their parents and guardians to fit them out with uniforms, books, lunch et al.
There are many Jamaicans who have individually made a meaningful contribution to the education of children, but more is needed. There is joy in assisting, as I felt recently. Some years ago I met a boy from a humble parental background while he was in primary school. He was bright and ambitious. I helped with his primary, secondary and university education. He graduated recently from the University of Technology with the MSc Degree in Mechanical Engineering with first-class honours. He is now far more academically qualified than I am, which makes me happy.
Recently, he married a girl from a prominent family, further enhancing his social mobility. It is my belief that this would not have been possible without the type of education he received. There are many other similar success stories.
Many of the social problems in Jamaica are caused by those who have been left behind in the great leap forward in education. More children are expected to attend secondary schools under the new dispensation, and enter the stage for the second half of the great leap forward. I sensed that since the campaign began about a year ago to emphasise the value of education, many more people seem to be making the sacrifice to send their children to primary and secondary schools.
Another matter of tremendous national importance was the decision by the Golding-led administration to abolish fees at government hospitals as from April this year. The fee was imposed by the PNP administration which later made a welcome move of removing it for 18-year-olds and under.
Golding went a step further and decided to remove the fee altogether. It is a bold move, but which has financial implications for the government. However, as I have often said in these columns, if government is able to stop the widespread corruption, the money can be found to remove the fee at state hospitals. This will be a great relief to many because the cost of medical care in the private sector is extraordinarily high. On these two counts and his leadership of the JLP into two elections, Golding earns this column's Man of the Year honours.
Of course, there were other notable performances by the Golding-led administration. Among these were:
. Allocating $500 million which will be distributed among the poor to help cushion the rising inflationary prices of a large number of commodities brought about by the sharp increase in the price of oil on the world market.
. Replacing the Ministry of Local Government with a new unit in the Office of the Prime Minister which will place emphasis on Local Government Reform and taking steps to increase the number of legitimate owners of land on the property tax register. All property taxes will be received by parish councils.
. Appointing a new executive director at the National Solid Waste Management Authority, Joan Gordon Webley, to stop corruption and to embark on projects to streamline the agency's garbage collection system to bring about much-needed improvement in those services.
. Cabinet's approval for the drafting of legislation for the creation of the Office of Special Prosecutor to investigate high-level acts of corruption in the public and private sectors.
. Drafting of a bill for an independent commission to be established to investigate the excessive use of force and instances of abuse by members of the security forces.
. Proposing whistle-blower legislation to protect people who provide information on wrongdoing which is now being considered by Cabinet. Cabinet is also considering the appointment of a special coroner who will, among other things, conduct inquests in incidents where citizens die in circumstances involving agents of the state.
. Implementing orders for the development process in all 14 parishes.
Two matters of critical importance which will have to be tackled vigorously are crime and repairs to parish council roads. One aspect of crime alleviation that must be pursued urgently is a meaningful way in the implementation of a social intervention programme. The government must realise that the killing of suspected criminals will only reduce crime temporarily. In the 1970s, the police embarked on a killing spree, but there was no social intervention programme.
Crime increased a short time after. The police force must be provided with all the necessary resources it needs. Parish council roads have been in a deplorable condition, especially over the past 15 years, but finding money for repairs is going to be a problem. All things considered, no other head of government has led the country so well in so short a time (112 days) as Golding.
get it right... the jlp won by a mere 2,940 votes... dat is the fact...
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