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Golding makes golden start as prime minister
Ken Chaplin
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Detractors of new prime minister Bruce Golding say that he has made a shaky start in governance. But the contrary is true. He has made a strong start, perhaps the strongest by any government since independence.
The country took a major step forward when Golding, as he had promised during the general campaign, that his administration would end cost-sharing by parents and guardians and government in secondary schools. Government will now pay the tuition fees of all students. This will bring great relief to parents and guardians, many of whom had difficulty in sending their children to school. The charges by schools should be examined with expediency to establish whether these charges are reasonable and to make them unified. The government is to look into this aspect. The previous PNP government always said that the country could not afford free tuition, This column has always insisted that if government rids itself of corruption, money could be found for free tuition and other well-needed government social programmes.
As I have always written in this column, the primary objective of liberal education is to enable citizens to make a living, contribute to the welfare and development
of their community and to engender harmonious relations with their fellowmen, especially their neighbours. Many of the social problems Jamaica is now experiencing are the direct result of many children who have not attended school at all, or attended irregularly over a period of time. The attitude of an illiterate person is quite different from one who is functionally literate. An illiterate person, for example, is handicapped in reasoning, easily misled by politicians, have difficulty in finding jobs and this is becoming increasingly so in Jamaica. Many of our young people are blessed with common sense, but common sense can take them only so far.
The standard of primary education has fallen over the past 25 years. Much more attention needs to be given to primary education. Many graduates of the primary schools can barely read and write, cannot make it to secondary schools or training institutions, because their educational standard is below the minimum standard required. Many do not want to take casual jobs and end up as misfits in the community.
Some resort to crime and violence. The failure of others to read and write is blamed on the society, but individuals have a responsibility. I have worked in the ghettos and the number of gang leaders that have asked me to help them to complete a simple form is disturbing. Therefore, we have to devise programmes to help the dropouts from primary schools who are unable to read and write. This brings us to the question of compulsory education at the primary level. The country will not move forward if its young people
are not exposed to some form of primary or secondary education. Sooner or later the country will have to move into compulsory primary education on a phased basis. The country cannot afford to take on compulsory primary education because there is so much poverty. Many people would not be able to find the necessary resources and taxpayers would have to meet a substantial portion of the cost. It cannot be done at one shot, but certainly it can be implemented on a phased basis.
Education is more important than highways, something that the former Patterson administration seemed not to have recognised. It generates upward social mobility. In 1947 when I became a journalist there were no black tellers in commercial banks. The reasons given were that black girls could not be trusted and few had the required education. The matter of education was true to a certain extent. In a classic example of human resolve, black Jamaican girls embarked on a path of education and more education in which they and their parents, many from the working class (some making the optimum sacrifice) struggled and struggled against great odds for a good education. Today, black Jamaicans form 99 per cent of the tellers in commercial banks and the managerial staff is dominated by black Jamaicans.
Many black Jamaicans who did not have the educational opportunity or did not make use of it have been left behind in the forward leap to a better life, creating social problems. Some are beyond the point of rescue. Those who can be rescued must be helped. Golding's move to provide free tuition at the secondary school level must therefore be regarded as fundamentally important to Jamaica's future.
Golding has not yet fully settled down, but his credibility has escalated in less than a month. In his election campaign also, he said that one of the objectives of his administration would be to strengthen the role of the Opposition in Parliament. Within three weeks after he became prime minister, Golding invited the Opposition to chair six select committees of the House of Representatives. He also moved to give every member of the House the opportunity to make statements to the House, which is unprecedented in parliamentary affairs and will enable members of parliament to represent their constituents better.
Cabinet secretary should not be on appointments committee
Many people are questioning the wisdom of the Cabinet Secretary sitting on the committee that selects chief executive officers of executive agencies. The prime minister has tremendous influence over the Cabinet secretary who wields influence on the Public Service Commission (PSC). This is the only objection being raised in the selection and appointment of chief executive officers of executive agencies as the system could be abused.
The procedure for appointment is simple:
first, the post is advertised in the public service and in newspapers. The advertisement includes the requirements for the job because the post is at the senior management level. After an assessment is carried out, a shortlist is prepared by a group which includes the Cabinet secretary and a representative from the Office of the Services Commission. Applicants have to participate in a select group exercise with other people, after which an interview
is conducted by a panel consisting of a representative of the PSC, Cabinet secretary and a specialist in the area for which the applicant is required. Then a summary is prepared which goes to the PSC and afterwards to the governor general for approval. The Office of the Services Commission then issues the letter of appointment.
Ken Chaplin
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Detractors of new prime minister Bruce Golding say that he has made a shaky start in governance. But the contrary is true. He has made a strong start, perhaps the strongest by any government since independence.
The country took a major step forward when Golding, as he had promised during the general campaign, that his administration would end cost-sharing by parents and guardians and government in secondary schools. Government will now pay the tuition fees of all students. This will bring great relief to parents and guardians, many of whom had difficulty in sending their children to school. The charges by schools should be examined with expediency to establish whether these charges are reasonable and to make them unified. The government is to look into this aspect. The previous PNP government always said that the country could not afford free tuition, This column has always insisted that if government rids itself of corruption, money could be found for free tuition and other well-needed government social programmes.
As I have always written in this column, the primary objective of liberal education is to enable citizens to make a living, contribute to the welfare and development
of their community and to engender harmonious relations with their fellowmen, especially their neighbours. Many of the social problems Jamaica is now experiencing are the direct result of many children who have not attended school at all, or attended irregularly over a period of time. The attitude of an illiterate person is quite different from one who is functionally literate. An illiterate person, for example, is handicapped in reasoning, easily misled by politicians, have difficulty in finding jobs and this is becoming increasingly so in Jamaica. Many of our young people are blessed with common sense, but common sense can take them only so far.
The standard of primary education has fallen over the past 25 years. Much more attention needs to be given to primary education. Many graduates of the primary schools can barely read and write, cannot make it to secondary schools or training institutions, because their educational standard is below the minimum standard required. Many do not want to take casual jobs and end up as misfits in the community.
Some resort to crime and violence. The failure of others to read and write is blamed on the society, but individuals have a responsibility. I have worked in the ghettos and the number of gang leaders that have asked me to help them to complete a simple form is disturbing. Therefore, we have to devise programmes to help the dropouts from primary schools who are unable to read and write. This brings us to the question of compulsory education at the primary level. The country will not move forward if its young people
are not exposed to some form of primary or secondary education. Sooner or later the country will have to move into compulsory primary education on a phased basis. The country cannot afford to take on compulsory primary education because there is so much poverty. Many people would not be able to find the necessary resources and taxpayers would have to meet a substantial portion of the cost. It cannot be done at one shot, but certainly it can be implemented on a phased basis.
Education is more important than highways, something that the former Patterson administration seemed not to have recognised. It generates upward social mobility. In 1947 when I became a journalist there were no black tellers in commercial banks. The reasons given were that black girls could not be trusted and few had the required education. The matter of education was true to a certain extent. In a classic example of human resolve, black Jamaican girls embarked on a path of education and more education in which they and their parents, many from the working class (some making the optimum sacrifice) struggled and struggled against great odds for a good education. Today, black Jamaicans form 99 per cent of the tellers in commercial banks and the managerial staff is dominated by black Jamaicans.
Many black Jamaicans who did not have the educational opportunity or did not make use of it have been left behind in the forward leap to a better life, creating social problems. Some are beyond the point of rescue. Those who can be rescued must be helped. Golding's move to provide free tuition at the secondary school level must therefore be regarded as fundamentally important to Jamaica's future.
Golding has not yet fully settled down, but his credibility has escalated in less than a month. In his election campaign also, he said that one of the objectives of his administration would be to strengthen the role of the Opposition in Parliament. Within three weeks after he became prime minister, Golding invited the Opposition to chair six select committees of the House of Representatives. He also moved to give every member of the House the opportunity to make statements to the House, which is unprecedented in parliamentary affairs and will enable members of parliament to represent their constituents better.
Cabinet secretary should not be on appointments committee
Many people are questioning the wisdom of the Cabinet Secretary sitting on the committee that selects chief executive officers of executive agencies. The prime minister has tremendous influence over the Cabinet secretary who wields influence on the Public Service Commission (PSC). This is the only objection being raised in the selection and appointment of chief executive officers of executive agencies as the system could be abused.
The procedure for appointment is simple:
first, the post is advertised in the public service and in newspapers. The advertisement includes the requirements for the job because the post is at the senior management level. After an assessment is carried out, a shortlist is prepared by a group which includes the Cabinet secretary and a representative from the Office of the Services Commission. Applicants have to participate in a select group exercise with other people, after which an interview
is conducted by a panel consisting of a representative of the PSC, Cabinet secretary and a specialist in the area for which the applicant is required. Then a summary is prepared which goes to the PSC and afterwards to the governor general for approval. The Office of the Services Commission then issues the letter of appointment.
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