The Montserrat Premier has said several weeks ago that General Elections due in Montserrat before mid-January 2020 will likely be held before Christmas this year. Unsubstantiated and still no confirmation from a few weeks, a source mentioned that the elections would be held on December 8, 2019, but that’s a Sunday, then yet another says December 4.
What is certain is that just following the calamitous disaster of over two weeks ago in the Bahamas, electioneering utterances, well below the lowly Montserrat norm are increasing. And, we can begin to believe that it will not be too long now as we can hear reactions and jingles from the incumbents.
However, so far there is very little, as the old struggle of leadership among groupings, and party if they really exist, where none with the exception of Dr. L. Lewis and Easton T. Farrell, and Charles Kirnon have more than ten years’ service as a legislator. Then, the only one among the top three, Dr. Lewis is heads above the lot in many ways and some that count than the rest. Statements and denials regarding the matter surely do not help, as this place is far too small, numbers too few, to fool the people. A people whom we believe are smarter than the ignorance exhibited in some circles, too many for fact.
Just like the political education seem to be so wonting, there is a growing need for a serious rounded education system. The lack of a different, better and more fitting system results in that the fewness in our numbers leaves so many after 16 plus years – how could any child leave the Secondary School without mastering the very basics of reading and counting.
It might be that there are a few, or maybe more than imaginable who feel smug about the so–called teachers protest at the beginning of this month. If all the reasons and expressed are correct for the need to get out and parade (protest) in front of the Karney Osborne Building that house the Ministry of Education, there was certainly some dishonest and ill directed motives involved.
Upon investigation of the situation one will find it difficult not to also conclude, surprisingly though it may be, that the whole concoct was politically motivated, if not wholly.
It was surprising to hear the Minister suggest that there was a shortage of communication that might have encouraged the outing, but that may well be expected given their record. However, there are teachers and top education officials who will say, “not true, even if they didn’t tell us all, we knew there were problems…”
We note that since May there was talk and discussionof some situations. And then quickly some things come to mind, with the low-level quality of the Human Resource Division and going back to about 2012-13 when the education budget was decreased, the system malfunctioning, with so many other variables.
One thing eventually crowned all, when the final report came to light, it sounded ecstatic for someone to say that coming out of the resulting protest meetings, they had been asked to put into writing what the issues has been that faced at school so the matter is looked at for speedy remedy. Really!? Very hard to comprehend that without some documentation a situation can end up to be in such bad state that people were ‘no wonder’ encouraged out in protest.
But then! That has been an issue for much of the problem we face which make a further problem as when it comes to dealing with the processes which involve documentation, it invokes discomfort, reluctance, refusal and confusion and of course problems with not so welcome consequences.
That the issues will need to be put in writing, some will surely suffer as there will be no trail to follow, and it might just be difficult to justify some requests. This is not referencing the new buildings to include those that need to be replaced. There are many more issues that need urgent and serious attention, with some honest planning and understanding to move them along.
Documentation works with truth, an obstacle in our culture, these days.
