The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune

As always, I thank The Lord Jesus Christ and my biological parents, the late Reverend Doctor Ortland H. Bodie Sr. and my late mother, Annie Hepburn, for allowing and affording me the stellar opportunity for a good education from primary school (Our Lady’s Primary) straight up to university level (University of London). Later, I was articled in the law chambers of the Hon. J. Henry Bostwick, now a Queen’s Counsel and admitted to The Bahamas Bar.

Of course, years later, due to an act of malfeasance and commingling of client’s funds, a no no for lawyers, ethically speaking, I was disbarred. The early years of the same were not easy. Everyone whom I once counted as “friends” and even “family” abandoned me. Mind you, when I was large and in charge of the then Criminal Defense Bar, everyone; his/her brother and sister used to hang around and suck on the big slackness and largess then freely available. They rapidly left when these things dried up.

Despite this apparent set back, decades ago, the benefits of a good and marketable education have stood me well over this period right up to now. The disbarment was devastating and financially I was literally wiped out. The societal and peer ostracization was almost too much to deal with. When I finally came to grips with the realities of disbarment I had two stark choices: continue to wallow in a pity party or to get up off my knees; dust myself off and reinvent myself. Thanks be to The Lord Jesus Christ that I chose the latter.

It was precisely because of my extensive educational achievements and experiences at the Bar that I was able to move, almost seamlessly, into the talk show circuit and emerge as a much sought after Business and Management consultant. Today, without bragging, my ordinary income exceeds that of many current lawyers at the Bar. I am able to hold my own and continue to be a progressive member of The Bahamian society. This is what a good education is able to bring about for individuals.

The FNM were all over the place during the years leading up to the general elections of May, 2017 talking about ‘free education’ for all qualified Bahamians from primary school straight up to college/university levels. This rang out with the unwashed masses and we bought the rhetoric, hook; line and sinker. While most of our high schools were basically “free” for a long time, no one expected that tuition levels at The University of The Bahamas would dramatically increase in the fall of 2019.

Too many of our students, especially the males, are dropping out of high schools like flies. They leave with little, if any, marketable educational or vocational skills. Many of the females get impregnated for bums, for want of a better tern, and then quickly become saddled down with a whole heap of “unwanted” children. Many of the males who drop out end up in crime and jail. Many of the females are obliged to turn to prostitution....which by the way, should become legal. The results of this?

A dumb down society with little appreciation for educational and vocational skills. Those who fail to obtain a good education, unless God help them, become statistics within our society; victims of homicides or suicides; single parented mothers, in most cases, and residents at The Bahamas Correctional Centre. It is commonly accepted that educationally challenged individuals tend to resort to crime to eke out an income. National productivity is negatively impacted and personal responsibilities are transferred to the state at tax payers’ expense.

I, hereby, invite the Most Hon. Prime Minister to roll these proposed fee increases back. The Minister of Education, a political lightweight and knuckle head, used to lead Y.E.A.S.T some years ago. He used to gently cuss out past administrations for cutting funding to that organisation.

He, before his unexpected elevation to parliament and the gussiemae cabinet, used to opine that it would be better for the state to spend monies to “educate” students as opposed to spending an average of B$18,000 per year to house an inmate at Fox Hill. This still applies. To God then, in all things, be the glory.

ORTLAND H. BODIE, Jr.

Nassau

April 7, 2019