As the country chews over the latest examination results showing no progress for students in maths, English and science, here are some strong words to consider.
“The people deserve a government that realises the significance of improving our educational system with the will to pursue and enact long-overdue reforms... Bahamian students, young adults and learners of all ages have waited for these reforms for far too long under a government that fails to unlock their boundless potential.
“It is time for a government that not only makes educational reforms a priority but also possesses the wherewithal to make these improvements a reality.”
Strong words, indeed - it certainly is time, past time in fact, for reform that will lift the level of achievement by our nation’s students. Those words sound like the kind of thing we need to hear as we consider a continued lack of progress by students under Minister of Education Jeffrey Lloyd’s tenure.
There’s only one problem.
Those words were said by Mr Lloyd as the FNM campaigned for office. This is what we’re going to do, the party said. Reform. Unlocking potential. Improvement. Well, where is it?
In fact, where is Mr Lloyd? When The Tribune tried to ask him for comment yesterday on the results, he was apparently out of the country and unable to comment. For the record, they do have phones in other countries too.
It’s not as if he hasn’t had time to prepare a comment either - these results customarily come out in late August or early September, so there has been plenty of time to digest the unpalatable results and offer an explanation.
There is of course variation in the results - a few more A to C grades here, a drop in A grades there - but there is little sign of the revolutionary reform the FNM promised in order to encourage people to give them their votes.
In 2017, Mr Lloyd said something else regarding results: “We started out with a D, we are still at a D - something is wrong.”
Well, something is still wrong. Mr Lloyd had signalled a need to start the reform with pre-schoolers, and that has been a focus of his ministry - but does that mean we need to wait a generation for any improvement? Are we writing off those in regular schools in the meantime?
The minister’s absence when the results come out tells its own story. If this was a story of success, we imagine he might not be so reluctant to talk about it.
Instead, he’s nowhere to be seen at a time when he should be front and centre.
The people deserve a government that realises the significance improving our educational system. Your own words, Mr Lloyd, to stand by when the results aren’t so good as well as when they are. As Minister of Education, you are the foremost representative of government in this regard. Those within that educational system deserve your full attention.
Counting down the days
With Halloween out of the way, the stores will be quickly filled up with Christmas items, so here’s a suggestion. Go and pick up an advent calendar early, and start opening the doors on November 15.
Why then? Well, when you get to the last door, that will be the day when – if BPL’s promises come true – the nation’s power problems will be resolved.
Mid-December marks the time when the Wartsila engines are due to bring an extra 132MW of generation capacity on line.
The company yesterday said it is seeking to recruit 31 workers to operate the new engines – which seems a tight amount of time to find the right staff and train them – but surely we can trust in BPL’s word, can’t we? Well… we shall see.
We do fret a little to see Minister Desmond Bannister saying it will sort out “most” of the challenges. Not all? Oh dear. And we find it a little ironic that electrical workers were only told of Wartsila’s offer to hire 31 staff, 27 of them Bahamian, yesterday. It appears that BPL has left its staff – as it has so much of the country this year – in the dark.
Comments
sheeprunner12 4 years, 5 months ago
Mr Lloyd was not AWOL or MIA ................. A Long Islander, he was in Long Island touring its public schools ...... a place where there is still a glimmer of hope for public education.
Tribune, do a better job at investigative journalism, and less time competing with our tabloids.
momoyama 4 years, 5 months ago
You obviously did not read the rest of the editorial, choosing instead to focus on the narrow defence of where Lloyd is physically. The point is that he and this government are empty con artists, whose promises to correct things that they criticized so heavily were nothing but hot air. The evidence is stark in every area of governance, including public education. But to FNM apologists like yourself, no evidence is good enough apparently.
sheeprunner12 4 years, 5 months ago
MoMO ....... no one is defending Lloyd ...... Tribune obviously cannot find him. although he has five office numbers and three cell phones and ten office staff.
ohdrap4 4 years, 5 months ago
Speaking of reform, when are educators going to admit that the Educologist, D.Ed , Phd. Ed. Have gotten it all wrong!!!!
In the US the common core has been a failure too.
All these theories of "inclusive education", "differentiated education", and others are just made up out of people's head who sometimes have not even taught.
Cell phones and tablets do not teach anyone.
TheMadHatter 4 years, 5 months ago
The government could fix out educational system in two easy steps :
Change the grades that are given out from A B C D E F G U to simply A B C D F - that way C will be the average grade.
Stop creating STUPID IGNORANT syllabus for subjects - where NO BOOKS exist anywhere on the planet Earth that cover that syllabus. It is time for government to realize that 2+2=4 here in the Bahamas, the same way it does in Miami or in Jamaica, or in New Zealand, or in Canada. Teachers have no resources with which to teach. The syllabus is also so broad and ridiculously comprehensive that there is no way it can be taught even in 5 years.
It's time to come up with a list of sensible, practical, and useful things that are kids can learn in a reasonable amount of time - that will help them in life - and let that be the syllabus and find a books that reasonably covers that material and get on with it.
This idea of having to be "independent" in everything we do (like we can't even have the 911 emergency number in the Bahamas, we have to have 919) - is very STUPID and is killing out children and their futures.
News Flash : 2 + 2 does equal 4 in the Bahamas, whether the government wants to admit it or not.
sheeprunner12 4 years, 5 months ago
There will always be people like you who crave for the colonial mindset
momoyama 4 years, 5 months ago
Newsflash. 911 is hot universal. It is AMERICAN. In Britain it is 999. As a people we really need to stop being so damned Americanized and realise that the outside world is NOT the USA.
TheMadHatter 4 years, 5 months ago
Yes, well why don't you recommend to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that we prevent all American citizens from entering the Bahamas, and we prevent all American goods or services from entering the Bahamas, and we jail for one year any Bahamian who is found to have entered into the USA or its territorial waters after the new law is passed. Yeah. Let's do that. Can we do it tomorrow? Then all of you "independent" people who hate America can live happy with your conch slop.
momoyama 4 years, 5 months ago
Wow, you really are an ignorant person. Where in the above did I say anything about hating the USA??? Where did I advocate cutting off ties? Britain has good ties with the USA, correct? So does Germany, Japan, Trinidad and Jamaica. But have they abolished their emergency numbers and replaced it with the US alternative to show their love? No. Because they are presumably composed of mature adults who know how to distinguish friendship from mindless imitation.
momoyama 4 years, 5 months ago
FYI, I attach a list of emergency numbers worldwide. Like most other countries, the Bahamas has its own. Apparently, though, some of us would prefer just hang up the flag and become the 51st state. What utter ignorance.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...
TheMadHatter 4 years, 5 months ago
Yes. 51st state. What a nice idea. Then we can get rid of some of these darn potholes and your mail can arrive in less than 6 months, and you can get a court date in less than 2 years, and your probate of a Will can take less than 10 years, and your oil spills can be monitored by someone other than the oil company itself, and .......................................... x 1,000,000. It is just amazing to me, to know that there are people like you out there (and yes, there are a lot of you) who actually think ANYTHING in the Bahamas is "normal" and the way it should be. It is said, that the best slave is a slave who doesn't know he is a slave. That was written before you were born though. A prophesy?
momoyama 4 years, 5 months ago
Wow. Real relevant commentary to the very precise point I made, pointing out your ignorance.
TheMadHatter 4 years, 5 months ago
Irrelevant ? You said "Apparently, though, some of us would prefer just hang up the flag and become the 51st state.". I'm saying, yes, I am one of those persons.
momoyama 4 years, 5 months ago
Yes, apparently. But then you wandered into all kinds of points that my comment had no relation to, even creating assumed positions on my part. I never remember justifying every problem with the Bahamas, but I would surely find it an easier task than justifying every problem with the USA. That is why (as a citizen of both) I live here and not there. You are entitled to your own opinion. But you are not entitled to your own facts (such as 911 being an international or standard emergency number).
TheMadHatter 4 years, 5 months ago
True dat
tom1912 4 years, 5 months ago
A bit of history:-) the reason the U.K. has 999 is as a result of the old pluse dial telephones the last hole on the dial starting from the to is a 9 thus the theoretical both the blind and those who were innumerate [ If they knew of course] could dial the emergency number. I note in modern NON touch screen/smartphones they have a reaised dot on the "5" key so maybe the new world wide number should be 555 :-) ;-) Tom
Porcupine 4 years, 5 months ago
A couple of thoughts. One. It is tough to argue with George Carlin's take on education. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNXHS...">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNXHS...
Two. We place a lot of emphasis on our own failed educational "system", yet acknowledge the greater importance of parental involvement in a child's education. Where is the parental involvement here? We could start by taking a survey to see how many books there are on the average Bahamian home's bookcase. Besides the "one". Then move on to find out how many hours a day, on average, our parents spend with their children. Were children given the incentive to learn, a true thirst for knowledge, would we have the results we currently have now? Given that science has proven that we are all created equal, what other excuses for our poor educational outcomes can be given? With that said, yes, the Bahamian government has failed to provide the resources needed to bring this country to an acceptable level of "thinking".
BONEFISH 4 years, 5 months ago
Minister Lloyd to me is one of the major disappointments in this FNM government.As a talk host,he appeared to know all the answers A FNM supporter made this comment on social media, Fitzgerald was a better minister of education. He had ideas and vision for education.He also strangely for a PLP politician,took advice from the technocrats in the Ministry.
sheeprunner12 4 years, 5 months ago
Newsflash ........... Politicians are not technical experts. They are policy makers. They are advised by technocrats (experts). Does the MOE have a pool of technocrats that can practically advise the Minister to improve our public education system (that caters to 70% of the students).
Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 5 months ago
The very thought of Lloyd as a policy maker on education matters is truly frightening !
sheeprunner12 4 years, 5 months ago
It is our fault as Bahamians that we have made these politicians "gods" over us ....... they are now the technical experts and policy makers, the sugar daddies and caregivers ......... from the citizens' cradle to grave.
Democracy ceases to exist when the State becomes a giant welfare system for its citizens.
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