Is education achieving its primary purpose in Jamaica?

My dictionary describes the process called education as: Training and developing the knowledge, mind, skill, character etc., especially by formal teaching, schooling and training. It also describes the educated as: brought up; instructed; constructive; furnished with knowledge or principles; trained and disciplined.

That being the case, for anyone or a child to be described as disciplined, he or she must first be ‘disciplinable’, which in essence involves disciplined and dedicated parents, guardians, instructors or teachers, and do not let out of sight mischievous friends and companions. 

To stretch the metaphor, all must first have “sucked the milk of human kindness”, since the first order of being disciplinable, therefore trainable, begins at mother’s breasts. That mother having taken up the role of responsible motherhood, must be the disciplined enforcer, backed up by a responsible and resolute father/provider/supporter in a family home environment, to ensure protection and stability.

To my mind, that is where human responsibility, first, and human rights so ardently group-advocated begin; otherwise their off-spring stands a chance of growing into adulthood exhibiting all the ugly and unbecoming traits of a human monster. And here comes an admonition: “Bring up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he shall not depart from it” And another: “Do not spare the rod [of correction—my emphasis] and spoil the child.

ROD OF CORRECTION

Last year this time, I wrote beseeching teachers [not teach-as or teach-es] as they so happily dub themselves, to make a light-year educational leap, by getting the children under their tutorial care to properly pronounce the words, Sat-ur-day, not Sat-u-deh; share, not shear, as in shearing sheep; which is sheer carelessness; and care not kiare---as church leaders, national educated broadcasters—sight and sound---university lecturers, parliamentarians and teachers to boot! continue to do. Teachers---would you be so kind as to try to make a difference this soon to begin school year? 

My drastic change: Back to cents

Were I a Jamaican political leader with the authority, I would revalue the currency by a very unusual and drastic method of reform. I would initiate a currency recall; put into effect a temporary legislation that the price of all items of commerce and real estate be frozen and divided by a factor commensurate with the quotient of the current devaluation with immediate effect; then issue a single dollar for every (whatever  the devaluation quotient is) of the total currency in circulation. 

Keep in mind I am not an economist, therefore the chronological order would require such wisdom. But the effect of my action would not effectively change the price or value of anything; only the decimal point would be affected. What my action would do is bring certain types of speculation that are devastating the country to an end; bring the current bravado talk of high figures of expenditure to promote political grandeur in line with reason; allow for some political sanity in quoting figures of true values instead of spurious nine-digit billions, thus putting back some common [cents] sense into our economic way of life and the way we manage our affairs. 

This will mean a show of guts; [not Phinns]. Do we have it? Sorry Mr. Editor; this paper would be on the streets for about 50cents, but still commensurate with your adjusted bank account. And the Jamaican school teacher who reads this would be further rudely awakened when his/her next weighted average pay cheque arrives, to discover that their societal value in Jamaican political eyes is less than a thousand dollars per month.

Microwave

By the way: Let me remind everyone who owns a micro wave oven possesses the heart of a radar transmitter in the form of a tuned cavity resonator called a Magnetron. It operates at a very high frequency, and is not as harmless as it appears. It may even influence adversely the reading on your newly-installed digital {stealth) electric power meter- 

jones714023@yahoo.com