Dear Editor,
This morning I watched the children on their way to school – a truly heart-warming sight. These were teenage boys, almost immaculate in their crisply ironed green shirts, khaki pants with matching khaki ties, carefully avoiding the muddy lakes on the road so as not to dirty their clean shoes and socks.
The children pass every day. The teeny ones, oh so cute in their pretty uniforms, girls with matching ribbons, boys smart and almost manly, all with lunch kits in hand and book bags on tiny backs, skipping happily as they hold their mothers’ hands or those of their older brothers and sisters. Then there are those in primary and like the teenage boys, those in secondary, reflecting the care, pride and hope with which their mothers get them ready.
They pass on their way to school and on their way home, most of them as neat and tidy as they were in the morning. I wonder as I see them, what happened in school that day, what were their experiences? Were their minds fed with the knowledge that will equip them to be the best that they could be? Were their hearts opened to the beauty and joy of being kind, honest, compassionate, considerate of others and dependable?
I have seen the children pass for a number of years and seen some of them grow from nursery to primary to secondary, always beautifully decked out in their uniforms, and it has broken my heart to see far, far too many of them leave school unequipped to make a meaningful contribution to their families or to society. Far, far too many of them fall through the cracks, being barely literate, unable to write or fully understand a simple sentence. Far, far too many of these, one of the greatest assets of our country, become liabilities, falling into lives that do nothing to build or uplift themselves, their families or society. The children go to school, but are they well schooled?
The Minister of Education has been given a gift – the gift of being in a position to reverse the downward spiral, and to make a significant contribution to this our truly wonderful country. An essential element in doing so is the motivation of our teachers; providing them with training, proper emoluments and incentives that would allow them to give of their best, so that in those precious hours the children are in their care, these children will be nurtured, encouraged and strengthened in environments that empower them to be their best. As I read once, “Each child is born gifted, but some open their gifts later than others.” The teaching, the environment should be such, that each child feels so valued, that the opening of his or her unique gift will be like the unfolding of the petals of a rose, beautiful and fragrant in the morning dew.
The Minister is young, enthusiastic and has a commendable track record as Minister of Human Services and Social Security; I give credit to her and her staff for the efficient distribution of the old age pension books. As Minister of Education, may she be instrumental in helping our nation achieve that great potential we are capable of.
Can we do it? Yes, we can.
Yours faithfully,
Joan Collins