Thursday, March 28, 2024

AWRIGHT DEN: I am concerned

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I love my country. Actually, I think that we as a people have been really blessed over the years to have a stable country that is free from war, dictatorships and famines. We have been blessed with generally good leaders regardless of which political party was in power.
We have been privileged to experience free health care and education, something that many people around the world are still fighting for.
We as a people have come quite a long way, but there is so much farther we have to go. As I go to work, travel the highways, frequent business houses, talk to people, visit restaurants and supermarkets and read the newspaper, there are quite a few things that concern me.
I am concerned about those PSV (public service vehicle) drivers who drink alcoholic beverages while on the job. On numerous occasions, I have seen this: a ZR or minibus driver pulls up outside a “rum shop”; the conductor jumps out, runs inside and comes back out with bottles of Guinness, Heineken or Banks Beer for him and the driver to enjoy. I must say that I have never seen a Transport Board driver do this, but I have witnessed them, on completing their route, park their buses and go in a “rum shop” for drinks. I have witnessed some of them drinking strong drinks like brandy and rum.
It is evident that some of our PSV drivers see nothing wrong with this action as they continue to drive these vehicles under the influence of alcohol with our children and family on board. I know some people can hold their liquor well, but alcohol has the ability to impair one’s judgement.
I am concerned about the number of students who are failing academically in our schools. Many of you may not be aware of this because you don’t have access to the information and you are not teachers. We have a serious problem in our schools, and it seems like no one wants to discuss it or make the public aware. Our education system has served us well over the years, but if we are to be relevant in the future, there needs to be an urgent overhaul.
We taxpayers pay for this education, which makes us shareholders. I believe we all should know the results of our investments. I am asking the Minister of Education to publish in the print media a statistical breakdown of the percentage of passes and fails along with the number for grades 1 through 6 for all subjects at the CXC level for ALL secondary schools.
I leave you with the number of students who passed the CXC mathematics exam from three local secondary schools; 20 per cent, 12 per cent and 40 per cent. I was told that across the entire region only 33 per cent of the students passed.
I am very concerned that the workday for the majority of employees ends at 4:30 p.m. but commercial banks close at 3 p.m. This makes no sense to me. Thank God for First Citizens in JB’s Supermarket. I know people will tell me there is online banking, but you can’t do everything online.
• Corey Worrell is a former Commonwealth youth ambassador.

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