FIXING T &T ONE STEP AT A TIME

 Because we have a myriad of problems in T&T that seem to be incapable of solving, I am going to attempt (and 'attempt' is the most important word in this sentence) to try and solve them with appropriate suggestions beginning with what I think is our biggest problem firstly because I was always taught that if you want to solve a problem, go back to the beginning.

So? Where do our problems begin? Answer: with our education system which hasn't had a comprehensive revision since 1956!! Every single Minister of Education has simply tinkered with the system and nothing new has changed in more than 70 years. In addition, we show our contempt for teachers by paying them peanuts. I don't know exactly what the starting salary of a teacher is, but I think that it is around TT$6,000 a month -which is way less than US$1,000 per month! What do you expect when you pay peanuts to arguably one of the most important professions in the country? Put another way, if you are paying the teachers peanuts why are you surprised when all you are getting in return are monkeys?

And that is exactly what we are producing - monkeys! Only those parents who can afford or make the sacrifice to afford extra lessons have kids who are getting a good education. But wait a minute! Where are the teachers coming from who are giving the extra lessons? Answer: from the same classrooms where the kids  are failing! So what does that tell you? It tells me that we have good and competent teachers. 

What I would do is that I would TREBLE ALL TEACHER'S SALARIES immediately when they sign onto my new contract. In other words, if a teacher is making , say, $6,000 a month now he/she will get $18,000 a month and so on up to a maximum of, say, $90,000 a month.

BUT (and you knew a "But" was coming) if any teacher wants to get this new salary he/she will have to sign a contract agreeing to several new terms and conditions of employment. First of all, the teacher would have to agree that every year his/her work or performance would have to be subject to a performance review. If the teacher fails the performance review then he/she is fired without any compensation or any right of appeal.

I know that TUTTA will raise a stink about this. My answer to the Union would be no problem. The teacher can stay under his/her old contract and lose none of his/her benefits. But he/she will not get the new salary. In other words, if a teacher wants the new salary then he/she will have to give up his/her security of tenure and actually come to class and teach! And if the 'old' teachers want to strike, again no problem. Let them. But the 'new' teachers will get paid under their new contracts.

In addition, I would destroy the concept of 'prestige schools'. ALL the schools will have access to the best teachers and as a result, ALL the schools will be equal to one another. The benefits to my plan are obvious. That it may require some short term sacrifices (about 20 years) where we might not be able to do other things (such as fixing the potholes) is a given. But as our society slowly learns that we have to produce, and actually starts producing, things will get better.

The problems with our hospitals and our health care system also need to be addressed. And everybody understands that there are serious problems in our security services, as well as in a host of other places. I will try and give solutions in the coming weeks. But I thought that a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. And I regard fixing the education system as the first step.

You don't have to agree with me, but I challenge you to say where you would begin and what you would do. We need to stop relying on our politicians from both sides  trying to fix things. By and large (with very, very few exceptions) they have all failed. It's time for us - all of us - to start relying on ourselves.