THE EDITOR, Sir:THE CURRENT teachers' salary dispute is not new and has shown some intensity since the mid-1970s. It appears as if the importance of education has become less and less over these years. The economic conditions have not helped in erasing this perception.
Education is not seen as the road to better and more satisfying life. It is no longer the road to social mobility. Migration, hustling, political connections and drug dealings are more important vehicles for social and economic advancement than a good education.
In the early days of our modern history, education was the way out of poverty and the ordinary people placed a great value on education. The reduced status of education is the primary reason for the teachers' salary disputes over the years. The Jamaican governments can get away with treating teachers as they do because the Jamaican people are allowing the government to do so.
To illustrate this point, I will use the example of two politicians with the same amount of resources to develop their constituency. Politician A decides to spend most of these resources on education. At the end of the five-year term, the students in the constituency showed marked improvement in their educational achievement, including scholarships to leading institutions of higher learning.
Politician B, on the other hand, spends the resources on popular projects, unproductive jobs, food stamps, housing for the political supporters and give-aways for all kinds special projects.
At election time, the politician who will be the clear winner is not the education politician, but the social welfare politician, the give-away politician. Education was not something that was tangible, the people could not see the value of the improvements in their children's education. They can relate to the free gifts, the jobs, the house, but not education.
In the old days we could. The advent of political corruption, hustling and illegal drug trade has transformed the Jamaican people's attitude towards education to one of ambivalence. The Jamaican politicians are riding on this and will continue to win elections and govern no matter what happens in our educational institutions.
I am, etc.,
DENNIS FRANCIS
Denafranco55@hotmail.com
Poughkeepsie, New York
Via Go-Jamaica
