How can this desirable change be made?

Jan 26, 2010 Letters

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Dear Editor,
Every time I read about or listen to the uttering of individuals who have had the opportunity to attend a university (especially those who have majored in the humanities), I try as best as I can to evaluate and balance their point of view by juxtaposing it with that of the thoughts expressed by profound Barbadian writer George Lamming on the question of education and the intellectual.
And so, after reading the SN, Monday December 7th 2009, under the bold heading “UG Graduates Need Well Paying Jobs to Stay Here —Valedictorian”, a few thoughts crossed my mind which I’ll venture to share.
First, let me extend belated congratulations to valedictorian Loria-Mae Angela Haywood and all other graduants. As was reported Loria-¬Mae Haywood during the course of her address with much support from batch mates called for an “enabling environment cultivated by a responsive and responsible Government thus bringing about a sense of hopefulness among graduates”.
She further went on to state: “The past has been strewn with intelligent and qualified graduates emigrating to greener pastures merely to earn a decent living ……” But this is not just the graduates’ problem – it is almost the same in every department of work, except in the upper bracket of the privileged few whose thinking are no different from Ms. Haywood and are only here because their desires are being met.
But the big question that I put to Loria-Mae and her batch mates is how must this “enabling environment cultivated by a responsive and responsible Government to bring about a sense of hope” come about? How can this desirable change be made? Whose responsible/duty it is to effect the change?
Surely the change you are talking about is not for the benefit of some but for all people – our people, and of course you are so correct; the past has been strewn with graduates emigrating to greener pastures to make a decent living.
But that was and still is because like you dear sister they were/are occupied with self, first, second, and third, though some do have very plausible explanation to the contrary- the need for self development so as to better serve people/country, which is sound, but only a few have shown that to be true, give the bag a good squeeze and see what comes out, it’s all a question of possession of being well secured, and no one should be blamed for wanting to be so.
But invariably one becomes so secured in his/her material comfort than nothing else-no matter how evil matters.
Kindly allow me to quote from an article I had written in the SN March 191h 2009: under the heading, “The well being of a people depends ultimately on the Masses”: shouldn’t the coveted intellect of our men/women – in some cases gotten at the expense of the working-class – be expanded towards the services, protection and upliftment of the people?
Most certainly! But that in itself becomes difficult since the material wealth that binds them to the status Quo, controls their very act, hence they turn a blind eye to wrongs and injustices until things get out of hand and self threatening…” This is what self interest does.
Then when you become obsessed and consumed by it, you become silent, thus lending tacit support to unwholesome and questionable happenings before making a conscious decision to let things be, with flimsy subterfuge to soothe a troubled conscience.
And this in part is why we are the way we are today, this Loria-Mae is what most of our intelligent and qualified graduates, like yourself long, long time ago to now have helped to bring about, the very condition that you and your fellow graduates are now saddled with and which you are not prepared to endure – hence greener pastures, and this to my mind is need for concern.
I can remember so well quite some years ago attending a political meeting and hearing two prominent intellectuals bemoaning the quality of students that UG was producing.
Sadly from then to now it has not been that easy to detect a qualitative change in their outlook.
It makes me wonder whether UG students are thought what to think instead of how to think. Of what is the purpose and intent of education? A large majority of these students have elected to remain apolitical. Is our highest institution of learning, shaping, enriching and motivating young students to reach beyond self?
Why for over two decades this institution has not been able, even by a freak chance to spin out one beautiful mind, one single freethinking perspicacious revolutionary intellectual to make the status Quo stop for an instant to give a second glance?
I noted that you are an International Relations major who also won the President’s medal for the most outstanding student – good for you.
How would you repay your country with that distinguished award? In what light would you like the world to view your native land?
How do you see yourself in service of your country? “Whom does your labour serve?” Let not the colourful phrasing and rhetoric be just another set of words meant only to soothe the ears dear sister. And rest assure Loria-Mae, that once this trend continues in the next 10, 20 years, each succeeding graduating batch will be echoing your sentiments about the state of affairs, only by then it will be worse.
Frank Fyffe

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