Livingstone Thompson, Guest Columnist
DAWN RITCH'S broadside against P.J. Patterson, the People's National Party (PNP) and people with advanced degrees in last Sunday's Gleaner (June 26, 2005) was really a smokescreen. Like her counterpart on radio, Wilmot Perkins, her concealed intention is to undermine the credibility of persons who have pursued further education. Perkins does a similar thing. He attacks the University of the West Indies (UWI) for claiming to contribute to the development of intellectuals while Ritch attacks the PNP for claiming to appeal to intellectuals.
On the one hand, Perkins claims to be calling attention to the poor performance of UWI, notwithstanding its ventures and the measurable outcomes. On the other hand, Ritch claims to be calling attention to hypocrisy in the PNP for its desire to attract people who have pursued further education into its ranks. These attacks, however, are of the same kind. They are designed to undermine the credibility of institutions that emphasise the value of further education and of the individuals who claim to have pursued it. Both Ritch and Perkins know that their own intellectual prowess is not verified by calling attention to apparent weaknesses or failings of others.
VALUE OF EDUCATION
The value of education and advanced training to the well-being of the economy cannot be gainsaid and there is no need to make a caricature of local interests and institutions. Indeed, organisations and institutions should be encouraged in their ventures, not laughed at. There are many countries that are reaping the sweet reward of giving unapologetic priority to further education. For example, over 40 years ago, the Republic of Ireland invested heavily in further education. They expanded access to third-level education, thus creating a highly-skilled labour force. Today, the world's leading pharmaceutical companies and all the world leaders in computer manufacturing are based in Ireland for both research and production. The economy is growing continuously with an increasing demand for labour. In an attempt to improve the rate of literacy in the adult population, the Government offers incentives to those returning to education. One consequence of this priority given to education is the movement towards a completely literate population, which is less costly to govern. For example, I was pleased to see that for the population census in Ireland, the heads of households were expected to fill out the forms and have them ready for collection. No one sat with householders to have them fill in answers to basic questions.
It would seem too that India, despite its squalor and poverty, has also been able to focus on the creation of a highly-skilled labour force, which is being sought after today. The point being made is that the knock-on effect of an educated population is extensive and of significant economic value.
For this reason, I was saddened by the absence of reference to education and educational institutions in the speeches made overseas recently by the Prime Minister and his deputy. Prime Minister Patterson was addressing business people in China about business opportunities in Jamaica, while Mrs. Simpson-Miller was addressing the Jamaican diaspora in New York about her vision for Jamaica. However, neither of the two zeroed in on the role of education. Naturally, everything cannot be said in one speech but the absence of the reference to the role of education is, to my mind, telling. (Incidentally, Mr. Seaga seemed also to have missed the role of education and educational institutions in his recent attempt to characterise the next Jamaican brand).
Despite what Ritch and her friends may think, further education and an educated population will always be critical in Jamaica's development. The recent mention of the involvement of the University of Technology (UTech) in a worldwide research venture in entrepreneurial research is commendable. It is an example of the critical role that educational institutions play in fostering economic activity.
The National Commercial Bank and Digicel are set to sponsor UTech's involvement in the worldwide project, which is to involve several leading institutions around the world. In the Republic of Ireland, the link between industry and academic research has resulted in the patenting of products for commercial production on an ongoing basis. The discovery of new and unique products is no longer sufficient. Their commercial value needs to be demonstrated, which is the value of the link between the classroom, the laboratory and the plant.
ICONOCLASTS
Ritch and Perkins are leading a cadre of persons who are fixed in their gaze on the worst aspects of the nation. They obviously serve some good but it is amazing that they never see performances or developments worthy of mention. One can only assume that they understand themselves as iconoclasts, with no interest at all in building up. They are here to tear down, to expose the blight and to show the hypocrisy. Let those who wish to build do so. That is not a 'Ritchian' or a 'Perkinsian' project. Building is not their job. Since they believe they play a valuable role, given their persistent presence in the media, let us grant them that, even though it is hard to see their value beyond self-mutilation. Let us allow them to press on, in the hope that one day those who are blind to their value will come to appreciate it.
Rev. Dr. Livingstone Thompson is former president of the Moravian Church in Jamaica. He can be contacted at livingstone.thompson@oceanfree.net.
