Heather Robinson
'ONCE TO EVERY MAN and nation comes the moment to decide'. That moment is now eight days away, and the delegates of the People's National Party (PNP) will determine on Saturday, February 25, who is the PNP's fourth president. For a handful of the delegates this will be their fourth election, while for a few more it will be their third as they were present in 1969 when Michael Manley was elected. For more, they were present on March 28, 1992 when Percival Noel James Patterson was elected. But for many and perhaps the majority this is the first time they will be placing an X on a presidential ballot.
There are many factors that are used by delegates to determine who of the four they should support, and ultimately place their X beside that person's name. Today I am highlighting education. The PNP from its inception always believed that the way to empower the Jamaican people after the granting of Universal Adult Suffrage (the right to vote) was through education. Some Jamaicans are old enough to remember when there were only twelve government scholarships granted to children who sat the Common Entrance. All this was changed in 1959 when Norman Manley and Florizel Glasspole changed the system to provide more scholarships for children to high schools.
TREMENDOUS SACRIFICES
The PNP has consistently worked to improve the educational opportunities provided through the building of more schools; increasing the number of high school places to over 50,000; increasing the number of places available at the tertiary level and some of us were privileged to have enjoyed the benefits of a free university education, thanks to Michael Manley.
All Jamaicans want to see their children get a better education than they got. To this end most parents make tremendous sacrifices to ensure that there is a first generation in that family that has graduated from a secondary and tertiary institution. Those who do not try to access all the support and help that is available are really just ' kless' (careless and irresponsible). Parents who attend graduation exercises for their children ooze and burst with pride at this significant milestone in their child's life, and can be heard whispering to the stranger seated beside them, 'Is my son that, you know'.
Four persons have been nominated and only one can get the job. Unfortunately there is only one prerequisite that the person had to satisfy in order to be nominated for the position of president. The individual must be a member of the PNP. So what criteria ought to be used to determine who is best able to continue the tradition of Norman Manley, Michael Manley and Percival Patterson.
PROBLEM
Firstly, in Jamaica in 2006 do I want the generation of young people who are currently in school to grow up believing that you can be elected to the highest position in Jamaica without having utilised all the educational opportunities available from the secondary to the tertiary level? We are already experiencing a problem with some young people who believe that their best role model is some
multimillionaire dee jay who earns his living 'singing' 'bugu bug bug', who never graduated.
Education prepares one in many ways for life. It provides an opportunity for a disciplined approach to issues and sitting to write an exam in three hours ensures that one's concentration span is up to the task. It allows one to organise their thoughts without the aid of anyone else.
Delegates must therefore determine who among the four has taken the time to prepare themselves for the task, not only academically, but also who has the best record of party work for answering the call. That in the words of that old hymn is: "the choice goes by forever, 'twixt that darkness and that light".
Heather Robinson is a life underwriter and former Member of Parliament.
