SUMMER IS OFFICIALLY over so that means it is back to school time for all students. This also means new shoes, uniforms, bags and books, which means more small loan applications being sent into the bank ’cause dese tings ain’t cheap.
People does be in town like ants de week before school as if dem ain’t had months to shop. But when yuh study it, that is a small price to pay for education, especially the type of education that we get here in Barbados.
I mean, just think ’bout it. Look at how prepared you were for adulthood after you went through secondary and tertiary school.
Outside of being able to socialise with different people and work with persons that you may not like (this is learnt through group projects), you picked up a lot of day-to-day survival knowledge. If you doubt me ask me.
You remember that class that taught you how to properly and effectively file your income tax? The class that broke down the form and explained what all of the terms meant, and gave detailed explanations of penalties that can be applied if yuh don’t file. Wait, no that wasn’t a class, okay next.
Ort, I got one: you remember that class that taught you about mortgages? I think I remember them telling yuh how much assets you had to own in order to qualify for specific amounts of mortgages, dem even tell yuh ’bout closing fees and dem tings. Wait, what, that wasn’t a class? Lemme try dis again!
Of course there was a class about life insurance and pensions and the advantages to owning dem, especially as it relates to mortgages. No, that wasn’t a class either?
So wait what I was really doing at school? What was it I was learning all this time? You mean to tell me that outside of the basic maths and English da ain’t nutting of use that I learn? So you mean all the time when I was asking my teachers how all of the different theories were going to help me when I got older I wasn’t wrong for asking?
You know what uses to annoy me? Every class de maths teacher want yuh find X. My ting was that if he couldn’t find his X, that meant that she did not want to be found. Clearly he had issues with letting go.
Then he gave us questions that had in nuff letters and a pie ting. I wasn’t sure if I was doing home economics or English.
To be honest, though, I am grateful for the education I received. I just wished they prepared me for the real world.
I am Toni-Ann “Acka” Johnson. Love, peace and Mazola Corn Oil.
• Toni Johnson is an actress versed in the area of comedy. Email: [email protected]
