IN FOUR DAYS, residents will attempt to form a human chain around most of Barbados. Though there is some information about the activity on Facebook and the official website, there are still a few questions or concerns that I was unable to find an answer for.
Children and teachers are expected to participate in the human chain activity since it is a regular school and working day.
Parents at some schools are being told that they or a family member are responsible for transporting their child to and from the designated spot as transportation will not be provided, and must remain with them throughout the activity.
My concerns are:
1. What about those teachers who are also parents and have to attend with their child or children? Will they be allowed to accompany their children, or must they report to work?
2. Since some schools are not providing any transportation, how will parents who don’t have transportation be able to take their children and return them to school in a timely manner, especially in cases where the spot isn’t on the school’s bus route? Would it be okay for them to take their children home instead?
3. In the event a parent has two children at separate schools, would it be acceptable for that parent to take both children to the same spot, as that would be easier?
4. Are there areas designated for parking to accommodate buses and the vehicles of parents, teachers and the public who will be taking part? The official website advises parking off the road, but that can lead to many complications, one being the blocking of entrances to homes.
5. The website states that all roads on the chain link route won’t be closed but some will be made one-way. Has it been decided which roads will be one-way and if yes, will that information be communicated to the public so motorists and people who take the bus can plan accordingly?
6. The Transport Board will provide transportation for some schools. Will the public receive advance notice of which bus routes (if any) will be affected by the diversion of buses to schools?
If you are interested, it isn’t too late to register to participate in the human chain. It is estimated that 92 000 people will be needed to make the link possible; only about 51 000 have registered.
National Development Scholarship
This year I applied for a National Development Scholarship. I was also fortunate to have been shortlisted for the interview process, which I attended in July. While in the meeting I inquired when shortlisted candidates would be contacted to find out if they were successful and I was told mid to end of August.
I contacted the Ministry of Education various times in August and September but in September, I was told that shortlisted candidates would get word by the end of the month, which came and went.
During the first week of October I called again and inquired about the scholarship and was told that I wasn’t successful and would get a letter in the mail. That letter arrived on Thursday, October 27 and was dated October 10, if memory serves me right.
During that call in October when I was told I was unsuccessful, I asked how many candidates were successful and was told that information could not be shared. Another shortlisted candidate contacted me and shared that they were unsuccessful and that they knew of two others who weren’t successful either.
This is the end of November and I could be wrong, but I have not seen any official statement via the media or the Barbados Government Information Service website identifying who, if anyone, was successful in attaining a National Development Scholarship this year, and which areas of study they will be pursuing.
Given that persons were contacted in October and most overseas university programmes would have been in full swing, if there were any successful candidates, I am wondering if they were able to actually attend their universities for the 2016/17 intake.
In 2011 and 2012, successful candidates were announced in the media in August, and in 2015 in July. To my knowledge, there wasn’t any announcement in 2014, though candidates were successful.
• Corey Worrell, a former Commonwealth Youth Ambassador, is director of C2J Foundation Inc., a project-based NGO focusing on social development. Email: coreyworrell@gmail.com