LAST SUNDAY, the SUNDAY SUN carried on its front page an article titled Civil Service Unease. It alerted the public to the revised educational qualification requirements across the public service. This change has stimulated much debate and I would like to also make a contribution to the discussion.
Barbados is part of a growing and developing global community and it should be expected that as that community advances, we as members would adapt to complement those changes.
It is in this regard that I support the revisions made in the Public Service (Qualifications) Order as I see it as a means to raise the standards in the Civil Service and be relevant in the global community. That being said, I have some issues with the revision.
1. Timing
The article stated that the revisions were published in the Public Service Order 2016 in December, which would leave one to assume they were implemented with immediate effect. If this is the case, this move would be unfair and very insensitive to those who work in the public service as well as those hoping to enter it.
I believe civil servants and the general public should have been notified of the pending revisions, which should take effect, let’s say in 2020 (three years from now). This would give individuals who are interested in entering the service and those who hope to advance through the service, an opportunity to prepare themselves to meet the new educational standards.
If these revisions have already taken effect, it means there are many public servants who are at an immediate disadvantage and would be unable to satisfy the new standards.
The timing of this revision is bad and unfair to workers, but I am not surprised it was done this way and here is why. We saw a similar thing happen when the University of the West Indies (UWI) tuition fee was implemented.
2. Unfavourable conditions
Given the new requirements, current public servants and those hoping to enter the Civil Service are now forced to further their education, whether at the secondary level or tertiary. It is those who are required to have a bachelor’s or a master’s degree that I am very concerned for. The Government is requiring persons to acquire a tertiary degree but hasn’t created a favourable environment for them to do such; actually they have done the opposite.
Reports have proven what most predicted – that the number of Barbadians attending UWI has dropped significantly since the imposition of the 20 per cent tuition fee, which many Barbadians are struggling to pay.
I believe civil servants who are being asked to have a graduate and postgraduate degree, especially those in senior positions, may have children they are already supporting to acquire their education at the tertiary level. It is highly unlikely they will also be able to finance themselves immediately.
Last year, the Student Revolving Loan Fund was overwhelmed with applications from persons seeking aid to finance tertiary education and as a result, a high number were rejected. This reality makes the situation even worse since options for educational funding are scarce.
3. Perception of a hidden agenda
The Government has communicated that its wage bill is too high and needs to be reduced. Currently I think it stands at approximately $50 million. It would be political suicide for the Government to retrench public servants during an election year and no one expects them to do such, even though they need to make cuts.
Since the Government isn’t going to retrench workers, one strategy that could reduce the wage bill is to make it difficult for persons to enter the service after workers have retired. I am not saying this is what the Government is doing, but it can be perceived that way and the Government must be mindful of that.
During The Estimates, the minister of finance communicated that a few hundred persons retired from the service last year. Vacant posts will therefore have to be filled unless some of those posts are to be phased out. Since the imposition of the revised requirements makes it difficult for some to enter or be promoted in the service, it could mean a decrease in the number of people entering, or fewer persons applying to fill vacant posts due to an inability to meet the required standards.
• Corey Worrell, a former Commonwealth Youth Ambassador, is director of C2J Foundation Inc., a project-based NGO focusing on social development. Email: [email protected]
