The Ministry of Education recently launched the 50th year of universally free public education celebration.
The current Minister of Education Ronald Jones recently unveiled a plaque at the Ministry’s headquarters to celebrate the historic occasion.
In December 1961, the Democratic Labour Party was elected to office. The period prior to 1961 was characterized by a heavy demand of the education sector and expectations of the then party leader and Premier Errol Walton Barrow, National Hero.
We inherited a system of education that fits into the concept of “elitist.” This elitist system, we did not agree with and set about framing an agenda that said “equal opportunity should be available for all to achieve their fullest potential”.
We found among other things:
• woeful shortage of places in secondary schools;
• displacement of schoolchildren at the tender age of 14;
• poor conditions of school buildings;
• burden of school fees; and
• insufficient provision for teacher training.
Within less than a year of taking office in 1961, we saw the burden of school fees, lifted off the backs of many poor people – an agenda the Opposition Barbados Labour Party (BLP) of the day felt could not work.
The Democratic Labour Party has always worked against the elitist policies of the BLP across the spectrum of our public policy, and where necessary, we did what we had to do in the interest of widening participation.
This philosophy guided our Government to create additional places at the secondary schools through extensions at the older grammar schools.
In the period leading up to 1976, we constructed the Garrison School, St Lucy School, Ellerslie School, the Deighton Griffith Secondary School and the St George Secondary School. Plans were on the table for the construction of the St James Secondary and at least four other schools including the political football of the now Lester Vaughan Secondary School.
When we begin to contextualize our educational journey, the bumps in the road were smoothened out by the Democratic Labour Party, each time we came to office.
Our present tenure in office has also authored a reduction in the imbalances once again occurring in the education sector.
The current Minister of Education Ronald Jones has been on the job securing the increased opportunities through our education sector. He ensured that our children were afforded free travel on our public transportation.
The Democratic Labour Party wasted no time in constructing additional prefab units at the SJJP to ensure the expansion of the programmes offered and the intake of additional students. We have constructed the new auditorium at the much neglected St Lucy Secondary School. A new technology block was constructed at Harrison College. Two additional sixth form schools were added in our thrust to create more post-secondary spaces.
In response to the challenges of nursery and primary education, we constructed the Blackman/Gollop Primary School, Maria Holder Nursery School in St Thomas and Thelma Berry Nursery School at St David’s, Christ Church.
On the cards are at least six more projects to be executed to boost our educational sector. Our Government created the National Commission on Education which completed its first task of public consultation. Its current mandate is to examine the expired Education Act and make recommendations.
The mission of the DLP has not changed 50 years later. We continue to pursue an agenda which will ensure a wider participation in the education process while creating a platform for the future knowledge-based households as the next frontier. We are on the cusp of the second education revolution.
• Douglas Leopold Phillips is a pseudonym for the Democratic Labour Party.
