A former government minister who played a very significant role in the development of the country's education system is prescribing the formula for extricating Trinidad and Tobago from its "moral and spiritual crisis."Dr Cuthbert Joseph who ironically served as a Minister of Education (1976-1981) is arguing for a fundamental revision of that system, the sooner the better, as a very important tool in steering the nation back to one of a caring society. He has put forward his very compelling, no-holds-barred case in his soon to be released autobiography entitled The Life I Recall; Other Pathways to Human Development.In tandem with overhauling the way we educate our population Dr Joseph, who makes it clear he is not defending the Opposition People's National Movement in which he served as a Cabinet member from 1971 to 1986, also wants to see the community development structure revisited as a matter of urgency.
"No. I am not defending the PNM, I am not defending anybody. I am concerned about what are the choices to be made by the people for our development irrespective of race, political allegiance, religion, social origins."We are faced with an untenable situation today of which everybody complains about but pretend it doesn't exist," he opined at his Cascade home.Although protesting the book is not about politics but rather a serious and invaluable compilation of suggestions for effective and new systems of education and community development, vital components for national development, it comes as no surprise that he does in fact give readers some very interesting political snippets.
Keeping Balisier's"old guard" away
One of them was being kept out of the party's frontline following its return to power in 1991 after the PNM's sound thrashing by the NAR in the 1986 general election. At that time the unofficial policy of the party was to keep the Balisier's "old guard" from anywhere close to the new political directorate.So with all his educational qualifications under his belt and having served in PNM administrations under Dr Eric Williams, Dr Joseph at age 60, in 1988, headed to the Cave Hill, Barbados campus of the University of the West Indies where he studied law graduating a few years later.Following this, he taught law in Port-of-Spain and with the "lifting" of the policy in 1992 he was made ambassador/legal adviser in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a position he held until 2002.Identifying the 15 years he spent as a politician from 1971 to 1986 as the most frustrating years of his life, Dr Joseph describes in vivid detail the turbulences he experienced during this time even though being a Cabinet member.
In a reflective mode, he said:
"I think this was the most frustrating part of my life. The vision I had for the development of Trinidad and Tobago, I was in no position to implement in a very meaningful manner."
Why?
Dr Joseph: "You were just an ordinary party member. When you read the book you would see what you were subjected to; you were subjected to almost total destruction...You submitted your proposals and nobody took you on.
"It did not matter who was the prime minister. So what do you do? You come out in the open and begin to misbehave? No! You had to have discipline.
"The book tells you all the frustrations you suffered.
"I have had five very satisfying, different reincarnations and the book is not about politics. It is about my entire life and there are certain threads that run through all the reincarnations and that common thread is service to community...service to community."
Facing up to challenges
Returning to the education theme, Dr Joseph recalled that when he took up the education portfolio in 1976 he started off by making an apology for what he found."I don't know how many people would forgive me for so doing, but it was a challenge and chaos. I took both up and turn it into something constructive."His stewardship at that ministry takes up the longest chapter in the book and in this segment he reviews some of the headaches he underwent-including dealing with the then shift system, the bussing of students into the junior secondary schools, proper disciplining of the students and an awards system for outstanding students.His tenure in 1976 indeed got off to a rough start because the original plan was that only 38 per cent of the junior secondary school population would proceed to higher education.
Dr Joseph recounted:
"So that in 1975, when parents realised that their children were likely to be sent home there was a political confrontation with the prime minister, Dr Williams."He was told by protesting parents: 'Not my child, don't touch my child.'"So he then appealed to all the schools to take in the 62 per cent. But having done that in June of 1975, they began to build nine senior comprehensive schools to take in the 62 per cent."When I got there only two were partially completed and you had students for six months...at least three months out of school playing pool and I had to deal with that..."
Problems that bedevilled educational system
The book, which traces his early childhood period in Siparia right up to the present day, he points out, has very interesting and important lessons for the entire national community, including the denominational boards.Dr Joseph concedes the publication tackles problems that have bedevilled the educational system and by extension community development over the years, and that these have grown worse over time.Isn't that a reflection of the failure of successive administrations in coming to grips with these issues?"I am not afraid to say that we failed but you have to put that failure in the context of the truth, and the truth is that you operate a democratic system."For example you would have a situation where you may want to diversify the system of education and offer places in schools that will cater for students with certain aptitudes."But there are parents who would state that they prefer the children to be sent to a school with traditional subjects and you could do nothing about that and that complicated the matter."
The Life Recall; Other Pathwaysto Human Development
Admitting that the decay in the society was very deep he however stresses that we cannot give up and the people had it within their power tomake the necessary changes."I mean look at the situation today; you have the communities gone, violence in schools. As an educator I shudder within my heart and soul. How could you educate people in an atmosphere of violence (voice cracking), how could you....one feels like crying...you understand? So you have to humanise the thing...it is hard work."But it is never too hard and that is why I say the important way forward is a fundamental and comprehensive revision of the country's education system and a fundamental new approach to community development."The present system of education Dr Joseph insists does not give enough attention to the marginalised in our society and one of the main problems with the system is that it has always been directed by a political motivation.The Life Recall; Other Pathways to Human Development identifies eight deficiencies in the present system and he is strongly suggesting we must think about these impediments and debate them.
Dr Joseph concludes: "That is the reason I have written this book. I am going to die just now and I hope it would be continued to be read by every parent, every student, every teacher, every trade unionist, every investor, every businessman, every banker, every priest, every politician because it is about human development...promoting the inane dignity of the human person with which we were all born."
His book is to be launched at the National Library in Port-of-Spain early next month.