Unified approach needed to tackle problems

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Jamaica is faced with some intractable problems and l believe that the two parties should cooperate in eradicating them. But no, that is not how the Westminster system works. When you’re in Opposition, you decry the efforts of government and have all the solutions. When you form the government, you give all the reasons for not achieving your goal.

The two major parties should cooperate in such areas as education, national security and health. The two parties are mentioned, for Jamaicans, conservative as we are, have regrettably shown little appetite for a third party.

Only 18 per cent of CSEC students last school year were successful in five or more subjects, including English language and mathematics. This is appalling. Jamaica’s education system is in crisis. But when honestly has it not been?

Both party administrations continue to draw the wool over parents’ eyes by sending their illiterate children to high school. It seems that at least a third of students leave Grade 6 illiterate or not reading at their grade level. When you send a child who is in grade 1 - 3 level to grade 7, that only frustrates the child, teachers and creates disciplinary issues. That makes absolutely no sense.

As regards crime, we have serious family problems in this country. When the parties have their constituency and party conferences, can’t they take some time off from haranguing their audiences to encouraging the men to be responsible fathers and their members to be good citizens, not abstracting electricity and the like. Oops! I forgot that this doesn’t win you votes.

Another concern is the 93,900 youth (15-24-year-olds) who are not employed, are not in school or undergoing training. This is a waste of human resources and often leads to negative activity.

As for our hospitals, so many individuals shouldn’t need hospital care. The shooting victims, the accident victims and people suffering from non-communicable diseases burden the health system. Can’t we do some more educating here?

These issues all boil down to education and good family life. If they are not approached from that angle, our problems will be perennial.

NORMAN THOMPSON