Graeme Hall National Park Flyer In Circulation – Display One Now!

Corrie Scott created two simple and effective flyers to promote awareness of the need to develop the Graeme Hall National Park as the way to save the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary.  These image files can be printed easily from any image programme and are designed to fit nicely onto a Letter or an A4 Landscape sheet of paper.

Print one out and stick to the inside glass of your rear windshield, and then print out more and give to your friends.  Also, stick them on your notice boards at work and in any other visible locations.

Wherever you are – support Graeme Hall National Park and be a true friend of the environment and a true friend of the people of Barbados.

There are two flyers that can be downloaded here…

Graeme Hall National Park…

Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary…

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Barbados Seeks Closer Ties With Nigeria – How Much Will It Cost Bajan Taxpayers?

Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Barbados, H.E. Musa John Jen, is calling for direct airline flights between Barbados and Nigeria as well as business and cultural exchange. And what could be more natural for two countries that share common historical and family ties?

It all sounds so mutually beneficial and again, “natural” for Bajans to want to fill in this part of our missing heritage. Especially if we are unable to trace our roots back any further than a mis-named ancestor in the Barbados slave registries, there is a hole that needs to be filled on both a personal and a national level. That is why so many of us turn our hearts towards Africa and why some even consciously reject the parts of our history and culture associated with names like Horatio Nelson.

Nigerian Aviation - Exciting & Unprofitable

Time For A Reality Check

The Nigerian High Commissioner to Barbados recently spoke at the inaugural Nigerian Tourism Expo 2008 held at Hilton Barbados and his words made sense on the surface, but each of us should ask “How much will these plans cost me personally?”

How much are YOU willing to pay from YOUR tax money to support a direct air link with Nigeria?

How do we know it will cost you money? Simple… if a Nigeria – Barbados direct flight was economically viable, market forces would already have it in place. For those with short memories, may we suggest that the recent Ghana-Barbados direct air link debacle should be enough to make one pause before committing good money after bad to another tenuous Africa link.

In the case of the failed Ghana flight, Barbados is still stuck paying the entire cost while those who organised the scam whistled all the way to bank.

Our view: No more Barbados government money should be spent trying to push air links to Africa. The arguments of the Nigerian High Commissioner are emotional, and not based in fiscal reality.

You want a snapshot of the next five years? Try British Midland Airways ending Barbados service.

A Barbados to Africa direct flight in this economy? That duck will never fly on it’s own.

Discipline, Punishment and the Lack Of Standards in Barbados Schools

A Commentary on the Ministry of Education’s ‘Code of Discipline’

During a recent visit to the Ministry of Education’s website, I came across a document entitled ‘Code of Discipline’. As an avid supporter of meaningful discipline within schools, I was immediately interested in the potential of this document to impact the social and moral climate of our future (our children). However, after I read the document I became deeply concerned about the approaches we are taking to instil discipline in our youth.

As a pseudo-intellectual I sometimes pretend that I can analyse the philosophical nature of various issues. What struck me philosophically about this document was the failure to recognize that effective discipline should support the reduction of future wrongdoings rather than just penalise students for their current moral failures. Students’ development and growth is just as important as the punishment for their present misconduct. Neglecting to address this developmental requirement also creates the perception in students’ minds that the administration does not care for students’ personal growth. This creates animosity and an adversarial environment when we should really be striving for an environment of mutual respect and positive collaboration. While the document recognizes that we should create “responsible citizens”, it fails to address the transformational processes required to create such citizens. Furthermore, if the only thing guiding moral standard is fear of punishment by school officials, then once a student graduates what can they depend on to direct their moral compass?

Another major disappointment of this document is the lack of a corresponding Code of Conduct for students. It is common for disciplinary procedures to refer to a list of agreed upon moral standards. The document recognizes this by stating, “…students will be made aware of what their responsibilities are,” but then failing to identify those responsibilities. A Code of Conduct would be a simple and powerful mechanism through which students could agree to individually and collectively abide by a set of moral guidelines. The collaboration between students and administration in the creation of such a Code of Conduct will generate a sense of moral obligation within the student body, and will also act as a vehicle for further collaboration between the administration and students.

Spoil The Child

A further disturbing component of this document is the support for corporal punishment as a means of discipline. Even more striking is the disproportionate support for corporal punishment for violations like “Failure to do homework” or “Failure to bring required materials/equipment to class”. We have to ask ourselves what the reasons are for making corporal punishment an option for such morally inconsequential matters. We must also question whether or not corporal punishment should even be an option for any issue, regardless of the severity. Countless organizations and socially aware groups around the world have demonstrated through studies and research that the potentially devastating impacts of corporal punishment in schools far outweigh any conceivable benefit. In fact many governments have made this form of punishment illegal, demonstrating its inhumane and disturbing nature.

Cliverton Thanks David At Barbados Underground

A HUGE thank you to David at Barbados Underground for solving our font problems.