Take responsibility!

Fri, Jul 15, 2011

Editor: The P.M. should have let the Girls’ High School Examgate remain at rest. (Searchlight, opinion page- July 8, 2011).

The Prime Minister of SVG. Dr. Ralph Gonsalves’ 15-year-old daughter, who is a student at the Girls’ High School, admitted that she received a zero on a math paper test as a result of her ringing cell phone during a Math exam at the Girls’ High School.{{more}} Her cell phone was also confiscated because of a very clear public known, zero tolerance policy against cell phones in a examination room.

In the letter to the editor, Prime Minister Gonsalves admitted that he knew about the zero cell phone tolerance policies at the Girls’ High School. Then in the same breath the Prime Minister telephoned the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education to look into his daughter’s examgate. The prime minister’s phone call to the civil servant resulted in a letter from the Ministry of Education requesting that the Girls’ High School principal change the zero on the Prime Minister’s daughter math paper test.

Take Responsibility

In the letter to the Editor, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves claimed that his 15-year-old daughter used “Persuasive logic” on him. She is a good math student. She travels regularly with him overseas. Some teachers at the GHS are unprofessional towards his daughter. That there are political motivations to enforce the zero cell phone policies at GHS Examination Rooms – even when a student is caught with a phone – confused?

Finally – Accountability

The Caribbean musical genius from Jamaica Jimmy Cliff once wrote, “You can’t be wrong and get right, no matter how hard you may try”. I hope that Prime Minister Gonsalves would encourage his 15-year-old daughter to use less “Persuasive Logic”, not to travel overseas when school is in session, and use more common sense – not to bring a cell phone in any examination room – Period!

Randy Aberdeen