Gordon Robinson | Old BC – Queen Of The Bees

The Old Ball and Chain commanded another bee buzzing around in her Gilded Age bonnet to shut up while she took control of my computer.

Old BC : Sometimes I think Old Grey Balls lives on Mars. While warbling on about crosses, he ignores Jamaica’s most dangerous epidemic – poor education. He should know, lack of education is only a symptom. The problem is lack of planning. Governments don’t plan education. They let it happen. It hasn’t!

Old GB: Is there a specific problem, Light of my Life? Or you just in a mood?

Old BC: Mood? MOOD? What’s THAT supposed to mean? YOU wouldn’t like me when I’m in a mood! And while you’re playing male chauvinist pig, let me advise you, there’s NOTHING more insufferable than YOU in a mood.

Old GB: I’m just trying to find out what’s bothering my One and Only Love (obsequious smirk).

Old BC: ”There’s no planning or interest in children’s education. For example, Government is building a highway it obviously didn’t plan. To compound the thoughtlessness, it failed to prepare for road construction side effects.

Old GB:”Highway? I thought you’re talking about education?

Old BC: Oh, for goodness’ sake. How have you fooled so many for so long into thinking you’re bright? It’s all connected, you Dummy. It seems we build new infrastructure while destroying old but essential infrastructure. We’ve been building highways for decades. Surely, by now Government should’ve learnt citizens would need access to schools, offices, medical facilities, etc, during highway construction? Did they think about how children would get to school or return home? I couldn’t believe when I heard the Education Minister say we might have to consider having children rotate days they attend school so there’d be less traffic. Has she gone mad?

Old GB: You might consider lunacy could be an essential qualification for a political career. Remember, you insisted in inserting a clause in our pre-nup that I could NEVER enter politics? Now, about lessons that should’ve been learned, do you remember the Three Miles fiasco of 2018? Your friend Dwight Clacken was very pointed in his comments then:

“What’s happening outside is a lesson in incompetence at a very high level ... . The project manager has to be held accountable. If Government sits by and allows what’s happening to continue, then it’s not just a matter of incompetence, but a lack of care …

“My experience tells me any company that takes a big contract like this, works by what you call a critical path, meaning, they know what’s going to happen today, tomorrow, and next month. It’s all planned ahead. So this ad hoc blocking of roads is nonsense.”

Old BC: Yes, I did insist on that pre-nup condition, again proving where the brains in this marriage exist. And I remember Dwight’s remarks as his business suffered from similar callousness. To be fair, minister did say Government was considering options, including alternate school days. But again, why should ‘options’ include less school?

Our students are already way behind because of two years of online school. There’ve been reports of students lost to the working world in order to help parents pay bills during the pandemic. Some students didn’t have access to internet. Minister now wants to hold students back to build a road?

Old GB: I doubt low internet access had much to do with the last two years’ learning loss. Students weren’t getting an education for life anyway, so many used internet access as an excuse to get a better education on the streets.

Old BC: Whatever. Those now back need extra, not less school! What about adults going to work? Remember Constant Spring Road nightmare? Did Government think TAXPAYING citizens wouldn’t need to leave homes while a road was constructed? I’m outraged Minister could THINK this rotation foolishness was a solution. That makes it appear our children’s education isn’t important to her. YOU tell me the difference between this ‘rotation’ nonsense and locking children out of school for ‘improper’ hair-styles? Kmt!

Old GB (getting the last word as usual): Yes, dear.

Peace and Love!

Gordon Robinson is an attorney-at-law. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.