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Make Ronald Thwaites education minister

Published:Wednesday | May 15, 2019 | 12:10 AM

THE EDITOR, Sir:

Suggestions have been recently made that Stephen Vasciannie be asked to fill the currently vacant position and serve as Minister of Education. There is no doubt that he would perform well in the job, but Professor Vasciannie has barley served for two years as president of the University of Technology, and has much work to do in terms of the objectives he has set for improving that institution. To ask him to leave now would be to short-circuit his aims and endeavours, and leave them in an unfinished state, wavering like a kite in still air waiting to plunge downward.

In the meanwhile, it is time that the Jamaican Government, regardless of the party in power, start to put national development above political expediency or bias.

Hence I cannot see how asking Ronald Thwaites to serve in the capacity as Education Minister can do anything but benefit all involved, most of all the country in general.

Apart from anything else, the JLP will be able to accurately claim that they have taken the gigantic step of “reaching across the aisle” in the benefit of national interest.

Mr Thwaites certainly seems to be the person best suited for the job, and I am suggesting that the Government ask him to fill the post.

Can we in Jamaica find a way to sacrifice party tribalism in the interest of national development, instead of the other way around which, unfortunately, is so often the case?

Maybe this could be a start in that direction.

DAVID ABRIKIAN

dpabrikian@yahoo.com