Hon Fahie blasts Mr Walwyn over $1M wall but zero for classrooms!
The controversial Minister Walwyn had two years to get this matter addressed; however, he has failed to act and today has blamed it on lack of adequate funding by his own government.
In a media statement, Hon Fahie said, “one would find it strange that our Government has spent major money at times in a questionable manner but now we, the public, are being informed that they do not have sufficient or enough funds currently at hand to meaningfully invest in the proper implementation of the Sixth Form.”
Hon Fahie also defended his tenure as Minister for Education, as many critics of the unpopular Minister Walwyn said he operates as if nothing happened in education until he got to that office. The former Minister Fahie reminded the public that “our education system is one of the best in the world. I make no appologies for that statement because the record is there for all to examine. We have had more positives in our education system than negatives. Our education system continues to produce some of the best teachers, principals and especially students that have and continue to leave their positive mark locally, regionally and internationally. I applaud all educators.”
Walwyn up to his usual politics
Hon Fahie also blasted Hon Walwyn for always playing politics with the education system and in particular the Sixth Form addition. Fahie wrote “it was politically expedient to state, given the timing it was announced, that an extra form would be added to the school system at the secondary level so that after this present Fifth Form there will now be a Sixth Form. It also was the cheaper route to take that would seemingly yield public support. However, it definitely wasn't best”.
The seasoned politician, now on his fifth consecutive four year team in office, said “I remain true to the fact that the extra year should have been added to our primary division from the inception and avoid this current ongoing ever changing experiment with our children. Nonetheless, despite my aforementioned views that I am ready and waiting to defend at any time, the government had 2 years to prepare for this new initiative. Hence, the reasons now being given for not getting this implementation right must now be one of public debate, examination and one to be challenged because education is everyone's business. In life at times change is always necessary and with anything new there will always have some teething pains and bumps to overcome. However, unplanned change is worse than no change at all.”
$1Million wall; Zero for education?
Hon Fahie stated that "on another note, with due respect, I am shocked to hear that the money for the construction of the 80 classrooms/buildings is now an issue.” Hon Fahie asked “How can this be? Not after just spending a million dollars for the construction of an unbudgeted school wall just weeks before the 2015 General Elections. Not when the Minister of Education and his team sat there and watched the Cruise Pier Project go with over $30 million dollars from the public purse that wasn't budgeted for and said nothing to stop it in an effort to safeguard the public's purse. Correction; they did say yes to the $30 million over expenditure.”
NDP left country broke
Hon Faheie also reminded the public of the National Democratic Party’s (NDP) history of misappropriation of funds and leaving the country broke. He wrote “they did say yes for the needed funds to be taken from every aspect of the government coffers, including the funds from the loan for the East End/Long Look Sewage project. So now that the questionable significant unexplainable $30 million over expenditure of the Cruise Pier project is coming home to roost it is clear that it has left the government coffers extremely low on cash...simply put---NOTHING THERE! No money for schools. No money for the 80 classrooms. No money for health. No money for the East End/Long Look Sewage project.”
In his criticism of the failure of Minister Walwyn and the NDP leaving the country broke, Hon Fahie said “no money to pay the many outstanding vendors in a timely manner, or if at all despite the government now having a $25 million dollar over draft facility at one of our local banks. Although the intense public relations and fancy hard hitting speeches will make us think otherwise, our children and teachers are the ones now paying for all of this,” the statement reads.
19 Responses to “Hon Fahie blasts Mr Walwyn over $1M wall but zero for classrooms!”
Mr. Walwyn let the children graduate and don't say its to late or it can't be done because if you was able to cause this much of a mess you can certainly make the necessary changes or adjustments to make those children graduate this year. You just need to give them some kind of test to make up the additional credits that they need to graduate and hold a late graduation. They can still attend the 6 form at the college if they wish to do CXC and CAPE next year but you have to remember that many parents already made educational plans for their children before you came up with this 6 form idea and this will give them some options as to whether they want their children to attend the six form or go off to college, but without their graduation certificate in hand this is impossible. It is not fair to the children, the parents, the teaches or the country on a whole.
Many persons graduated from that high school without a 6 form and have gone on to be politicians, doctors, lawyers, teachers, directors, general managers, business owners, etc. My mother use to always them me if it ain't broke don't fix it.
Come on Mr. Walwyn you need to know when to say when..... LET THE CHILDREN GRADUATE!!!!!!!
Never had any ministry in government been so mismanaged. The cry comes from every office of government. Even the seniors down in the home getting abused by this government. Sometimes the workers don't even have soap to bathe the seniors with they just use water. Yeah! We built a pier park and now the children don't have toilet paper in school, and the seniors whose backs we stand on can't get soap to bathe. Yeah us! Vote is in again we'll keep more of our promises!!