I want to extend my personal congratulations to Dr Archibald McDonald for the special honour bestowed upon him by the Medical Association of Jamaica (MAJ).

Dr McDonald was my doctor for approximately 30 years while I lived in Jamaica and he had the best bedside manner I have ever seen - a good listener who instilled a feeling of trust in his patients. Indeed, there was a standing joke between his first nurse and myself; the day I woke up so sick that I got to his medical centre at 8 am and, despite the availability of other doctors, elected to wait and suffer until he came in at 5 pm.

Dr McDonald, I am sure I am not the only patient to tell you - you deserve it. I know there are still greater things awaiting you.

- Veronica McLeary

vmcleary@hotmail.com

Miramar, Florida

The minister of education must be careful that he does not put the cart before the horse. It is he who has said that lack of leadership in the education sector is a contributor to the poor performance of students in the system. Hence, he must expect that parents who recognise this will want their children to attend those schools which, based on the leadership they see, will give their children the best chance to succeed.

Until this is addressed, the only fair way to allocate spaces in the secondary system must be based on merit. Other ways, similar to those employed in other countries, where feeder schools automatically send children to schools close to them geographically, would return us to the days when only the children of the aristocracy attend certain schools. Is this what the minister and his advisors want? No longer would the child from Trench Town or Mocho be able to attend Campion or Immaculate.

One of the things the minister must do is make every secondary school a Campion or Immaculate and then he can dispense with the meritocracy.

- John Gold

hafefah@yahoo.com