It is indeed a very, very rare occasion that I get a chance to congratulate any politician in this country, no matter the party. One such occasion has arisen. Published in The Sunday Gleaner, July 19, it was stated that Minister Mike Henry took issue with the definition of the world 'Maroon' in the Concise Oxford Dictionary. So concerned he was that the definition was misleading as it did not reflect the true spirit and fortitude of the Maroons who defeated the British and earned their freedom, that he wrote to the offending party to have the misdeed corrected.

Acceptable conclusion

Mr Henry's letter, quite 'Fanonesque' in its tone, outlined the misdeed and spoke to the continued "miss-education of the Negro" as a result of such misleading accounts of things pertinent to the Negro. This is indeed an occasion to congratulate the minister and laud him for his leadership and insight in seeking to address an issue that distorts and takes away the dignity of a people who fought for their freedom. I hope the minister sees this through to an acceptable conclusion. Well done, Minister.

However, I could not let slip the irony that confronted me on the flip side of the page. I don't know if this was deliberately done by The Gleaner or it was just a rather poetic coincidence to place Oxy Moron's account of a Valedictorian's unorthodox address to his fellow graduates resulting from his lack of ability to read which spells a sad truth about many of our school leavers.

On the flip side

The juxtaposition on the flip side of Minister Henry's taking on the Oxford Dictionary has unearthed long-standing criticisms of aspects of Jamaica's socio-political history based on ignorance and illiteracy that continues to dog this country and its people; a socio-political history where pork barrel politics flourish on the ignorance of the masses.

Here we have a school leaver who will not be able to look into a dictionary and notice an incorrect (to say the least) definition of a word that should have historical and personal resonance; he will not be able to engage the critical thinking necessary to see the folly of the definition; he will not be able to pen a letter to such an illustrious institution to say you have wronged us and we would like this corrected ... but! he will be able to vote and may give his vote to the one who can give him more 'bling' at election time. Sad indeed.

We must change our education policies (not to mention the politics). Children are passed through schools based on years gained rather than knowledge gained. It should be the aim of every politician, showing true leadership, that not only a relative few, but all Jamaicans have the ability to pick up a dictionary, read, analyse and criticise.

We must let go of the pork barrel politics that is used to secure votes. Good leaders are not afraid to compete on issues and policies. Our leaders must be brave and move to an era where they are judged by their deeds and not by how many uneducated people they can dupe into voting for them.

I am, etc.,

Carolyn Graham

jamaica_shuga@hotmail.com

Kingston