Which act do you think does more damage to future generations of Bermudians?

(A) Giving Permanent Resident Certificate holders the right to vote via the granting of Bermuda status

Or (B) Giving students a substandard education via the calling of unnecessary teacher strikes

I would attempt to answer this question by proposing that education is simultaneously the first line of defence and primary weapon against one’s adversaries.

Especially as a black male, it would be all too easy (and foolhardy) to define my adversaries as anyone who isn’t black.

A more realistic definition would be anyone who would seek to do harm to (or merely take advantage of) me.

My definition of adversary would include parent, teacher, politician, preacher … Doctor, lawyer, banker, realtor … Employer, partner, cousin, sister.

This is not some sign of paranoia, but a simple acknowledgment that throughout my lifetime, both “friend” and foe alike have been duplicitous and/or malicious in nature.

It is education, both formal and informal, that has protected me and allowed me to prosper even from mistakes that are entirely of my own doing.

So to be fair, I should also count myself among those adversaries.

There is much public data worth consideration.

The Census (and several other economic reports) reveals what level of income can potentially be earned by industry and job type.

You can also look at the cost of real estate to estimate what is within reach given your type of employment.

Additionally, the same reports disclose the basic costs of food and services.

Connect the various dots, and you will find that Bermuda’s highly-competitive two-pillar economy, and high cost of living, make education critically important.

Next, let’s complicate matters further by bringing a single child into the picture. The USDA 2013 Expenditures on Children Report estimates that the average two-parent home will spend $245,000 between birth and 18 years of age on a single child (excluding university costs).

I would expect that figure to be magnified in an expensive jurisdiction like Bermuda. Poor education also handicaps a parent’s ability to assist their child with schoolwork. The impact therefore isn’t purely financial — it actually becomes cyclical.

All of this brings us to education and inequality. The harsh reality is that no matter what the extent of discrimination that still exists, you don’t have a single hope in closing wage and wealth gaps unless there is equal access to higher income opportunities.

Modern history has clearly demonstrated that the more discriminatory a society, the more important education becomes. But even if you could snap your fingers and remove racism, sexism, homophobia, etc, it wouldn’t matter if you aren’t producing enough people who are educated for, aware of and ambitious about, higher income opportunities.

Given all of the above, you can figure out what type of education is required to support the kind of life you hope to have in Bermuda (or overseas if necessary).

So to answer this column’s opening question, when I look at the impact of education on job/career options, income opportunities, home ownership, wealth accumulation and child raising, my answer would be (B). And, it is my firm belief that education strikes should only take place after every single alternative option to striking has been fully exhausted.

We need to be honest with ourselves. Striking days before school starts theoretically takes time away from teachers who should be preparing for the start of the school year.

If preparation time is reduced, then this will negatively impact the quality of teaching when students arrive.

If paid overtime is required to make up for lost time, the education budget will be impacted. Consequently, we will have to do without budgeted needs or have to increase Bermuda’s debt. Last, but certainly not least, we need to consider if striking due to a disciplinary matter sends the wrong message to disruptive students.

To point out the obvious, the vast majority of public school students are of colour. Is this not then a matter of social justice? Where are the Progressive Labour Party, the Peoples’ Campaign and CURB on this issue? What’s the One Bermuda Alliance’s stance on teacher strikes?

Apparently, the Peoples’ Campaign isn’t marching, CURB isn’t issuing a statement, the PLP isn’t condemning the Bermuda Union of Teachers and the OBA isn’t revising labour laws to protect students from unnecessary strikes. Furthermore, the union’s and Ministry of Education’s collective failure to be transparent about this disciplinary matter, and thereby hold themselves accountable to the public, speaks volumes.

Can a disciplinary matter affecting a single teacher really warrant disrupting the education of thousands of public school students?

I cannot even begin to imagine how. While Bermuda’s political focus is on PRCs and other less critical issues, our national focus should first and foremost be on empowering the disadvantaged. So, when we hear “United we stand, divided we fall” who exactly are we talking about? Are we referring to the union, or are we referring to public school students who desperately need the best education possible to empower themselves and thereby address inequality?

bryanttrew@mac.com