Technical training

The Human Rights Commission has taken umbrage with a story The Royal Gazette published quoting technical training advocate Michael Stowe.

In the story, Mr. Stowe said that based on his experience, the majority of Bermudian males have a high technical aptitude, and by extension less of an academic aptitude. He went on to say that the lack of a technical school in Bermuda meant that these talents went unfulfilled, and that is at least part of the reason he is starting a technical skills centre.

It may be that Mr. Stowe – and he has a right both to his opinion and to express it – was not as exact in hs comments as he might have wished to be, because the story does at least infer that Bermudian men are not as academically able as females.

It is that idea that the Human Rights Commission is unhappy with, because it believes that this could create stereotypes that are both demeaning and unproven by research.

We agree and it is highly likely that Mr. Stowe does too. What is not in dispute, and where we agree with Mr. Stowe, is that not all males (or females) have an interest in, or aptitude for, academic careers and it behoves the community to have technical training opportunities for them.

Nor does that mean that people who are academically successful should turn their backs on technical training – a person with both academic and technical aptitude is likely to build a highly successful career or business in Bermuda.

Nonetheless, the major point is to avoid stereotypes of all kinds. There is no doubt that in recent years, females appear to have been more successful academically than males in Bermuda and this should be a major concern. There is evidence of that in graduation figures, and, more anecdotally, in pictures of scholarship winners and the like.

That does not mean that females are more academically inclined than males. What it may mean is that cultural influences and peer pressure steering people away from school are greater for young men than they are for young women. If that's the case, then work needs to be done to stop that.

At the same time, young people who do show technical aptitude need to be encouraged to expand their knowledge, while it should also be made clear that technical training is not somehow less valuable or important than academic training.

Marine Police

Controversy is raging over two stories concerning the Marine Police. It should be said at the outset that the Marine Police generally do a good job, often in difficult circumstances.

But reports that officers either have not been trained in CPR and that their CPR accreditation has lapsed, is concerning, given the strong likelihood that they will be called on to assist in medical emergencies at sea. The public deserves straight answers on this.

Secondly, the fact that the Guardian, which cost the taxpayer $1.7 million, was hauled out of the water before Hurricane Bill is mind-boggling.

This vessel has been a white elephant from the moment it was bought. It is not fit for its role and its size means that the small Marine Police service cannot crew it properly. And now it is taken out of the water before a storm. Does this make any sense?

The late US Senator William Proxmire used to hand out "Golden Fleece" awards for the best – or worst – examples of Government waste. The Guardian would be a worthy recipient.