July 19, 2004

Dear Sir,

As the first anniversary of my daughter's death fast approaches, please afford me the opportunity to express to your readers the depth of pain and anguish that I have suffered as a result of her premature passing.

On the morning of August 7, 2003, my daughter Tyaisha Nikida Cox woke up a little earlier than usual. As all mothers would know, time moves so quickly in the morning, and before I knew it Tyaisha and her brother were kissing me goodbye. The next time I would lay eyes on Tyaisha would be in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital. She was involved in a road traffic accident near the Purvis School.

In spite of the valiant efforts of the doctors and nurses, and all of the prayers that flooded the precincts of heaven for my six-year-old angel, the next day Tyaisha silently let go of the golden cords of life and slipped away.

I find it very hard trying to explain the loss of an innocent child. The untimely and tragic death of my beautiful angel has left me shattered, numb and in a state of emotional turmoil. In the days following her funeral, I was constantly overwhelmed with deep feelings of utter despair and hopelessness. Whenever I saw mothers with their children, my mind would drift back to Tyaisha. I felt like crying one long, plaintive cry, hoping against hope that it would purge me of my raw, hard-to-explain emotions.

My moment-by-moment struggle is to somehow search for the key that will allow me to open up and live. One day soon the feelings of pain and emptiness that ambush me everyday will subside. I suffer an ever-present loss. While Tyaisha lived a mere six years, they were memorable, eventful years that bring me comfort in knowing that Tyaisha lived a happy life.

Whenever it rained, Tyaisha would race to put on her swimsuit and play in the rain on the porch. Her girlfriends in the neighbourhood would come over to play with her in the rain. The tender, sweet sound of Tyaisha's laughter, and the constant pitter-patter of her little feet will never be heard in our home again. The few nights that I have been able to sleep since the accident have been flooded with dreams of Tyaisha. Most nights I cry myself to a fitful sleep, only to awake finding myself calling Tyaisha's name.

I don't know if the rules of grieving say that you shouldn't wish, but I wish that I could go back to that day and I would leave Tyaisha in her bed. Tyaisha passed away almost one year ago, but the pain of her loss makes it seem like yesterday. We miss her a whole lot. Admittedly, my feelings of pain and loss scare me after almost one year because they are so fresh and it appears as though I haven't made any progress.

Finally, but more importantly, is my faith in God. He is my rock and my fortress, in Him I will trust. Any gains made, any victories won, all praise must go to my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who has shepherded me through my darkest hours. I know for certain that sometimes he has carried me for days at a time.

I know this because when I look back I have to wonder how I made it this far? That's when I cry out ‘Praise God from whom all blessings flow'. Jesus will reunite me with my precious, loving daughter on that great getting up morning. I ask for all praying mothers to pray for me and my family during this very difficult time in our lives.

MARGRET MOOR

Yes, we should care

August 2, 2004

Dear Sir,

“High ideals are like the heavens, they inspire people to the highest possible good. High principles continuously raise the vision of the leaders and people alike.” - ‘The Art of Leadership', Oba T'Shaka

My righteous indignation has been stirred. It has caused me to put pen to paper and respond to remarks attributed to the Minister of Education, the Hon. Terry Lister. In the July 23 edition of the Bermuda Sun, it has been reported that the Minister said, “If he (Ahad) is doing the job and doing it well, whey should I be concerned?”

Why should he be concerned? He should be concerned because such a statement is the height of idiocy, absolutely ludicrous and total absurdity. All over the world, most school systems that are experiencing successful academic achievement from their students place a very high emphasis on their staff at offices like the ministry having the highest qualifications, namely a Ph.D. Only in Bermuda would people with Master's degrees be Senior Education Officers.

Why should the minister be concerned? How does he justify having Mr. Ahad, a foreigner married to a Bermudian, with questionable credentials, functioning in this high level job when born and bred Bermudians like Dr. Eva Hodgson, many other Bermudians and myself, in spite of having earned the highest qualifications in the field of education have never had the opportunity to function at such a level?

I taught in the public school system when the late Dr. Kenneth Robinson, a brilliant, eminent and astute educator and historian was the Chief Education Officer. He led by example and placed a high priority on teachers aspiring to the highest qualifications in the field of education. He surrounded himself with high-calibre people like Dr. Norma Astwood, Dr. Janet Kemp, Dr. Erskine Simmons, the late Dr. Iris Marsh and many, many other educators. I believe that while the late Dr. Robinson felt that qualifications were most important, they should also be accompanied by high morals and ideals, honesty, integrity, accountability, dedication and commitment.

Why should the minister be concerned? He should be concerned because many parents make untold sacrifices like mortgaging their homes and working two and three jobs so that their children can acquire the necessary qualifications needed for the job market. Students also make untold sacrifices and endure long, hard hours of study while burning the midnight oil. This is coupled with separation from family and friends.

Do qualifications matter? Is this why the Director of Student Services with a Master's degree in Special Education has four educators with doctorates working under her? Is this why the Director of Curriculum, Evaluation and Instruction only has a Master's degree in Counselling? Can we expect someone with a Master's degree to effectively channel her staff to produce an identity curriculum through African-centered education or will there be the continuation of applying the band-aid treatment to a failing system that was designed for the pacification, inferiorisation and servitude of children of African descent? Can we ever respect someone with a Master's degree to rise to the challenge thrown out by the late Amos Wilson who dared us to awaken the natural genius of children of African descent?

Let me hasten to add that while I strongly advocate that persons at the helm of education should have the highest qualifications in the field of education, I have had experiences with some people who have the highest qualifications and I have wondered about their qualifications because their performance was of such a low calibre. They lack professionalism and not only do they appear to lack knowledge about “old school values”, but they have contempt and disdain for these values.

Just recently, approximately eight Bermudians, for their own personal growth and development were rewarded with doctoral degrees. many of them achieved this accomplishment while still teaching every day. Now, in most instances, they are more qualified than their subordinates, there is the possibility that nepotism, cronyism and favouritism will occur. It has also been found that such leaders feel threatened by anyone who is better qualified than they are and they allow their personal vendettas to influence decisions regarding job positions. It has also been found that such leaders can become very arrogant, brutal, vindictive and vicious.

I can only conclude that this Education Ministry's ship has slipped its moorings and lost the direction of the ideological compass of a rich legacy of academic excellence handed to us by our former “true” educators. Maybe if Dr. Eva Hodgson, many other Bermudians and I were foreign with questionable qualifications, we would have fared better in our homeland.

MURIEL M. WADE-SMITH, PH.D.

Smith's Parish

Raising a big stink

July 31, 2004

Dear Sir,

Another Cup Match has come and gone. I went to the game on the first day. The $10 charge paid at the gate is for admission to the grounds and does not guarantee you a seat. However, there would be seats for everyone if people did not take up space with their three- to six-foot-long ice chests (only the fishermen have larger ones) - one for drinks and one for food; spread a large beach towel for their child to sleep; have their chair in one row and because the back of the chair is up against the row behind, no one can sit there. We complain that guest workers are not integrating into the society, but I observed many of them (and tourists) walking back and forth looking for a seat only to be told “it's taken”. The annoyance this year was the “f-t bag” commonly known as stink bomb. These eye-catching foil wrapped packets were being bought by little boys in particular and dropped behind or between unsuspecting onlookers. The packet would inflate on impact, pop and release a small quantity of liquid, the foul smell of which lingered for several minutes. Why would anyone sell these things? Sure, Cup Match is one big party, but that was not funny at all.

KEEN OBSERVER

Devonshire

Just messing with us?

August 4, 2004

Dear Sir,

On behalf of the Island of Bermuda and the world in general, I want to thank the Magistrate for putting me and millions of other people straight on the use of the “F” word and for articulating so eloquently the case for it being not offensive to swear in public and in front of Police officers. All my life, I have been under the mistaken impression that to tell someone to “f**k off” was in fact a vulgar and offensive statement. Now we are all the wiser for knowing that this merely means that I want you to leave me alone and that society generally should have a stronger stomach.

Have we found a new role model in our justice system or is the Magistrate just messing, sorry, just f***ing with us?

ASTOUNDED

Paget