Today's noted critics of Jamaica's education system, like Peter Espeut in his most recent column, for example, readily know where to point the finger of blame, or so they think, but seldom waste much time offering detailed solutions. It's so much easier to complain, I suppose, a fact that I as a former teacher know all too well.

When I read Espeut's personal story, I am reminded of a friend, a successful local businessman, who took full advantage of his educational opportunities only eventually to complain, oh so loudly, about its shortcomings, pointing fingers at the very system that he was so triumphal in overcoming.

The system wasn't fair. It didn't challenge him enough and, of course, far too many teachers were morons and it was all the fault of the teachers' unions. With his protest duly noted, then, he launched himself off, having achieved success in spite of the system's incompetence, into a world where his particular advantages, of course, allowed him a measure of stature above that of his fellow man, not realising that he himself was still a product, even in his childish rebellion, of the very system with which he found so little favour.

lack of development

As the years went by, he relished his defiant, successful self-image. And still couldn't quite understand why there was so much lack of development and maturity in the education system he also allowed his children to play a part in, never being forced to pay much attention to the same sort of shortcomings in himself. In fact, never having to turn the mirror of critique upon his own story and guilty participation as a tool to add a greater level of humility to his own accomplishment, quickly decrying those who might try to do so with a loud, self-righteous protest.

Odd, isn't it? Espeut, then, it seems, because of that very education he finds so much fault with, would become something of a literal and verbal 'Robin Hood' of the education system, a 'critical archer' of noted esteem who would somehow steal self-aggrandisement from the semi-educated masses and eventually give it away so nobly and freely to the poor, at least on paper.

I am, etc.,

ED McCOY

mmhobo48@juno.com

Florida