So now that schools are ready for reopening next week it can be seen as good-timing on the Minister of Education’s part to clear the air on the LBGTQ issue, thus putting the parents, who were concerned, minds at ease. But with the awareness of information available on line, the challenge for parents today is helping young people to make the right choices. Someone may say that the word RIGHT is subjective and to this we agree. But in the scheme of things the story of man shows clearly that children are produced by and are placed in the care of adults who are expected to use experience and good judgement in raising them and while there are many religions, each with their version of the bible, the right remains right and the wrong – wrong no matter how we colour those words; and don’t they come with consequences? There is definitely some confusion in the world that young people maybe grappling to understand as they follow world news; this is also at the time when they are going through hormonal changes in their bodies which add complications. What is prudent at this time is for parents and guardians to pay attention to the minister’s questions -who will inform our children about the right values? Who informs them on how to make the right choices? Sometime ago there were reports in the news of providing computer lessons for adults in a bid to making them computer literate; this is a much needed tool in parenting to be on par with children in this technological era.
One could have heard the pain in the minister’s voice at the sitting of the Senate, as he referred to the chatters about the government allegedly having a plan to introduce an LGBTQ curriculum in schools come September. He expressed how he had to struggle to understand that for a number of reasons, because he does not understand what an LGBQ curriculum is. Anyway, that can now be seen as water under the bridge as he took the time to place on record that the ministry of education, nor the government is planning to change the curriculum or to introduce anything new. The minister also explained that there is no plan to change the law or legislation, contrary to what is being bandied about. Who have ears to hear should have heard when he said that the integrated curriculum that is currently in use, is the curriculum that is a harmonized CARICOM curriculum that has been adopted since 2009.
The document that maybe at the heart of the confusion was displayed at the Senate. It was explained that it is an international technical guide on sexuality education first published in 2009. Grenada signed on to this document under the stewardship of the previous administration in 2018. Teachers and guidance consellors were trained in 2019 under the New National Party. If anything has to be used from this book which is not on the curriculum, the minister said that it has to be adapted to meet the values, the cultural norms of the society to which it is applied. Minister Andrew would certainly know, because he was the Chief Education officer in 2019. So why not take him at his word?
Another area of concern as observed on radio phone-in programmes is the idea of printing a fifty dollar note in commemoration of our 50th year of independence which is not legal tender. Maybe somebody erred by not making it clear to the public from the onset, that the fifty dollar note is simply a souvenir. So this week we thank former minister Oliver Joseph, for raising the issue on GBN and clarifying that it cannot be spent like regular currency. The explanation was made even clearer by Terry Forrester when he called in to express the government’s plans to recoup the two million dollars set aside to make the souvenir fifty dollar note by selling it. He is even hopeful that the government would make a big profit on the introduction of the note.
Again thank you Mr Joseph for your patience in explaining your understanding that it will be a commemorative fifty dollar bill which will be printed and cannot be used for commercial purposes like the other regular dollar bills. The former minister also drew reference to the cost of making some coins which are no longer in use, by revealing that it cost more than five cents to create a five cent piece. Since the note will be a souvenir and souvenirs are most times costly, let’s not take it for granted that the special fifty dollar note will even be sold at EC$50 since it is not a regular dollar bill that can be spent.
However, the souvenir dollar bill should not be seen as sinister because each year we have noticed the commercial activities that private citizens get involved in by making independence souvenirs. Many items go on sale from broaches, to jewelry to clothing and most are not so cheap. So let’s continue to encourage and support creativity. The sense of pride we display on Independence Day, should be in us each day as we live as one people, one family; God bless our nation!
