Dear Editor,
Growing up as a barefoot little boy in the dusty settlement of Spring Point, Acklins, I can always clearly recall my days at the one room white-washed with only one outside toilet and no electricity All-Aged School House. Mrs Vera “Symonette” Hanna, my grandmother was the headmistress and along with her daughter Velsheda ran the entire school. The Award of Merit for Education in 1996 was awarded to Mrs Hanna for working tirelessly for almost fifty years in that capacity as a dedicated teacher. However, as a little boy my best memories of her was her patience and no nonsense approach to instill a proper education in all of those who fell under her responsibility. “Learn your lesson” was often a strong reminder never to slacken up on the books. With The Royal Readers series being the standard textbooks, we would often read the story that in order to reach the top, “first you must climb the hill!” At night before I went to bed, Granny Vera made certain that under the dim light from a kerosene lantern, my homework was done and extra time was spent on reading. Under Granny Vera’s vigilant eyes, there were no short cuts or compromising substitutes to doing your work. Education was the thing, even though at that time I may not have realized it.
Next, I attended Queen’s College High School in Nassau. This is probably the first time that I started to notice the separation of those who were achieving and making an extra effort and those who prefer to be the class clown and distract the others. For the first time I notice that persons were being rewarded for their scholastic efforts. Being the top of your class or coming first in a subject, on Speech Day, you were awarded the incredible cash prize of a three ($3.00) dollar voucher redeemable at the Island Book Store on Bank Lane. It wasn’t until I started applying to college that the importance of good grades became crystal clear. To get into a good school or get a good job afterwards, one must have impressive grades.
At a competitive school such as the University of Rochester (New York) where I attended college, there was no guarantee of acceptance into a professional school afterwards. For success, a student had to be a cut above the rest. In particular, those trying to get into medical or dental school were literally required to be at the top of the class. A good education with the requisite discipline was an essential ingredient for those who wanted to do well in school, This is also true of those who aspire to obtain a comfortable and rewarding career. To be somebody in society, you need a good education. Compare that with the high rate of illiteracy by those detained in the Bahamas prison system.
I discovered the true meaning of education when I moved to Boston, Massachusetts. There engraved in the walls of the Boston Public Library were are the words “The Commonwealth (of Massachusetts) requires the education of the people as the safeguard of order and liberty.” Not only is education important in molding our character and rewarding us with a decent financially rewarding career, but also it maintains the very existence of our society. The Bahamas with its “D” average on its national exams must strive to do better if we as a nation are to improve and better our way of life. The Bahamian society cannot be one that is built solely on materialism, but one that is built on learned principles.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts takes Education very seriously. In fact, the number one industry in the state is education as there are more schools, colleges, technical training centers, etc here per capita than probably anywhere in the world. From day one the priority of education was established with the opening of the Boston Latin School (BLS) in 1635. A tradition of excellence was developed ab initio that remained in place for the next 370 years. The joke at BLS is that Harvard University was constructed a year later to accommodate the fine graduates of BLS who needed to go to College after high school. ﾠOver the years, BLS has produced some of the most outstanding and influential persons the world has ever seen. The endless list of alumni includes three U.S. Presidents, Ben Franklin the inventor of electricity, John Hancock the famous banker, Leonard Bernstein the famous conductor, Nobel laureates, scientists, politicians such as Joseph Kennedy, the father of President Kennedy, among a host of others.
The quality of a BLS education speaks for itself. Admission to this school is strictly by academic performance. Potential candidates who might qualify are invited to take a rigorous exam. Out of 4,000 who may sit the exam, only 400 are accepted. From grade 7-12, the government pays all expenses. A comparable secondary school could easily cost a parent $30,000-$40,000/year. The BLS often surpass even the most elite private schools when it comes to national exams or gaining entrance into top Universities such as the Ivy Leagues.
I will never forget the morning I took my son Ferdinand to take the qualifying exam. Some of the other sitting candidates came with their parents, grandparents, uncles, aunties, friend, etc as a moral support. For many, especially the immigrants, this was one shot at an opportunity they may have waited a lifetime for. Admission to BLS was a ticket to a good education and then a Good University followed by a good career. Words of encouragement or prayers on behalf of the candidate could be heard in some quarters. However, with only a ten percent chance of success, the odds weighed heavily against each candidate. You see, BLS is not for the good or even excellent student. BLS is simply for the very best. Despite the tremendous diversity in the student body with ﾠas many as eighty countries represented, the only common factor among these young geniuses was an affinity to learn. Drugs, antisocial behaviour, teenage pregnancy and other problems associated with other schools were virtually absent from BLS.
At my son’s graduation a couple of weeks ago, the Valedictorian gave the shortest speech I have ever heard at a graduation. She basically stated that the fact that you made it through six years of BLS demonstrates that you are already inspired, focused and determined with your goals in life. Virtually one hundred percent of these graduates go on to an institution of higher learning.
The headmistress is a petit woman ﾠwho possesses a giant personality. Every morning albeit wind, rain or snow, she is at the pedestrian crossing to greet every student. She is like E.F.Hutton, whenever she spoke, everyone listens. She reminded the graduates of two things. The first is that in whatever you do, do it with ethics and integrity. Secondly, “make me proud of you!” BLS is a part of life’s journey, ﾠyou sacrifice, persevere and now triumph!
At the awards ceremony, I felt like the person in the shower spending the night at the Holiday Inn Express-smart! This is definite proof that education pays as tens of thousands of dollars was given to deserving students who had performed par excellence. Four students hit the jackpot and collected one hundred thousand dollars or more. Others by winning multiple prizes also accumulated a decent amount. My son Ferdinand who had finished in the top ten of the graduating received the IBM President’s Award for performance in Computer Science.
The Bahamas needs to follow the BLS model and provide the necessary resources for our brightest minds to unleash the vast potential in a positive way. Education is the thing!
Yours sincerely,
Dr.Leatendore Percentie D.D.S
Boston, Massachusetts
June 27th,2005
P.S. Congratulations to my nephew “J.J” Roberts ﾠwho on May 1st 2005 graduated number one in the class from Saint Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. His name is now prominently displayed on a trophy among others who had previously graduated top of the class from that institution. One name that caught my attention was Brian Mulroney ’60, the former Prime Minister of Canada.
