For those socioeconomically deprived, the options for social mobility are limited to one- An education, which may provide a poverty escape for the minority. However, for the vast majority, failure is gifted by an Education System, consciously blinded to their needs. That said, in the privileged, the route to success is less tortuous, if at all, on account of daddies’ chequebook, name recognition, and a PPP that has irrefutably transitioned aristocratic.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
However, that observed isn’t a new phenomenon, for the travails of the socioeconomically deprived, 1943 documented in an Abraham Maslow’s paper, The theory of human motivation, articulated the explanatory framework, Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. For the framework postulated a dependency of motivation on satisfied human needs, stratifying said needs from the most basic Physiological, to that of Self-actualisation. Moreover, Maslow postulated a link between the aforementioned needs, such that in an unfulfilled lower order need, progression to the subsequent higher order need, is precluded.
Thus, in the context of education, a child food deprived, of unsatisfied Physiological needs, wouldn’t be learner motivated, unless those physiological needs are satisfied. Likewise, a child in an abusive home, would be of an unsatisfied Safety needs, therefore in perennial fear, motivation for learning is nonexistent.
Nonetheless, that experienced today is a uncaring PPP without a plan, evidenced by inaction, despite Maslow’s Hierarchy decades recognised, compounded by an increasing cost of living. Nevertheless, with pervasive poverty, political point scoring is on display, recently presenting a brainless school feeding quasi-document, on the backdrop of an unimaginative misnomer, Because we care. However, from all appearances, their Education tsar, tardy more befitting, of name Priya Manickchand, haven’t evolved the toddler predilection of engaging mouth first, with brain an afterthought.
So, in a state of perennial cognitive absentia, she filled the air with the most teratogenic hogwash, announcing to a bewildered civilised world, PPP in the first of its kind, will be implementing a School Feeding Programme, in selected regions. Thus, of such unending buffoonery, the masses erected a slogan of their own, whom the Gods would destroy, they first make PPP buffoons. For these buffoons held power, 25 of the last 30yrs, with the Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, Noah’s old, yet in a state unbelievable, they announced a very belated School Feeding Programme, as if it were their de novo conceptualisation.
Notwithstanding, with PPP renown pathological liars, their assertion had to be lie detector scrutinised. Where of no surprise, it registered flashing red lights of another shameless lie, with notification, APNU+AFC had a prior School Feeding and Transportation programme. Then to mouths agape, we learnt that some children will suck salt, while others eat of the questionable quality PPP meals.
Thus, the unanswered question is, how was the salt sucking and food eating cohort selected? Of which, the predominant theory is, the very computer algorithm used to allocate the 11000 longed promised computers.
Education and crime
Nevertheless, my childhood years we revisit, depicting one where crime and criminality were pervasive, providing us an incomparable street education. For most of our mates, undeniably intelligent, were unable to escape the Maslow’s Hierarchy Physiological need, and the consequential premature school termination. Thus, with Physiological needs paramount, employment they sought, undertaking menial jobs, resigning themselves to lifelong poverty. However, there were a few, who having experienced the pangs of childhood poverty, chose crime as an avenue out of their hell. Which mean, of this pattern pervasive, crime isn’t always driven by greed, rather it’s a complex interplay of the socioeconomic and psychological.
Nonetheless, such rationalising is beyond PPP, thus with an oversimplification of crime underpinnings, they’ve presented an oversimplified but murderously unconstitutional extrajudicial killing, as a solution. However, such will fail, and has failed, since extrajudicial killings only address the symptom of a complex pathology. Moreover, with every alleged bandit State murdered, hundreds of a long queue, await to fill the vacancy, since the Education System is maintaining a constant supply.
But now more Rubik’s Cube complex it has become, with the Exxon Oil discovery, exposing PPP anti-Black agenda. For undeniably, these our resources should be equitably distributed amongst our One People, One Nation and One Destiny. However, that’s not our experience, as PPP of arrogance and unveiled racism, have excluded mostly Afro-Guyanese, from the table of development.
Thus, the consequence is most predictable, a widening chasm between the haves and the have nots, vis-a-vis widening Socioeconomic gap. However, that universally known is, this widening socioeconomic gap is an explosive catalyst for crime, of which none is immune, including PPP and their token Blacks.
Thus, these are the suggestions held aloft, our schools have children with varying academic abilities and needs. As a result, imperative it’s, that PPP recalibrate their education GPS, to follow Mia Motley’s lead in moving away from top students obsession, to focus on all the students, especially the poor performers. For this is our inescapable reality, evident in the recent CSEC results- We have been deluged with stories of the top students, but witnessed zero policy to address pervasive failures. Thus, this framework is theirs to consider;
- Financial support for the economic deprived.
- School meals
- School accessories
- Exemption from school fees
- School transport etc.
However, in the doldrums the poor performers will remain, unless we have uniformity in school standards, paired with technological investments to facilitate learning. For this we know, the socioeconomic deprived communities have the worse performing schools, which necessitate a holistic understanding of the issues, to inform policies. However, PPP having established an unbreakable bond with unconstitutional extrajudicial killings, are unlikely to ever acknowledge that the Education System and widening socioeconomic gap, as the main drivers of crime. And for this reason, with two years registered, we still await with bated breath, a crime prevention strategy, which doesn’t include bullets, bodies and bawling.
First published September 25, 2022
