The views and opinions expressed by the author(s) do not represent the official position of Barbados TODAY.
by Dr Ronnie Yearwood
Like many I was a “child” of Mia Mottley because for much of my time at secondary school and later at university, she was the only Minister of Education I knew.
I remember interacting with her when she launched the much-vaunted national school code of discipline and dress code, and enlisted some of us as head boys and girls to support the code.
A younger me watched as she delivered a speech on education reform, without notes, to a World Bank panel hosted by the New York Times. Then as now, I have always been impressed by the Prime Minister’s ability to deliver a “political” speech.
It is always interesting to watch the Prime Minister perform and see people react. She knows how to “play
to the crowd” and is one of the best public speakers Barbados has produced.
However, what I have found over the years is that listening to a speech by the Prime Minister and then reading it are two very different experiences. It is interesting that this is almost the exact opposite with the late Prime Minister Owen Arthur and the results show.
The recent publication of his speeches stands as testimony to a body of thought, intellect, vision and action, his politics aside. The same is true with The Right Excellent Errol Barrow.
Prime Minister Mottley noted at Arthur’s funeral last year that he was always telling her to stop winging it
and write her speeches. The purpose could be clarity of thought and clear visioning as a leader, not necessarily as a politician.
The Prime Minister has proven to be a highly effective politician and speech giver and I dare anyone to deny that, but that is not the same as governing.
Obviously, politicians make “political” calculations but the question is, how much of that outweighs or rather gets in the way of leading and governing. I think it may explain the gap between the Prime Minister’s rhetoric and speeches, wonderful as they are, and the results she achieved as Minister of Education and now as Prime Minister.
If we are minded to unpack the speeches in the cold light of day, such as the recent one by the Prime Minister at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) it will expose the gap.
The Prime Minister at the UNGA rightly reminded the world that children need technology to be able to receive an education and technology has to be integrated into our education system.
Yet research has shown that the Prime Minister, then as Minister of Education, presided over the biggest failure of education reform which would have included integrating technology into the education system, Edutech.
The speechifying I saw at that World Bank panel many years ago never matched the actual action to reform the education system and it shows today.
Even now, as Prime Minister for over three years, she has failed to implement any meaningful education reform. But she has given lots of inspiring speeches on education reform!
Right now, in Barbados, some children have no internet and no devices so have not been to, or have difficulty in “going” to school for almost two years. These aren’t issues for speeches, these are issues that require quick and decisive action by Government. These children cannot be seen as collateral damage. No child should be left behind.
What is the plan to help these children and address the issues in education right now? What happened to the grand wifi project the Prime Minister gave speeches on during the 2018 election campaign and again in the early days of her administration? Just more grand but empty speeches?
The Prime Minister in her UN speech also scolded big countries on how climate change might affect small island states, and rightly so.
Yet her government recently presided over some of the worst damage to Barbados’ coral reefs, which as any geography student would know, are needed to protect our Prime Minister Mottley coasts. Also, where is the acceptance that our governments over the last 30 years have created many of the problems we face today.
Our current water woes are not because of climate change as research shows (though they may be in the future) but are because of poor management of our water resources.
Leaking mains that should have been replaced before they failed, wells and drainage systems that weren’t maintained to recharge aquifers. But I guess it is easier to give speeches and blame others than face the issues at home and fix them as the late Prime Minister Arthur would say.
I do not know if I was in a twilight zone but did the Prime Minister scold the UN members for not listening to each other, and not consulting on issues as should happen in a democratic institution. I almost laughed off my chair. I am pretty sure the Prime Minister unilaterally decided the form of republic Barbados was to become with no consultation on the issue in a democratic country.
I wonder if the Prime Minister now understands what it feels like to be dismissed by those with power on very important issues. I got that same twilight zone feeling when I heard the Prime Minister’s explanation on the recent vaccine scam.
I know I can’t be the only one who has concerns about the Prime Minister’s governing ability, which is very different from her ability as an excellent public speaker, entertaining election platform speaker and politician.
I wonder if the BLP Members of Parliament are grumbling in the backrooms of Parliament about a replacement as they did in 2010!
May be that’s the reason there are signs of the Prime Minister calling a snap election later this year or early next year if the new COVID cases decline. In fact, we probably were spared an election now because of the recent rise of COVID cases.
An election now would be politics, not governing, as Barbados is in the midst of the darkest days of this pandemic. Does anyone think now is the time for an election? Or do we need decisive leadership on vaccines and new ways to deal with COVID? You either lead or you do not on the issue.
The leader of every other country is implementing some form of vaccine passport and/or mandatory vaccines for some but our Prime Minister is just making speeches and trying to avoid tough leadership and governing decisions.
Ironically, the Prime Minister recently accused the Leader of Opposition and the President of the DLP of playing politics on important issues but who is better at playing politics than the Prime Minister? Right now, we don’t need more speeches, we need better government and governance.
Maybe an election now wouldn’t be such a bad thing as it would give Barbadians a say in the direction the country should take. Or maybe the BLP Members of Parliament will select a new Parliamentary Leader and Prime Minister and make Ms. Mottley the President of the Republic of Barbados or propose her as the head of some global institution. Wouldn’t we all be proud to have her as our ceremonial President, or to head some global institution and continue making excellent speeches so others could get on with the work of governing in Barbados.
Dr Ronnie Yearwood (yearwood.r.r.f@gmail.com) is an educator, lawyer and social commentator. The views and analysis here are his own and not of any institution or organisation he is affiliated with.
