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People of the Rock


Our eldest is a football 'peon'. Every statistic the game is played by is known and if you only venture an uneducated opinion you are immediately put in your place. He is not alone, as in the world of sports there are experts around every corner. This World Cup will be an interesting outcome as all the big names have already gone home, including the host country. I like not being a 'peon', because anything I say can, in fact, be a result. There will be a world after the World Cup. I am not sure if Mr. Putin is pleased but that may be reflected in the upcoming meeting with the POTUS. The fact that the 2026 World Cup is being played in a soon to be a walled off country may not be of any interest unless of course the finals are played in Mar-a-Lago.

Our Minister of Education, who after his lifelong career in education as a teacher, Principal, head of the teachers union, seems to be at sea with issues surrounding private secondary schools. Isn't it strange how many Ministers of Government are finding themselves at sea, must be something to do with Tobago. I digress.
The newest issue at hand is one over the payment by the Government for students attending private secondary schools who could not be placed in secondary schools under the regular system. The private schools are claiming that the subvention paid (if and when it is paid) is not enough and are demanding an increase in the rate. The Minister counters saying that the schools are being unreasonable, unfair and that he disagrees with the manner in which the principals raised the matter, saying that they had disrespected both the office of the Education Minister and himself as Minister. Is this guy serious? Disrespect for the office? What absolute BS is he talking? Private schools are constantly raising money through all means available to keep their doors open, including Fatima, who the Minister is closely associated with. A state subvention of $1,200.00 per term per student is a ridiculous sum to expect secondary schools to settle for. How much does one pay for a child attending a private primary or pre-school? The absolute conceited and arrogant comment about disrespect for the Office of the Minister just says where this guy's head is, nowhere. You are first a servant of the people, not a Minister.

The Judiciary is in a mess. If there is any institution that we the people should be trusting without question is the Judiciary. Yet still, it seems that at every turn things are not good.
The question hovering over the Head of the Judiciary, the Chief Justice, is still an issue and until the citizenry is satisfied that all is well with the individual concerned he should step aside waiting for his name to be cleared. Of course the length of time it takes to hear a simple 'marijuana possession' case the poor incumbent might depart this world waiting on an outcome. So be it! The recent issue of Silk being awarded to certain persons, as with previous Administrations, including the past PMOTT, is something that the population should be concerned with. Agreed, not a single man in the street is concerned with this but the fact of a possible abuse of the system by people of so-called integrity is cause for great concern. The Law Association is up in arms over whether or not a new payment system for Court fees is legal. Why is this an issue and not the issuing of Silk, why is this an issue and not the Chief Justice's private life that may affect certain judgments?

This is the final week of the World Cup then I will be subjected to Wimbledon. So much for Netflix. Life is indeed hard. Of course, great news coming out of Thailand today with the start of the rescue of a junior football team and their coach from a cave. I continue to marvel at the science and engineering that is part of our everyday lives, even if we don't recognize it.

People of the Rock, let's do it. Let us really put the Rock first before all the dotishishness that is presented to us every single day as 'governance'. Show the Minister of Education that we are in fact educated and do not need his attitude. We are the People of the Rock!

World Cup, Wimbledon, when will we do groceries?

Good night and good luck!







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