Anglin slams McLaughlin
(CNS): In four statements delivered over two days the current education minister took his predecessor to task in the Legislative Assembly last week. Rolston Anglin accused Alden McLaughlin of failing to address a number of administrative issues and accused the former minister of being on a four year joy ride. When it came to scholarships, the education minister claimed he had “inherited a disaster” while at the DER, McLaughlin had left a “dysfunctional” operation and at UCCI the former minster had “wreaked havoc.”
The current minister said that the opposition had lost all moral authority to talk about the development of the country’s work force as a result of the problems he found when coming to office over one year ago.
Criticising the mismanagement of the scholarship secretariat, which manages over 700 scholarship recipients at present, he said it was unfair that the previous minster had not increased the staff and left only one person to run the entire system. “The PPM went on a spending and hiring binge for four years, yet they did not see it important enough to adequately staff the scholarship secretariat,” Anglin said.
He accused the former minister of artificially bolstering numbers at the UCCI, failing to address the fallout from the Hassan Syed fiasco, and suggested that McLaughlin did not care about improving the life chances of Caymanians.
Citing a number of administrative issues at the university such as an absence of formal policies; disorganised campus security, a problematic student registration, unfair faculty contracts, a communications vacuum among staff, and irregular management accounting, among others. The minister also suggested entry requirements were lowered to bolster enrolment.
Reading the list of what he said were problems at UCCI to his legislative colleagues, Anglin said it was not exhaustive, merely “meant to provide a flavour of the mess left ” by his predecessor.
However, the minister said he was focusing on turning things around and that he would improve standards at the university and focus on giving Caymanians the skills they needed to enter the workforce. He said there was a need to rethink the role of higher education in society and ensure people were better skilled, as being Caymanian was not enough. The future workforce had to be “Caymanians with merit”, he observed.
“We must ensure that at least 40-50% of the youth who are now in primary schools will earn a college degree,” the minister said in one of his statement. However, he pointed to the need to raise standards and noted in his statement regarding scholarships that the standards to enter an A’level course at St Ignatius — five IGCSE/CXC passes — were higher that the standards required to enter the UCCI on an associate degree programme – only 3 IGCSE/CXC passes.
Following the minister’s statements McLaughlin, the former education minister, pointed out that the standards of entry into UCCI were not lowered during his term in offices. “The admission requirements for the associate degree are exactly what they were when my predecessor and now President of UCCI, Roy Bodden, demitted office in May 2005,” McLaughlin told CNS noting the irony.
McLaughlin also said that criticisms about the administration of scholarships had been greatly exaggerated by the minister. The opposition member pointed out that when he took office the scholarships were dealt with by whoever was available in the education ministry, which was the reason he set up the scholarship secretariat, which he acknowledged was still a work in progress.
He said the first priority of the new secretariat had been to ensure students received their funding as that had been a problem in the past. Once that area had been tackled, the former minister said plans were in place to develop a more effective system for review.
McLaughlin pointed out that he had not been able to defend himself in the House against any of the minister’s criticisms, as none of these issues had been raised in the context of a debate, but as statements which prevent the opposition from responding.
“The minister is grossly exaggerating to paint me in as bad a light as he can but he needs to get past his insecurities in the post and get on with the job. The next election is still three years away,” McLaughlin said. “I want him to succeed. The development of our young people is why I am still here,” the former minister added, referring to the passion that he still holds for education.
McLaughlin pointed out that the country’s education system was still his main concern as he said all of the ugliness, the current ills in our society and all the wider social problems come back to the same root that without major improvements to the education system from the beginning and throughout, the people of Cayman would not be equipped to participate fully in the economy.
“Everything I did from the much maligned schools to the overhaul of the entire education system was about improving outcomes,” he added.
Category: Headline News
I keep hearing about how the schools are failing the students and I just don’t get it. The teachers can only do so much. If the students don’t come prepared to make the effort and if they don’t want to learn I don’t see how the teachers can force them.
I went through the education system in Cayman and I’m none the worse for wear. There were many who were too busy fighting, gossiping and making trouble to do homework or even pay attention in class. We all had the same opportunities presented to us both for study and for extracurricular activities… clubs, music lessons and sports teams etc, but time and time again you’d see the same people turning up for these things. Yet others were complaining they didn’t have the chance. It’s rubbish.
The parents need to take more responsibility and get involved in their childrens education. It’s not all down to the government. The government can’t hold your hand and tell you what to write in exams.
Stop complaining and make the most of what you have.
Where else are students who do not make the grade supposed to go? Of course the private schools have greater standards. I am just happy that students that fell behind in high school are able to continue their education at the college level. All Mr. Anglin has done is tear down the self esteem of the students at UCCI, basically saying that they are not good enough to be there. SHAME ON YOU MR. ANGLIN
Anglin has learnt well from his boss and leader
It seems that all the UDP can do is blame blame blame.
Get on with the job and stop acting like little children.
He is showing us all that he is not professional and does not possess the leadership qualities of a respected statesman.
SHAME on you Anglin.
Oh for the love of glory here we go again, pinning blame. I say they are all the same bunch of crabs in a barrel. We all need to vote them all out and go for a young, educated and willing set of officials no more money and power driven politicians. We need people who care about Cayman and our future. So let’s take a moment and remember our forefathers who worked hard, believed in God and family and loved these islands. Men like Mr. Ormond, Dr.Roy, Mr. Willie, Mr. Charles and Sir Vassel, I hope that we can get leaders like this again as this is what we’re lacking, strong leadership values.
So I plead and ask Rollie who i think has a lot of good qualities to put yours and Alden egos aside and work for the betterment of Cayman. We have issues with crime, teenage pregnancy, drugs and domestic abuse that needs urgent attention. Our education system needs to be improved if we’re to have a strong workforce and society otherwise we’ll be heading for a sad and bleak future.
Blessings to all and please remember those who lost their lives 5 years ago in London terrorist attacks. Life is short and let us all try to live more productive and peaceful.
Perhaps an even better question to be asked of both Mr McLaughlin and Mr Anglin is why neither has introduced means testing to the process of awarding scholarships. There are countless examples of the children of the weathy and politically well connected being awarded these lucrative government funded scholarship and there is next to no accountability or transparency in their award.
And then there are the blatant conflicts of interest, XXXXXX
Is the Minister for Education showing signs of dementia?
I will apologise in advance for asking CNS to post this in it’s entirety, but the words are those of the Minister and I would not want to summarise them.
Ten months ago the Minister made a statement in the house, basically the same thing he is saying now, but last year he outlined all of the processes and procedures he had put in place to correct the deficiencies. Did Alden sneak into his office and dismantle everything while he wasn’t looking or is it Alzheimer’s?
http://www.legislativeassembly.ky/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/LGLHOME/BUSINESS/PUBLICATIONS/2009-10%20OFFICIAL%20HANSARD%20REPORT%20FINAL.PDF
It is a crying shame that Alden’s government the PPM allowed Hassan Syed to dismantle a perfectly good university college with all the checks and balances in place. UCCI took 30 years to get it to the place where Hassan and Alden’s government demolished it. Mr Bodden has his work cut out for him to get it back to its former standard.
Can someone tell me why no one went after Hassan Syed? Is it that he knew too much about too many people who were very high up? To allow him to steal UCCI blind, nobody even knows how much he took, throw out all the rules and regulations the former President left in place and get off unscathed is too much even for Caymanians to tolerate.
No wonder the expatriates on this island don’t respect Caymanians. During the PPM government’s rule we were scammed over and over by a plethora of charlatans, chief among them being Hassan Syed, the former "blue-eyed"boy of many XXXXX.
Can we expect a statement from the financial crimes unit anytime soon on what is happening with Hassan Syed? This deafening silence is a national disgrace.
Why do have to politicize the Syed affair? What did it have to do with the PPM? Are you willing to hold the UDP to be acccountable for anything that occurs in the administration of a statutory authority? Be careful how you answer. People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
It was the "former President" whom you praise who hired Mr. Syed and failed to check his credentials, not the PPM.
Could i please get in touch with some one who knew Syed back in Cayman Islands via email. I need some information. It's urgent.
As time goes by, it becomes more and more clear what the letters U.D.P. really stand for: United to Destroy Paradise.
Hey, that’s clever. Wish I could think up stuff like that. With your brainpower you could easily take over the PPM. Watch out, Kurt!!
A..M..E..N.!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It seems that the current government, inclusive of our XXXX premier is again wasting the little money the country has left as well as destroying our credibility. If a mistake has been made, let us try to correct it, don’t waste the country’s money (what money?????) blaming everyone else. I came to the conclusion that our current government does not have a clue about accounting and accountability. My beloved Cayman Islands seem to be sinking more and more and all the government can do is to blame. Maybe we need to remove our dictators and return to true democracy. We have no future to look forward to with McChavez, Juliedinijad, Rolcastro, Kim Jong Scot and El Ayatollah Khomeini. Come on Cayman, it is time that we take our paradise back from these dictators.
Rolston, you should be ashamed of yourself. We ave come to expect this type of foolishness from Mac, but had hoped for beter from you.
Please shut up with the blame game…and get on with your job!
GOOD JOB MR.ANGLIN!
This is the only person thats in election that is trying to make a difference on our island and I personally think that Mr.Bush should step down or even better retire from government because him nor Mr.Tibbetts is looking to benefit the country nor the people of the country!
And the caymanians aren’t going to stop the crime until their voices are heard and demands are addressed people are fed up with the current politicians that are in power they are only looking out for the foreigners and the born caymanians I really and truly what are they thinking about?
The only people that gets any help from the government is the foreigners and no I’m not trying to put you guys down but honestly me myself is fed up with whats going on us the born caymanians who can’t leave here and migrate somewhere else is fed up! we want back cayman the way it use to be and WE WON’T STOP UNTIL THAT HAPPENS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sounds like two little boys to me. While they point fingers at each other our children continue to fail and violent crime continues to increase. The UDP and the PPM are filled with finger pointing egos without a clue. The saddest of this fiasco is the number of our citizens weaving these colors, defending these little boys and getting mad at their neighbors who choose to follow the other team or no team at all. The nerve of you people to state that we who refuse to join one of these parties does not have our countries best interest at heart, It is because we have our countries best interest at heart and self respect that we do not join you all.
Here is a suggestion, take your parties and leave, your membership combined is still the minority so get out. The rest of us will keep the expats and any other good expats we can find to move forward. I can assure you I will be voting for candidates that have never been elected before and remain independent at the next election.
You are so right. I am voting the same way in the next election, anyone new and not affiliated with either of these parties.
Minister Anglin is a total failure, & his recent rants against the former minister is an embarrassment to himself. Does he not realise how stupid he looks? Minister Anglin has been the minister for well over a year & what does he have show for it? Please someone, anyone, please point out one positive thing that Anglin has achieved, or anything that he has accomplished in his year as a minister! He can’t even tell the people of his plans (does he have a plan)?
It is shameful for him to still be blaming the former minister. Let us for just a miniute play along with him & say that the former minister did leave his ministry in "a shambles," does it really take OVER ONE YEAR for the present minister to find this out & correct it? Minister Anglin does not seem to realise how incompetent he is admitting he is by STILL blaming the former minister after one year in charge. What a poor example of a minister he is by his own admission. If minister Anglin is incapable of doing his job he should get out. If minister Anglin cannot take the heat in the kitchen he should get out. If minister Anglin cannot stop blaming others for his total incompetence HE MUST GET OUT!
Yes. It does take over one year to sort out the mess. GO INDEPENDENTS!!!
It has been 14 months since the UDP has been in the Government and all they have done todate is to try and change anything started by PPM. They are so busy blaming and undoing that they cannot see that actually they have done NOTHING. Rolston, you mean to tell me that you did not see these problems in 2004/2005? You must have, because you all left these situations for the PPM to clear up. Alden is the ONLY minister whom I have seen in my last 32 years of voting, that have took great interest in revampting the education system, to be more beneficial to the Cayman Children. He was the ONLY Minister to try to improve the school and sporting facilities and at the same time tried to create Hurricane shelters. He only had 4 years and if he was again the Education Minister still, all the things you are finding as problems, would had been taken care off. We voted you in and your party voted you to be the Education Minister, get on with the job and stop complaining or finding faults of Alden. He is NOT the Government now, YOU are. Do what is right for our Children and not for your party, the Premier and NOT for fame, BUT our children. Too long the system has failed them.
I did not make it all the way through this article and I have not read any of the comments because I wanted to get this out before I popped!!!
Look Rolston we wanted to hear from someone, ANYONE with some sense in your party but it seems that when your "system finally booted" it was cluttered with all of the same old crap that is spewed out by the premier. If you think you have done anything to help your image or that of your party by wasting the time in the legislature to play the blame game then you are oh so mistaken. We are not stupid Rolston. I am not taking the side of the ex Minister for education, but I can imagine that he had personnel in place to handle all of the crises that you are now blaming on him. Were those peoplefired when you took office for not doing the job that they were supposed to under the ex Minister?????? I bet they are still there or maybe collecting a salary on leave while the problems are fixed for them. You answer that question honestly and then maybe I might lend some credence to what you have to say.
PLEASE dont find the guts to start speaking and let us find out that all you have to say is "it’s their fault"!!!! We the people that put you in office (I didn’t vote for you by the way because you were on the same ticket as Mc Bush) want some action and not someone wasting our time. You took up valuable time in the legislature to blame someone else when instead you should have stood up and offered sollutions and given a progress report on what you have done. By the way why has it taken you over a year to just find out that DER and UCCI etc. are in such a dire state? Were you off the island travelling perhaps??
You have a big job here. As far as I am concerend the educational curriculum in Cayman is far, far behind. The students are graduating when they are not even out of puberty and dont even know how to answer a business call, shake a prospective employers hand or get through and interview without looking at the floor. Work out these problems and you can stand up and say that you have done something. Fix things rather than finding things that are broken so that you can make someone else look bad. Take a proactive approach and spend your time implementing sollutions then we will listen. In the meantime be quiet and go back to hiding in the shadows of McKeewa!!!
Okay, now that I have that out I can read the rest of the article and comments.
Here we go again.Same old blame game only now it has spread to Rolston.Guys when are you all going to GROW up and learn that blaming your past Govt.has to stop.Get on with the job at hand and show the populous that YOU can do a better job if that is indeed your intent.Deeds rather than words would be much better dont you agree?Again please stop the blame game!!!ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!.
Rolston is a real disappointment to say the least….I never expected any better from McKeeva however I had high hopes for Rolston; so much for that.
shocking… Alden made more effort than anyone before or since to improve the system.. Rolston is really looking very foolish here – whoever is advising him, presumably the CO, needs to really think again – they are all looking stupid here. By the way – what is their vision – Aldens was made public, stated, debated and worked towards ..
thats the diference
WelI, hopefully whatever it is it’ll be an improvement on Alden’s, which was evidently something along the lines of becoming world famous and really, really admired by all as a consequence of delivering the country’s education system over to a foreign professor so that he could experiment on it (all financed by the Caymanian public, of course) and put his theories into practice. Boy, the guy must been been over the moon! He certainly sounded thrilled. I recall during one of the many "feel good" sessions on the radio his actually exhorting people to re-elect Alden, the cheeky begger! Hope this answers your question.
(Caymanians, please stop allowing yourselves to be exploited by foreigners looking to try their ideas out in cahoots with opportunistic locals. You are way too gullible! Remember the experiments going on at the prison with prisoners walking round with machetes meeting girlfriends for sex and drugs?)
Rollie,
I always thought you and Mike were the most sensible of the UBP (U blame people). But Mike is still in shock,silence, and awe, and now you are heading down the wrong road with the attack, castigate, and distract, ‘blame’ policy.
The fact that your Govt is now claiming that we will save $8 million + in wasted rent by completing the Admin building and your plans for the school in Frank Sound sort of nullifies your party’s attempts to demonize the projects started by Al Mclaughlin and the last Govt.
So my dear Rollie.Just focus on the job that we are paying you to do! In three years you will be called upon to justify your policies and you just cant blame the past Govt to get elected again.
Solve the real problems and stop coming up with ‘blarney excuses’!
I agree stop looking at the past and get on with the job you were elected to do. You have great ideas but you will soon realize (like Alden did I am sure) it takes civil servants to implement your ideas so when you attack Alden dont be mistaken that you are also insulting the same people who you want to implement your ideas (except for Lonny who it seems is enjoying early retirement!).
It is often not the people but the system and what it takes to overhaul DER is some serious money, tough policies and a new image and frankly we are broke but it is the image that is going to be toughest to overhaul.
We as a country should wish you every success though as our country requires it in these difficult times.
Another underhand move by the UDP, another chip in the fabric of democracy. I would like to read a full interview with Mr. McLaughlin in response to Mr. Anglin’s accusations – WHICH HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO IN THE LA. At least the UDP (I wish I could say it was just Mac) haven’t worked out how to shut down the media……yet.
This is not just about the present and former education ministers disagreeing, this is about the UDP trying to make sure they are the only ones heard. Sad, sad, sad.
Mr Anglin – shame, shame, shame.
Rolston is pathetic. Why try to fool people by blaming Alden for an opinion on DER, a lack of policies at UCCI, or your opinion of understaffing at the scholarship secretariat? Do you hear Obama blaming Bush for the economic mess America is in? No, you hear him pushing his solutions to change America’s circumstances. I suggest that UDP get on with the job they so desperately wanted and stop finding excuses. It is pathetic!
And consider this: Alden wasn’t running UCCI. The college has a President. Sam Basdeo was the President who ran it for years, followed by Sayed. As Presidents of the college, shouldn’t it have been their jobs to set and develop the college’s internal policies? If the college has none, that speaks of their (the President’s) competencies, not Aldens. You talk about an understaffed scholarship secretariat, yet your own study found the civil service bloated and complained that there was no money left. Without money, how do you pay staff? Now get on with refining the solution Alden first came up with. The Civil Service is supposed to be the body with the skills and training to implement the Minister’s directives and if there are impediments, should advise on those impediments. The Chief Officers are the ones to blame if they do not hold their department heads to task.
Also consider this, you have Mark Scotland, a man trained in making roads, as your Minister of Health. What health training does he have? Is he going to be writing the policies for the hospital? Hell no. So please Rolston, you may fool West Bayers with such talk, but remember, Cayman is made up of four (4) other districts who have people that are smarter than that. Don’t insult our intelligence! Three more years can’t come too quick. Alden, hang in there.
Shame on you Rolston, you are following the same path as the Premier, with the blame game. Get on with the job and let’s see if you can do better than all your past predessors, that should be your goal, to do better than all the past Education ministers, even tho I do not see that happening, remember Mr. Alden came from a back ground of educators, and I am sure he got some of those same traits, on the other hand, where do your traits come from? Oh let me help you answer that question, (answer- our Premier) it won’t take you very far, please change your wayof thinking and help take Cayman education down the road of success, instead of acting like an out of controlled, rotten scroundrel with your name blaming and angry outbursts, be a man of pride, integrity and act like a Powery.
Is the UDP going to accept responsibility for anything? Alden may have been mistaken by maybe making the new schools a bit too extravagant. However as a parent with one child in primary, one in high school and one in UCCI I can say that he was a minister that made positive changes. He did not waste time blaming others. Perhaps Mr Anglin would be well served to do likewise
."….. a bit too extravagant" ? With all due respect, this is a bit of an understatement. You mean with that "Eight Days a Week" recording studio and over the top kitchen? Complete insanity.
Alden was a disaster and he is the current mouth piece for the PPM so he should expect some heat.
For anyone to suggest that building multiple schools at the same time was anything but reckless they need their head’s examined. The new school buildings even when completed will not solve the dysfunctional educational system in the Cayman Islands.
Until the teachers get the support of the administration and can bring order to the classrooms and effectively deal with unruly students the system will not work. When out of control parents are alowed to abuse teachers who try to enforce school policy with no support from principles or others the schools will remain ineffective.
The new buildings do nothing to deal with this mess. The result is to push children through the grades when they cannot handle the material and graduating young people who are effectively illiterate. Did Alden address this?
PPM clones vote thumbs down now…
Play nice now and go back outside and polish your Benz again
What part of my comments upset you?
Obviously you would like to "kill" the messenger. But the facts remain the same.
None of the responses to my submission really discussed the points that I raised.
-Alden is the mouth piece for the PPM.
-The multiple schools built at the same time in uncertain economic times were a mistake.
-The physical plant (school buildings) will not solve the actual problem of the failed educational system whereby the teachers are not allowed to enforce school policy or when they do so they are given no support from administration. Problem students are not dealt with, nor problem parents.
-Students are pushed through the school without a grasp of the material.
-Parents come to the school and rant shamelessly if their child is disciplined.
-The CNS threads have been hijacked by submissions favoring the opposition and any disaggreement is met with multiple thumbs down votes.
You can name call all you want but these things are real and sooner or later must be dealt with.
What did ex-UDP Minister, Roy Bodden do and say when kids were coming to High School with their pants hanging off their XXX? He was UDP. Alden tackled all that and tried to bring discipline back to the schools. However, if one only looks at the lack of respect and arrogance displayed by the UDP to others, then you will see the example being set for the young to follow.
I really would like to know who the 2 people are that occasionally write in defence of the UDP. I suppose one is, as you suggest, benz-boi, but who can the other be? It sure is not anyone on the streets of Cayman because it has been many many months since I have crossed paths with anyone on our streets that has anything good to say about the UDP. All I can hear are complaints & anger, and constant criticisms of what the UDP government is doing (or NOT DOING) to help the poor suffering people of Cayman.
Who are these two persons who are trying to defend the indefensible?
The UDP have dropped Bob Marley as their official musician and instead have decided to go with Shaggy.
It Wasn’t Me!
Expect to hear a lot of that for the next three years.
To whom wrote the comment before this what happen is that people like you thought that the four years that ppm was in that they was doing good but the dirt is just coming out because we have a good goverment now that will tell the country what is happening aint like kurt and the rest of his dam crew keeping it under they sleve for all the four years they were in the house what you guys better do is wake up and seethe light because you guys just dont want to say that ppm did anything wrong but the rest of the dirt which they have kept covered for they years will soon be out to the public that what they did to fool all of une dam fool build roads etc just to put a sheet over une dam eyes but you guys wont relize that
Seriously? On an article about standards in higher eduction, this is the quality of writing you’re willing to put out there? Maybe you and Big Mac should go over to UCCI and sit in on a class or two. It would do you both some good.
Alden’s excuse was that he couldn’t respond in the LA due to the rules there. Now that CNS has ran an article on it and quoted Alden i can see he has nothing to say to excuse his failure.
He needs to ensure that the Scholarship Secretariat answers the govt. phone and govt. email cause there are a lot of frustrated young caymanians and parents waiting to hear the outcome of scholarship applications…… deadline was 31st March and it’s 6th July and still no answer. University orientations are coming up in August and these young caymanians are still waiting on answers from that ministry!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tell them to apply to Butterfield for their Student Loans they keep advertising. It’s about time someone offered loans that students can pay back instead of everyone expecting a scholarship for their higher education!!
The lower entry requirements at UCCI serve a very worthy and necessary purpose.
The Government school system (primary schools, George Hicks and John Gray) currently fail the majority of young people. The majority graduate from John Gray with these very low standards – and UCCI has acted as a second chance – for anyone, regardless of how poorly they have done in school before, once they have the desire to learn and succeed. They intentionally have attempted to create an inclusive atmosphere which does not intimidate young people. This is exactly what UCCI should be doing, while also catering to the higher achievers who do also attend. *** While making sure that ALL graduates leave fully prepared to enter the work force as competant, critically thinking adults. *** Frankly, the majority of high achievers (from the Government schools and the private schools) will go abroad for univeristy, and probably also do A levels at the private schools.
UCCI’s certificate program and other basic remedial courses they offer (english and math basics etc) help these students transition into the Associate level courses – or other professional/trade/technical programs.
Therefore raising entry requirements for UCCI and attempted to increase the percentage of Caymanians who achieve college degrees to 40 or 50%, are oppossing goals and will achieve very little.
Even if re-structured, UCCI must continue to cater to young people of all levels. And remain inclusive, and welcoming and not morph into an elitist institution. *** Making sure that all graduates leave fully prepared to enter the work force as competant, critically thinking adults ***
GRADUATION and not ENTRY requirements should be the focus!
I wholeheartedly agree with you. Community colleges are all about the qualifications that you take with you when you leave, not what you bring when you come in.
If you can’t makethe grade then you don’t take any qualifications when you leave, but Rolston seems to be running around in circles trying to find new things to blame on Alden rather than just getting on with the job.
Speaking of education; here is a simple equation for all voters to memorise.
Blame Game = No Clue
Well over a year in power and all the man can do is try to blame the previous administration.
I am sure I am not the only Caymanian that is totally fed up with this stupid blame game. I do not support any political party., but every time I hear one of these "blame" speeches I become more and more convinced that this current govenment has no clue what it is are doing in any area and is just making excuses.
I am totally sickened by the new minister’s approach to making himself look good by tearing down whatever went before. I really thought that Rolston was a better man than that, but alas he has been too close for too long to Mac. He has been in that ministry for long enough to know how much change and improvement went on during the previous administration. When Alden took over, it truly was a disaster and he had the courage (REAL courage, not barking at the wind courage) to begin a complete overhaul. But it was a huge job and not everything got done in one term.
They said at the beginning that it would take more than one term before people started seeing real improvements – it was never going to happen overnight. Now Rolston gets to begin to reap the benefit as things start to improve, but in the main he is benefiting by continuing what was already started.
I don’t remember Alden tearing down Roy or Truman, just getting on with the job. Be a man, Rolston. Right now you’re looking like an XXXXX.
Please STOP blaming the recent past government, you just come off being bitter and twisted. The lack of quality education in Cayman was also a disaster years ago when your OWN party was in charge. This is sadly the worse legacy of Cayman’s history.
Instead of leading the world in literacy with SUCH a SMALL POPULATION, we lead the world in inactive children, morbid childhood obesity, and an illiteracy rate that is actually kept secret from the public because it is sooo shameful. And folks, this is not about one party or another, but how our successful grandparents who built this country to be successful failed all of us with the generations that have followed. You cannot blame THIS on ex-pats because we do not even allow them in our schools….maybe we should, it might raise the bar. It is time to finally get rid of the teachers and administration that do not perform and to make this a national priority. Forget summer holidays, these children need year round schooling to catch up!!!
Out of all the UDP puppets Rolston has been the biggest dissapointment to all of Cayman………..I mean he HAD great potential to really make a difference in the lives of Caymanians but instead he has been a complete failure and (just like the premier)has repeatedly belittled Caymanians. West Bay lets get rid of these clowns FOR GOOD next time or this $h*! will never stop.
ONE FED UP WEST BAYER