by Dr. Donald M. McCartney DM

“Leadership is a matter of intelligence, trustworthiness, humaneness, courage, and discipline … Reliance on intelligence alone results in rebelliousness. The exercise of humaneness alone results in weakness. Fixation on trust results in folly. Dependence on the strength of courage results in violence. Excessive discipline and sternness in command result in cruelty. When one has all five virtues together, each appropriate to its function, then one can be a leader” ~ Sun Tzu.

Change is expected when a new administration comes to office. I expect the Minister to make every effort to eradicate slackness. However, If people are allowed to be slack, the blame should fall at the feet of those who hired them and allowed them to continue to be paid for services they did not provide. In these cases is necessary that hard decisions be made. However, in making those decisions, people must be given an opportunity to improve their performance. It must appear that they were given every opportunity to improve the deficit behaviour. Everyone, even the Honourable Minister, deserves a second chance.

I have known the present minister since he was in high school. Even at that time he always exuded an attitude of superiority and felt that he knew more than everyone. It would appear to me that he has not changed.

It also appears that the Honourable Minister of Education does not know how to present his ideas without appearing to be fussing or having a row. He does not have to be ferocious to get the Bahamian public to know that he means business when it comes to education.

After all, he is the minister, and it is expected that he does his job without fear or favour. When an individual is sure of himself or herself, there is no need to be carrying on as though you are the toughest or meanest person on earth. With firm, but gentle persuasion, the Minister can get the job done. When the type of behaviour and public utterances, by the Honourable Minister, becomes the norm, it is indicative of more serious issues than those which are displayed.

I would respectfully suggest that the Honourable Minister calm down and learn how to conduct himself as the nation's chief educator, practice greater diplomacy, tact, and deal with people in a humane manner. After all, it is the people, around the Honourable Minister of Education, who will make him a success or a failure!