Each year the results of the Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) reveal the problem with boys in The Bahamas' education system

Education system failing our boys

thenassauguardian editorial

During a speech in March, College of The Bahamas (COB) president Dr. Betsy Vogel-Boze told the Zonta Club that only 14 percent of COB graduates are male.

"It is not a problem that happens once they get to us.  They are not graduating at the same rates, they are not applying for college at the same rates and that gap continues to widen," she said.

The head of COB is right.  Each year the results of the Bahamas General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) reveal the problem with boys in the education system.

In 2010, girls received 16,233 grades; boys received 10,683 grades.  Boys are only receiving 39.7 percent of the grades issued at the senior exams.

The boys receive fewer grades because fewer of them are there at graduation.  Our boys are dropping out in large numbers.

What is even sadder is that the boys who stay in school long enough to do their final exams are doing poorly. 

For A through C grades at the 2010 BGCSE's, girls received about double the number of these grades than boys.  Our education system is failing.  It is particularly failing our boys.

There is without question a correlation between education systems that fail boys and high crime rates.  Young men unable to function in a modern economy will not simply sit down and starve to death.

The Bahamas has set three homicide records in four years and it is on pace to shatter the dubious record set last year.  Police have also been battling a surge in recent years in armed robberies and property crimes such as house-breakings.

Our crisis is not just a crime crisis.  It is a crisis of integrating young men into the legal economy and into civil society.  A national effort is required to help our boys.  One part of the strategy to help them may be to separate the genders in the public education system.

Environments need to be created to help young men, collectively, to equate masculinity with honest work, achievement and struggle.  As we fail our boys in the current education system they go off into the underworld economy of drugs and violence.

The reformatory schools also need to be expanded.  Those who cannot behave should not be allowed to remain in regular schools disrupting the peace.  Those parents who cannot, or do not wish to, control their disruptive children should lose custody of those children to the state.

Just as the reformatory schools would exist for the disruptive, a new juvenile prison is needed at Her Majesty's Prisons.  This would be different from the reformatory schools, which would be schools for troubled children.  Juvenile jail would be jail for young criminals.

These few suggestions should be a part of a wider national discussion on the failing of Bahamian males.  We spend hundreds of millions of dollars on education in The Bahamas and we still have the problems we have.  Simply throwing more money at the education system is not necessarily the solution.

There was a time a few decades ago when women were discriminated against in the workplace and by law.

We fortunately have evolved beyond those times.  Today, however, as women rise and take on leadership positions in the country, men are falling.

The 14 percent figure at COB is dangerous.  If we cannot reach our boys and encourage them to embrace education, more and more of them will be before our courts lost, confused and charged with all manner of violent offenses.

Sep 03, 2011

thenassauguardian editorial

Caribbean Blog International

...most influential women in The Bahamas according to Wikileaks - US Embassy in Nassau cable

'Most powerful' Bahamian women



THE five most influential women in the Bahamas were identified by the US Embassy in a cable released by Wikileaks yesterday.

They are: Tribune publisher Eileen Dupuch Carron, Court of Appeal president Joan Sawyer, former Deputy Prime Minister Cynthia "Mother" Pratt, former Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson and domestic violence victims' advocate Sandra Dean-Patterson.

In the 2007 cable Mrs Pratt, current Progressive Liberal Party MP for St Cecilia, was chosen because of her position as deputy prime minister and minister of national security within the Christie administration.

Last night Mrs Pratt said she was grateful to be on the list.

"It was an honour to serve, most of all when you feel that you're making a difference. It's also good to know that outsiders feel that way about you.

"When a woman's presence can be felt in one's country it is considered an achievement because women have come a long way in terms of leadership," she said.

Mrs Maynard-Gibson was an attorney general in the Christie administration and MP for the Pinewood constituency.

She is currently a senator.

When contacted for comment yesterday, she said she was "humbled" by the mention.

"I'm humbled and honoured to be in that category and my object on a day-to-day basis is to leave the Bahamas and the world a better place. (Whether I am influential) is something that history will have to record.

"I feel that they are far more influential than I am," she said of the other women on the list.

Mrs Dean-Patterson, director of the Crisis Centre, was chosen because her long-standing work for victims of sexual and domestic violence.

"Dr Dean-Patterson is a well respected advocate for women in the Bahamas, an influential participant in public discourse about women's issues and a regular representative for the Bahamas on women's issues in the UN," said the cable.

The document, signed by former Chargé d'Affaires Brent Hardt, noted that Mrs Carron heads "the largest distribution daily newspaper in the Bahamas."

The cable also noted that Mrs Carron's "influence on Bahamian politics is significant."

Mrs Carron is the second Bahamian female lawyer to be called to the Bahamas' Bar, the second Bahamian female publisher/editor of a news publication and the first Bahamian woman to pilot a plane.

Who do you think are the country's most influential women? Sound off on www.tribune242.com

September 02, 2011

Caribbean Blog International

The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) is sitting on the sidelines taking pot shots at a man call Hubert Ingraham - who is getting the job done to relieve the Bahamian people's suffering in the wake of hurricane Irene's damage in The Islands

Alfred Gray worries about PM's reputation


tribune242 editorial


ACCORDING TO MICAL MP V Alfred Gray, Prime Minister Ingraham has "corrupted" himself by accepting the Aga Khan's helicopter to tour the Bahamas' hurricane damaged islands. According to Mr Gray, the Prime Minister, to protect his reputation, should instead have taken a plane, which Mr Gray claimed was available.

Obviously, Mr Gray is completely unaware of the conditions in the islands, and is oblivious -- either by design or ignorance -- that an aircraft cannot effectively cover the same territory in such conditions.

For example on Monday when four US Army Black Hawks landed at Odyssey Aviation because of bad weather, Prime Minister Ingraham was getting into the Aga Khan's 12-passenger helicopter to fly to Abaco.

According to Met Office reports that day, severe thunder and lightning storms were expected between 3 and 6pm, and persons were advised to stay indoors. The Black Hawks were in, the helicopter was out. By 9.45pm the Prime Minister and the press were back at Odyssey as lightening flashed and thunder rolled. The weather was not good, our son, who was on the trip, informed us.

No aircraft could have covered the territory that the Prime Minister did that day. What aircraft could have hovered near roof tops, landed in settlements and islands to avoid flooded airstrips and fly below the thunderstorms that kept planes out of the air?

On that day, the Prime Minister's party landed at Sandy Point, Moores Island, Coopers Town, Blackwood, Murphy Town, Treasure Cay, Green Turtle Cay and Marsh Harbour. How could he have covered this distance in an aircraft? Where would the plane have landed and how many lost hours would it have taken to travel by car and ferry to these settlements? Not only did the terrain make such a trip impossible, but he could have never made so many stops, seen so many people and got back to Nassau on the same night. In three days travelling by helicopter -- two days courtesy of the Aga Khan -- the Prime Minister has practically covered all of the stricken islands.

Yesterday -- leaving at 8am and returning at 9:30pm - again in the Aga Khan's helicopter, the Prime Minister flew to Crooked Island and Acklins, and touched down in Exuma to refuel. Because of the difficulty of getting fuel, the helicopter could not continue on to Mayaguana and so a Defence Force aircraft picked him up at Acklins, flew him to Mayaguana, then to San Salvador and back to Nassau.

Mr Gray talks of an available aircraft that Mr Ingraham could have taken. We would like to know what aircraft he was talking about, because no one else seems to know about it.

"The PLP are sitting on the sidelines taking pot shots at a man who is getting the job done," a Bahamian sarcastically commented. "They are just jealous because they can't get the Aga Khan's helicopter or any other helicopter to get there. If they say a plane was available why didn't they take it themselves and make a contribution to help the people?"

Is the Aga Khan -- a man noted for his generosity and his philanthropic work -- to be treated like a pariah in this country, because he is digging a canal at his Bell island property - for which he already has a permit, and does not have to depend upon Mr Ingraham to give him anything. The Aga Khan, whose Aga Khan Development Network has the environment in its portfolio, is unlikely to do anything that will damage the environs at Bell Island. The prince is probably more aware and concerned about protecting the environment than any PLP will ever be.

Is this generous man's offer to help the people of the Bahamas in their hour of need to be turned down, because one Alfred Grey, who believes that the Prime Minister should take more time to "walk and talk and touch and look in people's eyes and see their hurt and pain," is now feigning concern for the Prime Minister's reputation? Mr Grey is sitting on the sidelines, playing the cheapest kind of politics and making himself and his party look ridiculous.

In this hour of need we believe Mr Ingraham is more interested in helping his fellow Bahamians than worrying about his reputation -- he'll leave that to Mr Gray.

Mr Ingraham decided to take the most effective way to cover as many settlements as he could in the shortest possible time, so that supplies could be dispatched as quickly as possible.

We are certain that the injured man in Cat Island, wasn't concerned about what helicopter flew him to Nassau for medical attention. Incidentally, it was not the Aga Khan's helicopter, but that of an equally generous friend of the Bahamas -- all of this at no cost to the Bahamian taxpayer.

Instead of saying thanks, Mr Grey wants to talk of corruption.

While Mr Gray has announced that he intends to start an appeal for donations from lumber yards for assistance to rebuild homes, Mr Ingraham -- who is moving too fast for the snail-paced PLP -- has already arranged for supplies to be sent in for the rebuilding to start.

If the PLP cannot do anything, they should at least have the decency to keep their mouths shut. Now is not the time to add politics to a people's suffering.

September 01, 2011

tribune242 editorial

Caribbean Blog International

The Bahamas Online: ...unlocking the endless world of promise, potential and possibilities

E-Bahamas: A Bahamas tomorrow

By Dr. Hubert Minnis

When you look around New Providence today, what do you see?  When you think of our institutions, what do they offer?  What does The Bahamas look like now?  Are we only sun, sand and sea or are we promise, potential, and possibilities?  I think the latter.

Some Bahamians look around in New Providence through impatient eyes and see mounds and mounds of dirt, debris and open trenches.  They see workmen and equipment digging, placing pipes and paving the roads on many of our major thoroughfares.  I, however, look not at the present state but the future.  I see the infrastructural improvements in fiber optic cabling, underground utilities for water and power.  I see what the roadwork will offer, what it will change and what it will impact.

Thinking of underground utilities, in light of the passing of Hurricane Irene, imagine if all utilities were underground. The loss of service would have been minimal at best.  There would be little to no pole damage, and little to no disruption of service.  That is what I see in the future Bahamas.

When I am inconvenienced by the traffic diversions due to the roadwork, instead of getting enraged, I envision the more efficient flow of traffic that will result from the completed roads.  Regarding the six-legged round-about, this junction has decreased my morning and afternoon travel by at least 10 minutes due to its more efficient traffic flow.

The road improvement should bring about an improvement in the water quality throughout the island of New Providence, as several aged corroded pipes will be replaced enabling the uninhibited flow of reverse osmosis water to areas that currently experience rust in their water supply.  The road project will improve the fiber optic capabilities throughout the island, which will increase technological advances within The Bahamas.

 

Electronic healthcare

In the future The Bahamas will continue with e-health, improving the health service delivery system.  This advance expands the availability of specialist care.

In the not too distant future the new operating theatres at the Princess Margaret Hospital will be fitted with videoconferencing technology through which specialist surgeons could provide assistance during actual surgery.  This would be particularly beneficial when patients are unable to travel.

Telemedicine will be expanded into new areas of specialty, as there is notable success in this medical advancement.  Abaco and Andros patients are seen via videoconferencing by specialists here in Nassau.

I envision the continuance of e-health through the introduction of electronic medical records.  Patients would no longer travel with their medical files.  The file would electronically follow them to any connected clinic, private practice or hospital.

 

Online government services

Our future has already started taking shape.  We have embarked on the journey to join the rest of the world through globalization.  The introduction of e-government via online applications for passports, registration for government services and the gradual move to additional online services will propel The Bahamas into this age of technology.

This translates to persons on any island of this archipelago having the means and opportunity to renew driver’s licenses, to apply online for government services and to pay taxes, such as real property tax, online.

This advance is paralleled by our current ability to book airline tickets, transportation and accommodation online in order to facilitate travel abroad.

I also see the online ordering of groceries for New Providence and the Family Islands with the option of home delivery.  Online bill payment will eventually become the norm, with most banking transactions being conducted online instead of residents travelling to banks.

 

Changes in tourism

I see our tourism industry positively impacted by our partnership in the globalization of the world.  Our future can be littered with endless opportunities when our valued tourists come to our shores, no matter the island of their destination, and they can connect to our website via smartphones to make online reservations at restaurants; to get directions for their rental cars; to contact tour and island activities; and to get help in cases of emergency.

I see the offering of our craft, straw work and Junkanoo art online with the global market at our doorstep waiting to quickly purchase the items so reminiscent of their island in the sun.  How about duty-free shopping online?  Visitors could use their smartphones to purchase items that would be delivered to their airplane for their convenience.

With the Baha Mar and Atlantis anchors, we expect a bright future in the tourism market.  These bright stars would lead the way.  I think of a marriage between east and west with Baha Mar’s Chinese influence, and Atlantis tapping into the Latin countries.  We have an opportunity to not only showcase our Bahamian culture, but to learn the culture and languages of these new tourists to our shores.

I was so impressed to see the Copa flights landing from Latin American ports bringing many bright-eyed eager Spanish speakers to The Bahamas that I am inclined to brush up on a little Spanish, as I was always intrigued by their rich, vibrant culture and would welcome a culture fusion from this marriage of convenience.

 

Education

That brings me to my next point as we look at our crystal ball into the future Bahamas – education.  We must, old and young alike, invest in our continued education.  We have an opportunity to expand into e-learning.  For those who may not have done well in high school, these individuals can explore continued education to brush up on the skills that are required in the job market.

Those who wish to enhance or change their careers could also use e-learning, either through COB’s Continued Education program or by various online courses and degrees offered by other institutions within the global education market.  The opportunity includes individuals from the Family Islands who could broaden their horizons through e-learning portals and tap into educational institutions that were not traditionally available to them.

 

Our future

We must learn from the influences that grace our shores and add our unique flare, making our product a special one.  The Bahamas has enjoyed, over the years, many cultural influences.  Now let’s take it to the global stage.  Let’s offer the world our Bahamian products not only when people travel here, but when they google Bahamas they should be inundated with vibrant Junkanoo art, straw craft and the memory of the sweet island life.

Let’s take over the Internet market.  We have so much to offer as a small nation.  We are not an industrial nation.  We are not a horticultural nation, or collectively a technological giant.  However, together as a nation we are a cultural giant.

We can take the world by storm.  As the traditional employment sectors locally become saturated, we must flex and expand to the global market. I implore you, if you have an entrepreneurial idea, sit down with an Internet savvy young adult and allow your mind to meld with that person’s, unlocking the endless world of promise, potential and possibilities.

Aug 31, 2011

thenassauguardian

The difference between Perry Christie and Hubert Ingraham: Christie talks... and Ingraham acts

tribune242 editorial


WHILE Prime Minister Ingraham was still out in a helicopter last night -- landing in Nassau at 9.45pm-- after touring various settlements in Abaco, Opposition leader Perry Christie was in Nassau talking -- rather complaining about government's disaster strategy.

At a press conference yesterday PLP officials directed our attention to government's "mistakes" and "failures" in response to Hurricane Irene. We always take these directions as an invitation to go a step further. For us it is a temptation to open the PLP files on their administration's handling of the back-to-back Hurricanes Jeanne and Frances in 2004, and the NEMA disaster funds for which -- if memory serves -- Bahamians are yet to be given an accounting for that period. Sir Jack Hayward certainly made enough noise over his million dollar donation, which was not used for the hurricane repairs for which he intended them.

On Saturday a 72-year-old lady from Eight Mile Rock said that she realised that many of our islands had been badly damaged by Hurricane Irene. "But thank God that the FNM are in power this time," she added. She said she would never want anyone to experience what they had to experience under the PLP after the 2004 hurricanes. She knew the FNM would be fair. This speaks volumes, and our files of that period will support her words.

What went on today just illustrates the difference between the two leaders - Ingraham and Christie - and their administrations. One talks... the other acts. And when election day comes, Bahamians will have to decide which man they would prefer to administer their affairs - the one landing back in Nassau last night in a helicopter amidst rolling thunder after visiting his constituents, or the one in the safety of the capital complaining to the press.

Mr Christie thought that Prime Minister Ingraham's post hurricane assessment was insensitive to victims whose livelihood had been severely affected.

"When the leader of the country enters into a debate on a matter of a distaste and the impact of it, he has to exercise greater care than (Mr Ingraham) exercised in speaking."

We presume that Mr Christie was referring to Mr Ingraham being disturbed that a newspaper chose the word "devastated" to describe the affect of Irene on these islands. Ever a positive man of action, the word "devastated" conveyed to Mr Ingraham that our islands were down and out for the count. This is a position that he accepts in nothing -- damaged, yes, but down and out, no.

He saw the people's suffering. He felt it deeply. He knew many had lost everything, but he was on a tireless mission to see that they were helped to their feet as quickly as possible. He, like everyone else, was lamenting the destruction, he was not minimising or "making light" of something that was incredibly serious. But, he knew that sitting down crying over a disaster would not get anyone anywhere quickly -- and so he moved on from island to island, discovering the damage for himself and deciding how quickly it could be repaired.

He is leaving the walking and talking and touching and looking into people's eyes to see their hurt and pain -- as expressed at the press conference by MICAL MP Alfred Grey -- to Mr Grey and Mr Christie. While they are "pressing flesh", he will be getting the material to put a roof of people's heads.

"Brave" Davis, Cat Island MP, who hurried to his district right after the hurricane, suggested that Mr Ingraham consider waiving the duty on appliances for affected persons. While Mr Davis was suggesting, Mr Ingraham was doing. He had already announced that government will allow Cat Island's eligible residents to import building and electrical materials and agricultural supplies duty free.

Before leaving for Abaco yesterday to inspect the damage there, Mr Ingraham said: "Cat Island seems to be the most affected so they will have the longest period of duty exemption." He added that he thought a case could be made for Acklins and Mayaguana. However, he thought that Acklins and Cat Island were "at the top of the pile."

While Mr Davis was talking, HMBS Nassau was in Smith's Bay, Cat Island, delivering a team of Defence Force officers to distribute food, water and tarpaulin and other items to Cat Island residents who lost homes and possessions.

The officers will also help clean up the island. Mr Ingraham's government is also arranging to set up a reverse osmosis plant and generators in Cat Island.

This is hardly the behaviour of a man who fails to understand a people's tremendous loss and personal tragedy. We are confident that these stricken Bahamians would prefer what Mr Ingraham and his government are trying to do for them.

If Mr Gray thinks that what the Ingraham government is doing is "fast and inadequate," we leave it to Mr Gray to "walk and talk and touch and look in people's eyes and see the hurt and pain." People will quickly realise that these walks, talks, touching and eye contact will not put bread on their tables or a roof over their heads.

So, Bahamians, take your pick.

August 30, 2011

tribune242 editorial

caribbean Blog International

Preparation for Irene began 19 years ago after Hurricane Andrew wreaked havoc on The Bahamas

Hurricane Irene and being prepared

Front Porch

By Simon

If Hurricane Irene imagined she would meet The Bahamas unprepared, she was mistaken.  Having swamped virtually the entire archipelago, the massive, powerful and slow-moving storm met the country generally prepared for her assault.  In her wake there is a spirit of gratitude by many, especially that there was no loss of life.

Still, Irene left behind significant damage to homes, businesses and other private property, government offices and vegetation, devastating some Family Island settlements.  Cat Island, Acklins and Crooked Island, Mayaguana, Long Island and parts of San Salvador, Rum Cay, Exuma, Eleuthera and Abaco have been adversely impacted.

Foreign observers tracking Irene’s path through The Bahamas may have learned a few lessons about Bahamian geography and why it took the hurricane several days to traverse the country.  They may have learned about an archipelago of many island groups, an expanse approximately equal to that on size of the distance from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago.

The Weather Channel and weatherman Al Roker, with Bahamian roots, gave television viewers a tour through the Islands of The Bahamas as Irene’s fury battered the various island groups.

Fortuitously, the hurricane’s easterly turn mostly spared the country’s larger population centers of New Providence and Grand Bahama.  A direct hit on the former would have more adversely impacted the country and its capacity to respond to the needs of other islands.  Grand Bahama, still struggling with the aftermath of natural and economic storms, avoided another blow it could ill afford.

Preparation for Irene began 19 years ago after Hurricane Andrew wreaked havoc on the country, causing devastation in some Family Islands.  Andrew was a wake-up call from the complacency and somewhat false sense of security into which The Bahamas was lulled after avoiding major hurricanes for some years.

Irene’s assault coincided with the anniversary of Andrew’s onslaught on the country soon after the FNM and Hubert Ingraham won office in 1992.  Nineteen years later, the country is better prepared for such natural disasters because of pivotal decisions made back then.  One of the more consequential was the creation of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

The creation of NEMA spurred a significantly improved culture of disaster preparedness by government and non-governmental organizations.  Despite some glitches, the timely and professional response by many government agencies and NGOs was greatly in evidence when tested by Irene.

RESPONSE

In broadcast statements before and after Irene hit, the prime minister assured Bahamians, residents and visitors, that the government’s preparedness and response mechanisms were fully in place.  Following the hurricane, Ingraham briefed the country on the multiple teams dispatched throughout the country to assess the damage and recovery needs.

The prime minister also thanked various agencies.

“I want, in particular, to commend the Department of Meteorology for the timeliness of its weather information; the Royal Bahamas Police Force and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force for their continuous presence throughout the storm; and, our emergency health teams who commenced emergency operation on Wednesday ahead of the arrival of the hurricane and who remained on duty throughout,” he said.

“The Ministry of Health has given every assurance that all community health clinics around the country have adequate supplies of medications and that they will continue to be properly and adequately supplied in the weeks and months ahead.”

He continued: “Reaction teams from the Ministry of Public Works, the Department of Environmental Health Services, the Bahamas Electricity Corporation, the Royal Bahamas Police Force and Royal Bahamas Defence Force moved expeditiously to clear main public thoroughfares in New Providence even before the ‘all clear’ was given by the Department of Meteorology – and they are especially thanked.

“The Department of Environmental Health Services mobilized 20 garbage trucks on New Providence in advance of the hurricane to collect household garbage.  An additional 12 independent truckers were also engaged to collect bulk waste throughout the island of New Providence.

“I am advised that the team re-mobilized at 2 p.m. on Thursday, providing assistance to road-clearing exercises.  The team also responded to individual calls where roofs of homes were damaged as a result of trees falling.  Today, 40 teams were mobilized to continue clearing the main road arteries in Fox Hill, Bain and Grants Towns, Kennedy, Malcolm Road and in the city.”

The archipelagic nature of the country means that the logistical and organizational demands of disaster preparedness and response are unique and more complex than that of a single land mass such as Barbados.  Yet, the central government in Nassau has to respond to the challenges posed by urban centers and Family Island settlements.

These logistical and organizational challenges play to the incumbent prime minister’s strengths as demonstrated in his effective management during various hurricanes, including in lessons learned and responses implemented.

Prime Minister Ingraham has spoken of how global warming may spawn more intense storms and hurricanes, and rising sea levels especially in low-lying countries such as ours.  These things all pose complex challenges in terms of hurricane preparedness and mitigation efforts.

CENTER

Towards this end, in addition to providing NEMA with various technological and other resources, the Ingraham administration is nearing the completion of a state-of-the-art command center for the agency on Gladstone Road.

There is a three-pronged strategy to provide the northern, central and southern Bahamas with warehouses storing emergency supplies that can be made quickly available to these sectors of the country.  New Providence already has such a facility, with others planned for Grand Bahama and Inagua.

Improvements to the defence force base in Inagua and the creation of a new base in Ragged Island augment the capacity to respond to major storms and hurricanes; so will infrastructural improvements such as the installation of extensive drainage systems in parts of New Providence, especially in flood-prone areas.

Irene’s dismantling of the temporary tent housing the downtown straw market offers some lessons.  Among them: be prepared.

Some vendors who complained of the destruction of their goods left in the market during the hurricane wondered what the government might do to compensate their loss.  This included a potential loss of sales because some vendors indicated that they could not afford to miss a day’s work as a result of goods damaged or destroyed.  In essence, taxpayers should finance their irresponsibility.

A fellow straw vendor offered a to the point response noting that not only did vendors have enough time to move their goods, she also suggested that they should have been prepared for a rainy day.  Fortunately, straw vendors will soon have a new market.  Yet, many of them will continue to moan and complain because of new guidelines that will be put in place for the market.

And many who have whined incessantly about certain roadworks may get a better sense of why such extensive drainage systems are being put in place along with placing various utilities underground.  It’s not just the surface of the new roads that will enhance the quality of life of Bahamians and residents: so will the upgraded potable water system, bringing with it significantly enhanced water pressure through the extensive piping underground.

Even in the midst of significant national challenges and having weathered a major hurricane, there are many things we should be grateful for.  More of us might remember this the next time we overindulge our knee-jerk appetite to whine and complain while ignoring positive developments.

Those developments will prepare us for other hurricanes as well as the future just as the creation of NEMA left us better prepared when Irene threatened virtually the entire archipelago.  With lessons learned, we can continue to improve our disaster preparedness and response systems.  With a twist on an aphorism of Louis Pasteur, “Fortune favors the prepared country.”

Aug 30, 2011

thenassauguardian

Caribbean Blog International

Hurricane Irene lessons... So what have we learned for the future should we be faced with another storm?

LESSONS LEARNED FROM IRENE



By ROBERT CARRON
tribune242 editorial Insight


THERE is no doubt that The Bahamas was facing a threat of devastating proportions as Category 4 Hurricane Irene with winds of 135 mph, storm surges of immense proportions and torrential rain prepared to plow its way up through the entire length of our archipelago. Miraculously we were spared such a fate and suffered minimal damage with no reported loss of life.

Having had the opportunity to travel with the Prime Minister and members of his government as they assessed the damage from Hurricane Irene first hand in various Family Island communities over the last three days what immediately was apparent was Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham was there to make decisions. There was going to be no sending out of assessment teams before anything was done as in the past. The Family Island Administrators had made their reports by satellite phones, updated the various Ministers about what needed to be done. Mr Ingraham was there firsthand to learn, apply his vast knowledge and experience and make decisions to ensure that his government was accountable to the people it served.

While not wanting to minimise any damage suffered by any fellow Bahamians as trivial, because any loss no matter how small, is devastating, however contrary to reports in another daily newspaper Eleuthera was not "devastated" in the sense in which that word was being used. In fact, having been there after four hurricanes since Andrew in 1992, given the strength of the Hurricane Irene we were amazed to see how well the islands, people and communities withstood its onslaught compared to Andrew, Floyd and Jeanne. Of course, there were homes that suffered great damage, communities such as Arthur's Town, James Cistern, Green Turtle Cay, Knowles, Governor's Harbour southern Cat Island, Chesters and Lovely Bay that also suffered (see our photos), but there was nothing to suggest that there was devastation and between those areas in some cases there was no sign of a storm. As the Prime Minister clearly told the press, the words "relieved" or "spared" could have been so much better.

In 1992 and again with Hurricane Floyd, the Current, for example, suffered extensive damage so much so that only two structures were left standing. On Friday from the helicopter hovering at 100ft, no structure was destroyed and no roofs were completely damaged. In fact it appeared that the residents' immediate needs were shingles and plywood. Valentine's dock, another usual fatality that anyone would be a fool to go into a "web shop" to bet that it would survive, beat the odds. There, standing proud with only a few pieces of wood missing on its outer docks, was Valentine's dock. We were all amazed. The seawalls that had been installed in 1992 and 1999 were in all cases - from Eleuthera to Exuma to Cat Island -- a tremendous success and a good investment of the people's taxes. Not a single road that was protected by these walls had been washed away, nor were they in need of anything but a few very minor cosmetic repairs. Roads that were not protected such as in Knowles' or Smith's Bay were washed away.

So what have we learned for the future should we be faced with another storm? Well three things:

First and foremost BEC needs to be managed and held accountable to a much higher standard. The light poles - 48 of them that we counted on our tour of Cat Island- were down, not because of hurricane force winds, but because of shoddy installation and lack of planning. In all cases had the poles been drilled to the accurate depth and/or inspected afterwards perhaps the communities would not be without power today and having to wait, we are told, two to three weeks to have these poles replaced. That the power plant in Bluff, Eleuthera, a lovely modern showpiece, is without fuel to produce power is baffling. The key ingredient of a power plant for generators is oil. We understand that the government was told that the plant had enough oil to last to September 6th. We have learned that the oil is on the island, but not at the plant. BEC needs to be accountable and a public investigation needs to be initiated.

If BTC is to have the tremendous privilege of holding an exclusive cellular service within our Commonwealth then with that immense gift comes fiduciary responsibilities that the government will have to enforce. That BTC cell sites do not have their own generation facilities is shortsighted.

Marlon Johnson, VP of Sales and Marketing, made a statement to the press that the communications failure is "not our fault this time" as BEC is off. Well, yes, it is! BTC should not have to rely on the unreliable power of BEC because then they are only as reliable as something in which they have no vested interest and over which they have no control. Furthermore, having been given an exclusive cellular service in 2011 how on earth are people supposed to communicate in such dire circumstances when BEC's policy is to turn off the grid before the storm to protect its equipment and people's lives? BTC must install generators at key cell sites -- which, other than the tower in Eleuthera, appears to have suffered no damage. Are we being plunged back into the stone age to communicate by carrier pigeon all for the sake of a few generators?

The most important lesson as a country that has to be faced is that global warming, increasing violent hurricane seasons and other variables outside of our control will be a part of our future. In other words we have to accept that some of our communities are geographically unsustainable in terms of protection. The FNM and PLP also need to start a national political discussion without the usual bickering on the sustainability of having such far flung settlements inhabited by so few people, with declining populations instead of building one or two super settlements in various islands. We as a country must accept the fact that we can no longer afford to invest millions of dollars for capital projects for 72 people in any settlement. when the demands of our young and increasing population and other social infrastructure improvements go unchecked.

The media also has to play its role. It is not fair to report fiction, or to create public panic by innuendo. As the publisher of this newspaper always insists: "When in doubt, leave out!" And as the Prime Minister stated: "The clinic of Smith's Bay was not completely destroyed" as reported, although it did lose all the shingles on its roof. In fact, upon entering the facility the drop ceiling had been cleaned up and this clinic would be in good shape in a matter of days.

The Bahamian people and our media can take great reassurance from a recent article in Businessweek magazine, written by Jeff McMahon, that showed that Bahamians are nowhere near the bottom of the pile.

"Hurricane Irene is swirling around me right now," he wrote, "slamming gates, lashing shutters with wind and rain, bending coconut palms, and sweeping from these low, sandy islands anything that's not been tied down.

"In the hours leading to this moment, two distinct kinds of humans could be observed here: panicked Americans and calm Bahamians.

"American tourists crowded hotel reception desks and taxi stands yesterday, rushing to escape to the more besieged airport, while Bahamians took in stride the necessity of additional work: screwing plywood over windows, stacking deck chairs and tossing them into hotel pools to keep them from becoming airborne in the coming winds.

"Why such a difference in attitude between Bahamians and Americans? Here's what one native Bahamian told me: 'I have lived through many hurricanes in the Bahamas. You just need a place to stay out of the rain and relax until it's over."

Meanwhile, the American news channels, CNN and The Weather Channel, have been hawking danger and devastation for these islands and for 55 million people on the American East Coast. "You need to have a survival kit!" one televised expert insisted. "After 9-11 people found themselves without goggles and gas masks."

How will a gas mask help in this hurricane? Let's hope lessons learned beget lives saved.

August 29, 2011

tribune242 editorial Insight