De ah-so-she-hate’s degree

Two years ago when our daughter was about to enter de Community College, de Ah-so-she-hate’s Degree Program was being introduced foh de first time, and offered de students an opt-shun, de traditional CAPE or dis new Ah-so-she-hate’s Degree. Ah don’t know what de officials at de College told de students about dis new program, but our daughter was excited about it, until her Mom who is an Educator add-vice her to stick wid CAPE as info on de Ah-so-she-hate’s Degree was sketchy.{{more}}

Foh me dat was good news, but just foh de records sake ah went on de Internet and put on my Goggles and dis is what ah saw: “Associate’s Degree is ah two-year college degree from a community college, university, college, or career school. Associate’s degrees are normally earned with about sixty college credits, including general education courses, electives, and courses required toward a specific college major. Most associate’s degrees are awarded in business, health, engineering, information technology etc etc… The recipient of an associate’s degree can then transfer the credits toward a four year, bachelor’s degree program.”

Dat last sentence is what resonated foremost in de student’s mindset: “transfer de credits toward a four year Bachelor’s program.”

Adding de pieces to-get-het, I believe dat de Community College had good intentions. It seems like dey were hoping to get officials from de UWI or wayever to come in and Assess de course, and give it dey blessings of approval in time foh de first set ah Graduates. Results are out, de students who pass de Ah-so-she-hate’s Degree Exams, are ready to go on to University only to be told dat not only de students misunderstood what dey were told in de beginning, but dat de University is yet to confirm if de temperature of these Ah-so-she-hate’s Degrees is Far-reign-height or Sell-see-us.

Needless to say de whole thing tun pull-it-to-call “ole mas” wid de College saying one thing and de Students another. Part ah de reason foh all ah dis confusion is de poor lines ah communication between de officials at College on one side and students and parents on de other. Ah hope and trust dat Bro Nigel Scott treats dis as ah priority when he gets appointed soon!

Lie-Za didn’t even go to secondary school, and she says de College should ah never call de program Ah-so-she-hate’s Degree when it is really not so, dis is ah “Miss No-mah” very misleading. Is either CAPE or de Community College Diploma. She thinks dat de College is caught up in ah Educate-shun Rev-all-yuh-shun which is all about numbers, stat’s-sticks; ah big haste to push de children thru school even if it boils down to “wid or widout nothing between dey ears.” Her near-bar’s son is eighteen years ole and in Form 3 at ah Secondary school in town, he can neither read, spell nor count! It will tek just as much remedial wuk to help him as it will tek to heal de disgruntled Ah-so-she-hate’s Degree student at College!.

ACT NOW AND TELL DE TRUTH

What gone bad ah morning, can’t come good ah evening” is how Lie-Za describes de Clare Valley housing problem. Go-venom-mint was wrong to build houses on dat site, especially Low Income Houses way required building standards usually get thrown out de window. De Clare Valley housing scheme is ah disaster waiting to happen, and ah calling on de Go-venom-mint and de Housing and Land Development Corporation (HLDC) to smart up and stop play politics wid de lives of de residents, who are living in ah potential disaster area.

It is pull-it-to-kill dishonesty foh Go-venom-mint/HLDC officials to cast blame on builders and masons and tile fitters at dis early stage, when no study has been done yet to determine de extent and cause of de problems on de Development site. And we must listen to de message and stop beating-up de messenger, Clive “Bish-I” Bishop, who is an expert on soils and has professional information on de area from Research done in 1958 and 2006. What we do know is dat it was very Irresponsible foh de HLDC to develop virgin lands widout Physical Planning Approval, widout having done proper soil testing, widout ah proper design showing drainage etc. Correcting and Cleaning dis mess is ah mammoth task; Especially wid houses already built, sold and occupied; some ah de houses shaking and cracking up, one house done collapse, it won’t be easy.

One distressed home-owner described de attitude of de HLDC towards his appeal foh help as disrespectful. Ah number of Home-owners disclosed dat dey have been lodging come-plain to HLDC about de visible and physical signs of disaster waiting to happen at Clare Valley, but seems like all dey cries fell on deaf ears. Lie-Za feels dat it was pride dat kept de HLDC from going public wid de problems at Clare Valley; after all it would ah bin bad publicity foh de project as well as bad politics. So was only after de house fell down, dat all fell down too.

Now HLDC must determine immediately if it is safe foh residents to remain in de houses. An immediate study of and ah report on de situation is required right away. Whatever dey do, come out and tell home owners de truth. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.