Beginning in January 1997 Errol Miller wrote a weekly Column for the Daily Gleaner. He ceased writing the Column after being appointed Chairman of the Electoral Advisory Committee in December 2000. The dates found at the end of most Columns are the dates on which the Columns were written and submitted. These columns were published three or four days later. These Columns are grouped in broad themes.
There is no shortage of talk in Jamaica today. Indeed, there are merchants of talk who have turned chat into a profitable business and in the process shattered the popular saying that talk is cheap. This is not to say that talk should be discounted or despised. Remember, in the beginning, was the Word. The word is a critical element in the creative process. The problem is when we can only talk and can do little else.
The Ministry of Education Youth and Culture is to be congratulated for mounting the three-day Exposition on Education at the National Arena. It gave an opportunity for the public to get some idea what is happening within education as well as to appreciate the enormous talents of our students and teachers. Equally important it gave teachers and others within the education sector the opportunity to become more aware and informed about what was happening in other segments of the system other than their own.
The need to strengthen and improve early childhood education is one of the areas that seems to enjoy bipartisan support. Both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition highlighted this area in their Budget presentations, in which education took centre stage. In a subsequent discussion of the Budget Debate on the Breakfast Club Mrs Beverly Manley remarked that apart from early childhood education, she found discussion of other issues in education boring. It is necessary to place some perspective on this emphasis on early childhood education.
Both the Leader of the Opposition and the Prime Minister have put out their proposals for the development of education. Each proposal has elements of considerable merit. While there are differences between them, both proposals have common elements. One such common element is that of promoting school attendance. Indeed, this is a major weakness of primary education and one that must be tackled.
Most times we condemn partisan competition as divisive and negative because it is usually about looking after the party faithful without due consideration to fairness, ethics and the national good. Over the last several months there has been a rivalry between the Government and the Opposition concerning which is more committed to education and who came up with various ideas first. This rivalry reached a peak in the current Budget Debate. Last week the Leader of the Opposition made education the centrepiece of his presentation. This week the Prime Minister has responded in kind. Both presentations deserve careful study become passing judgment. Hence I will not attempt any analysis or comment on their content today. The pleasing aspect is the attention being paid to education. Certainly, this is nice and healthy partisan competition. The focus is on the nation’s survival.
Reflections are those in Text or PowerPoint Presentations.
Tapes recorded by the Church at which these messages were preached.
Keynote speeches and public lectures delivered by professor Errol Miller.
Motivational speeches delivered by professor Errol Miller.
Prizegiving and graduation speeches delivered by Professor Errol Miller.
Speeches on general issues delivered by Professor Errol Miller.
Addresses presented by chairman Professor Errol Miller on behalf of the ECJ
This category comprises material written by Professor Errol Miller for conventions related to electoral matters.
National broadcasts and messages from the ECJ written by chairman Professor Errol Miller.
This category comprises of literature about innovations made by the Electoral Commission of Jamaica by Professor Errol Miller.
Letters that were written by the then chairman of the Electoral Commission of Jamaica, Professor Errol Miller.
Messages that were written by Professor Errol Miller in his capacity as chancellor of The Mico University College.
Citations and Tributes By Professor Errol Miller at the Mico University College.
Graduation addresses by Professor Errol Miller at the Mico University College
Research day messages by Professor Errol Miller at the Mico Univesity College.
