20 years to fix TT

It stands to reason then, that for us to correct these problems, it will also take many years (and this is assuming that all of our decisions and actions are 100 percent correct).

So what do we do now? Start with the identifiable, obvious problems and move towards correcting them immediately. Let us start with something obvious like the removal of the shift system in our schools, and have all students attend school on a regularised basis.

Couple this with other social support systems that are geared towards addressing problems in family life and provide community based activities and opportunities to exhaust the minds and bodies of our youths.

Surely, some of the resources that are being used in non-priority areas (convention centres and office buildings) could be redeployed into building schools and community centres throughout Trinidad and Tobago, starting with the most deserving areas. When we get our people on track, we will be successful with all the other areas needed for developed nation status. If not, we will have spectacular material infrastructure, with no one around to sustain and develop it further.

Sometime within the next 20 years, we will be reaping the rewards of our positive efforts today, rather than the further decline and destruction of our people and places.