Kamla: Education Minister delaying SEA

Noting that Hazel Manning, unlike previous Prime Minister’s wives, held a substantive ministerial portfolio, UNC MP Kamla Persad Bissessar is asking: “What is the Minister of Education, Hazel Manning, doing in Jamaica?” “As far as I know that is a conference for Heads of Government,” she said in Diego Martin on Monday night. Persad-Bissessar said Hazel Manning had to make up her mind  on whether she wanted to be the spouse of the head of government “and go to the tea parties” in Jamaica or whether she wanted to do her job as Minister of Education of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. “Make up your mind!” Persad-Bissessar demanded, provoking strong applause from the small audience. The Siparia MP, who said that someone e-mailed her an agenda for the Caricom meeting, noting that there was nothing of the agenda which related to the Ministry of Education. “And all I can see is ‘day one- luncheon for the wives’, ‘day two- shopping in so-and-so area’, ‘day three-visit to the beach’. Steups...[look] Minister of Education, come back home and give the children the SEA results! Now! Get back home! What yuh doing in Jamaica!” she thundered, eliciting clapping from the audience. Noting that SEA results are to be released on Thursday morning, Persad-Bissessar who said it was bad enough that Manning appointed his wife as a Minister in the first place,  lamented  that “our children are out there waiting on their results” while the Minister was in Jamaica. Prime Minister, Patrick Manning and his entourage are expected back in the country on Thursday evening at 7 p.m.

But Persad-Bissessar didn’t stop there.  She accused Hazel Manning of deliberately delaying SEA results in order to do something “dangerous.” “Som-ething very dangerous is going on with the Minister of Education,” she said. “This year I am being told that they cooking the books and the numbers (marks),” she added.  Dismis-sing that there was any problems with school spaces, Persad-Bissessar said: “They sitting there with all the results but you know PNM style —friend and family first. So I want you parents to make sure that when the results come out, demand your children’s marks, to make sure that justice is done,” Persad- Bissessar said. “Demand the marks!