EDITORIAL

The sky is the limit

For some time now across this country, there has been concern raised that not enough focus is being placed on science and technology (S&T), sparking calls for that to change. Such change, the supporters of such a thrust believe, is needed if we are to see various existing and potential sectors in Barbados achieve their full potential.

But the truth is this lack of an S&T focus is not unique to our shores. Across the Caribbean many countries are also being encouraged to look towards S&T to spur growth and development, but sadly lacking are the measures needed to make it a reality. As a country and as a region, we have failed to put the requisite measures in place to encourage our people to embrace a culture of S&T. Certainly it calls for governments to put their money where their mouths are and encourage citizens to pursue studies in the area, perhaps even offering national scholarships in particular fields to help ensure that there are persons who are properly trained to work in those areas well into the future.

Indeed, we support the manifesto pledge of the Government to redesign the school curriculum giving priority to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. On the campaign trail, the now ruling Barbados Labour Party also spoke of creating a national innovation programme within schools, and collaborating with the private sector to create an innovation hub around the University of the West Indies, to be home to global research and technology companies. If indeed the Government wants to push the latter, then it cannot simply be a case of expats coming into Barbados and filling the top positions, while Barbadians do the menial work. We must ensure that Barbadians are at the forefront of the work such companies will seek to do.

We make the point as we acknowledge that the failure to embrace S&T before was perhaps the result of some self doubt, believing us to be too small a country to produce anything that could be sought after by the wider world. Nothing could be further from the truth, for this country with our greatest resource being our people, only lacks the will to make it happen. The fact is that the same technology we shy away from can erase our limitations of size, opening door to many new and exciting possibilities for economic growth and development like we have never seen before.

To achieve that, we must stop seeing S&T in its purest sense, broadening our idea of what S&T is and recognising that it is not just about chemistry, biology, physics, computers and software. Take agriculture for instance, the focus is on producing food which is safe, in quantities that can achieve food security. This can only be achieved by utilising proper S&T skills to bolster yields and develop new varieties which are resistant to disease and pests.

There is also a school of thought that S&T plays a major role in the socio-economic development of a country and we would guess it is for that reason, that the current administration sought to put some focus on it with the new Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training and the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Smart Technology. We trust that the two will work in tandem to take Barbadians and by extension the country to a new level in our development.

We also hope that they are given the support both in respect of finances and human resources to make their goals a reality, for within S&T is a vast amount of untapped knowledge and potential, which can help to boost the economy on its own, or assist other sectors to achieve that objective. We simply have to exploit this potential and see the sky as the limit.

Barbados Advocate

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