Dear Editor,
Why do we continue to waste so much time in this country? In every facet of life, it is very evident.
However I want to specifically and briefly address the question of graduation ceremonies as I believe this is an apt metaphor for the way we value time in Jamaica.
Starting from basic schools (ridiculous), we have these functions lasting for upwards of three hours. To what end, and to whose benefit? Certainly not for the little tykes at the basic schools who would have lost interest from after the first 30 minutes.
Please allow me to use a very recent experience to illustrate very vividly the point: I went to my granddaughter's high school graduation in Indianapolis in June. There were 600 graduates. The function was scheduled to begin at 3:30 pm, and did precisely.
All the graduates marched in, which took about 10-12 minutes. Then there were all the usual addresses. The head of the school board gave an address, as did the principal, and two or three other officials of the school district. We then had the valedictorian's address and the address by the senior class speaker -- incidentally, my granddaughter.
These were followed by every one of the 600 graduates being called up to receive their diplomas and after that the entire graduating class filed orderly out of the auditorium. It was now precisely 5:00 pm — 90 minutes in total had gone by. Go figure!
Maybe all of us would think seriously about using our time more effectively if we realised that not even Bill Gates can pay to get back even five minutes that's been wasted.
Errol K Miller
LIME Foundation
errol.miller@lime.com
What a waste of precious time!
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Why do we continue to waste so much time in this country? In every facet of life, it is very evident.
However I want to specifically and briefly address the question of graduation ceremonies as I believe this is an apt metaphor for the way we value time in Jamaica.
Starting from basic schools (ridiculous), we have these functions lasting for upwards of three hours. To what end, and to whose benefit? Certainly not for the little tykes at the basic schools who would have lost interest from after the first 30 minutes.
Please allow me to use a very recent experience to illustrate very vividly the point: I went to my granddaughter's high school graduation in Indianapolis in June. There were 600 graduates. The function was scheduled to begin at 3:30 pm, and did precisely.
All the graduates marched in, which took about 10-12 minutes. Then there were all the usual addresses. The head of the school board gave an address, as did the principal, and two or three other officials of the school district. We then had the valedictorian's address and the address by the senior class speaker -- incidentally, my granddaughter.
These were followed by every one of the 600 graduates being called up to receive their diplomas and after that the entire graduating class filed orderly out of the auditorium. It was now precisely 5:00 pm — 90 minutes in total had gone by. Go figure!
Maybe all of us would think seriously about using our time more effectively if we realised that not even Bill Gates can pay to get back even five minutes that's been wasted.
Errol K Miller
LIME Foundation
errol.miller@lime.com
What a waste of precious time!
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