I do teach (a gift from childhood; from K-12 to university level) and do community work (up to my eyeballs). I too have had my former students, some which I may vaguely remember, stop and thank me. Fortunately, I do not have to again encourage them.

I too do not seek the limelight for myself but will highlight Jamaica’s positives and negatives, with balance, as I try to encourage positive, sustained change. Nevertheless, thanks again for your contributions.

I ASKED HER A QUESTION AND SHE GAVE A REPLY. The next thing she did was to give me a hug and she said, ‘What you did left an impression on me and I was only a little girl then. I asked what she is doing now and I encouraged her to be the best in her field of endeavour. I will not call Mark or Kadene, for I have touched lives across the length and breath of Jamaica and globally.

Do not worry about me, ask yourself if you have changed one thing in a positive way in this country. I know what I have done, what I am doing and those who recognize my work know it too. Most important is that God knows. You have a great day.

None of my comments said that they did a consistent or good job. When you read my previous comments and my own articles do, you will find we may be in agreement with the quality of our educational and health system. However, I will always defend Jamaica’s efforts, encourage improvements, and acknowledge our successes that some Jamaicans conveniently forget then spread misleading negative news abroad.

As a researcher and teacher of public policy, one person’s five-sense is not sufficient for induction or deduction or to assess cause and effect. You need evidence and good documentation to understand why our system was created, how it operates, identify the problems, develop solutions, use appropriate techniques to choose the optimal solutions, prioritize implementation in respect to need and funding levels, conduct periodic reviews, then make appropriate changes.

This approach combines the scientific method with the continuous improvement model. My comments will never follow a “blog” mentality but will seek truth, bring facts, and different perspectives as well as new information. I encourage you to do the same if you really want Jamaica and its people to succeed in the 21st Century and beyond. We must also increase our tolerance of different perspective and respect each other’s views.

You are of the view that successive governments have done exceedingly well in the areas of health and education. I am of the view that they have done an average job in health and an atrocious job in education. It’s not that I do not trust the knowledge of others but given the choice between the statement of others and facts as experienced through my five senses, I would obviously have a bias to mine.

Let’s agree to disagree.