The fact that schools are closed and distance learning is largely ineffective reflect the reality that the Bahamian system of public education is broken. For decades, our young people have not been adequately prepared to become productive, constructive, engaged members of society. The pandemic disrupted a largely antiquated system. Instead of figuring out how to go back to more of the same, policy makers have a perfect opportunity to reshape the system - to ensure that all children are functionally literate and to be innovative so young people are indeed prepared to be 21st Century citizens both as Bahamians and members of the global community.

For details, work with local educators who have vision, learn from places like Finland, examine effective public schools in the United States, see what's working well at private institutions such as Albany and the Island School on Eleuthera. To break the longstanding crisis in education, disruptive innovation is essential.

Above all, give children hope, allow them to feel successful, make them feel people in power, and adults generally, care for them.

Unfortunately, our country and, especially, those elected to lead us are caught in a unconstructive -- even destructive -- cycle of more of the same and, in this case, the most vulnerable among us are suffering because of it: our children. Each administration points fingers at the former for ongoing societal dislocations and refuses to accept its role in the problem. Their playbooks contain similar similar strategies with only the glossy cover being replaced in an attempt to hoodwink people into believing something new is being offered. For education, as with other policies, there's arrogance, ineptitude, inertia, an absence of innovation, a moribund bureaucracy that muzzles people who have constructive ideas for creating more relevant and effective learning environments, and, for too many in positions of power, a lack of concern for the welfare of our young people.

In the end, how long can a country whose prosperity is built on unsustainable foundations survive? What happens when those foundations are so weak that, come the next global recession, society as we know it unravels?

OMG above rightly points out some of the inadequacies in education. While it feels like a cliché, the children are the future of the country. Given the historically dismal state of education -- now compounded by the pandemic -- what is their future? What is the future of our country?

A related note: Would the Bahamian system of education be of much higher quality if politicians, the well-heeled, and parents who sacrifice material possessions to pay private school fees had to send their children to public schools? What would happen if teachers were paid more and better respected for the invaluable role they played in shaping our nation's future? What would happen if parents cared enough and "went on strike," refusing to send their children to schools that weren't properly equipped learning environments -- communities where every child was provided with the opportunity to thrive and be successful? What would happen if all of us cared enough, even those of us who have no "skin in the game" (e.g., no school-aged or no kids, the upper middle class)?

While this is one more tragic incident in the ongoing history of brutal violence in Nassau, please get your headline terminology right -- especially as, if one only looks at the headline, they assume that another form of violence has hit Nassau's streets.

According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of road rage: "a motorist's uncontrolled anger that is usually provoked by another motorist's irritating act and is expressed in aggressive or violent behavior."

Yes, because of our small population, The Bahamas is not a major overall contributor to global warming. However, our leaders must pause before blaming other countries and consider our per person carbon footprint. Where available, data places The Bahamas in the top 25% of global carbon dioxide emitters per person. The World Bank has no data between 1980 and 2020, except for 2009, when CO2 emissions were 17 metric tons per person. Statista has 7.6 metric tons per person for 2017. For 2016, WorldOMeters has, 11.7 tons per capita. Wikipedia whose data is from Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR), shows 7.7 tons per person in 2018.

Who knows what the true figures are but, if we use 7.7 tons as a reasonable figure, we are responsible for a lot of CO2 per person. The number is by no means comparable to that of oil producing countries and nations such as the USA, Canada, and South Korea, but it’s almost the same as China’s and far more than India’s. We are a carbon-based economy — our electricity production, our transportation, our tourism-based economy, and our consumption patterns.

So, Mr. Prime Minister. What is the nation’s plan to reduce CO2 emissions? While each of us can reduce our carbon footprint, only policies can bring about meaningful, sustained change. More concrete action, sir; less rhetoric and finger-pointing.

Adults must stop blaming children. Our children are who they are because of who we are and what our society is. They are a reflection of us and our community. As the old much-cited African proverb states: "It takes a village to raise a child." Where is our proverbial village? And to anyone with the inane response that we don't live in villages anymore, think metaphor. Met-a-phor: "a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable."

Those who are being bigoted - even racist - against the Chinese (and other groups, including Haitians) need to stop. It's not Christian, reflects ignorance, and does not help the world to be a better place. Think: What is it that you fear?

Also, what's the difference between US and Chinese neocolonialism?

For facts about Chinese tourism from the globally recognized McKinsey see https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKins….

If this is too much to read, consider--and fact check--the reality that the Chinese are the world's top spenders in international tourism, accounting for 20+ percent of spending in recent years.

The advisory is Level 4 because of Covid-19 AND crime. Before you spout off read the actual general travel advisory https://travel.state.gov/content/travel… and the actual Covid-19 advisory https://bs.usembassy.gov/covid-19-infor… (a lot of which is about restrictions when here).

Also, our country does not need visitors who might get sick here stressing already overburdened health care facilities.

For allowed shopping and services, how about alternating Monday through Saturday by license plate? Even numbers one day; odd the other. Strict enforcement - a challenge, I know, but if the news gets out about enforcement fines, majority of people will comply. No matter what, those who flaunt the law will continue to do so, but most Bahamians are willing to make sacrifices to keep themselves and others safe. Government policy is another thing. For example, since people can go shopping tomorrow (Wednesday), why not start curfew 10 PM Wednesday, instead of today (Tuesday).

A tragedy of grand proportions - the fire, the discussion by many of Haitians being "the other," and our nation's inability to come up with functional policies for addressing the "Haitian problem."

I wonder how many of us commenting here have and/or do utilize Haitians as as laborers - both those here legally and the undocumented?!

There appears to be considerable fear mongering about the Chinese. How much of it has to do with questions of sovereignty as opposed to elements of racism? Whether we like it or not, our destiny is controlled by the United States, perhaps not directly, but certainly by proxy through U.S. corporate interests. Whither goes the United States goes The Bahamas.

The editorial notes that “China wants a footprint in this hemisphere.” Does China need a “footprint” in this hemisphere?? Consider the following from a December 21, 2016 Forbes Magazine article:

“It's been a milestone year for Chinese companies investing in the U.S. According to Mergermarket, Chinese companies invested a total of $51.09 billion into the U.S. via 65 deals in 2016. That's a 360% surge from 2015 when Chinese companies invested $11.7 billion. In all, Chinese investments made up 12% of all inbound mergers & acquisitions in the U.S. this year, a big step up from previous years when Chinese investments made up about 2% or so of foreign investments into the country.”

If this isn't a footprint, what is – particularly when one considers the close ties between the Chinese government and Chinese corporations??