Although before his persuasion, I would often travel on the Number 38 bus which passed alongside a law school in the city of London. Registering at this institute sometime vaguely crossed my mind. My brother’s encouragement just served to spur me on. I eventually became a student of law at the said law school and was ‘Called to the Bar’, having successfully completed my legal studies. I became a barrister at law in England and Wales. Notwithstanding, my heart has always been and still is in the field of education.
I enjoyed studying law. I consider it a great thing to be knowledgeable about the laws that govern the land in which we live. My special interest is Education Law and I think it would be reasonable for me to expect you to understand why. Then again, you are more likely to comprehend if you knew that I could not read at age fourteen and because of the then education system in Trinidad and Tobago, I was cut off main stream education.
I must say, that I hold no grudge for the education system that let me down. On the other hand, in the interest of the many children who are struggling at schools like I once did, it goes without saying that inclusive education should be at the heart of every education policy and no child should be marginalised. I also take the position that the schools we build, the quality of teaching, the learning experiences offered, the content of the curriculum and the level of inclusiveness, are telling of the value placed on the children of any nation.
While I do not undertake litigation in courts, I find great satisfaction in counselling parents and young adults … reminding education practitioners about the State’s responsibility.
Also, it is of great importance that the home, the school, the legal system… the State, work in partnership for the benefit of each child so that no student ‘slips through the net’. Hence, my programmes embrace all of the aforementioned institutions.