“[…] Trinidad and Tobago now joins the United Arab Emirates and Canada as the only countries in the world with government ministries explicitly titled ‘Artificial Intelligence’. “[…] However, such a ministry must not be merely symbolic or otherwise tokenistic. It should be led by professionals with expertise in AI policy, …
Read More »Dear Editor: Violence in school, silence from support system; why expulsions could worsen problem
“[…] What happens beyond classroom removal matters because the students we expel are still children. Many of them are struggling with challenges far bigger than a ‘bad’ attitude including trauma, broken homes or mental health needs. “Simply moving them from one ministry to another won’t fix the issue if there …
Read More »Dear Editor: A full stadium in a half-broken country; what T&T game meant to poor families
“[…] Far less visible [than the upper tier citizens at yesterday’s World Cup qualifying match], was a single, unemployed mother from one of our struggling communities, who had made an extraordinary effort to bring her young son to the game. “[…] Whether by sacrifice, missed bills, or borrowing, she gave …
Read More »Dear Editor: WI got bowling tactics wrong in ODIs; give Alzarri the new ball!
“[…] The West Indies tacticians, in their wisdom, chose to give the new ball to Matthew Forde to accompany Jayden Seales in the first two games. In the third game, even with Forde missing, they again overlooked Alzarri and entrusted the new ball to Shamar Joseph. That, I believe, was …
Read More »Dear Editor: Caribbean FAs, like TTFA, can never get sustained success from Fifa grants
“[…] Dependency on global and regional football authorities, and government funds disempowers football leaders in these associations. Leaders often find themselves constrained by the conditions attached to grants or by the pressure to align with donor priorities rather than focusing on their country’s specific football needs. “[…] This dynamic can …
Read More »‘Measured, never strident, penetrating in insights’; Dr Farrell honours Justice Adrian Saunders
“[…] Justice Adrian Saunders’ judgments were measured, never strident, insistent on faithfulness to principle, penetrating in their insights, and always grounded in the law as he read it. “[…] He was president of the CCJ when the issue of the outcome of the Guyana election exploded in 2020. This required …
Read More »Dear Editor: Reparations yes, but they must come with responsibility and reform
“[…] To be sure, reparative justice advocacy must also include an honest self-assessment by Africa and the African diaspora about their role in perpetuating continued underdevelopment. “[…] That process would entail seriously confronting well-documented issues, such as corruption, nepotism, and political maladministration, that continue to subvert their attempts at achieving …
Read More »Dear Editor: T&T owes it to our talented youth to rebuild our football programme
“[…] As coach Dwight Yorke noted following the Unity Cup, many of our local-based players are not yet ready for international-level competition. But this isn’t their fault. It is the result of a system that no longer provides the structure or support to develop top-level players here at home. “The …
Read More »Dear Editor: The high social cost of abandoning community programmes when gov’ts change
“[…] Governments come and go, and with them their pet projects, regardless of whether those initiatives were making a difference. “What happens next? The same communities, the same youth and the same families are left once more to pick up the pieces. “[…] This goes beyond dollars and cents and …
Read More »Dear Editor: Commuting is daily punishment; Transport Minister should experience it first-hand
“[…] The focus on who gets a pass is a distraction from the fact that for the past 15 years, the journey itself has become a daily punishment for law-abiding, tax-paying citizens. “[…] On a Wednesday morning during the school term, attempt the commute to your Port of Spain ministry …
Read More »Dear Editor: Mulraine is right; TTFA must invest in talent identification
“[…] Instead of relying on one-off screening sessions, the TTFA should establish a structured scouting network that monitors players across various competitions such as the Republic Bank National Youth Football League, the All-Star Showcase, and the City Cup. “Trained scouts would track players over the course of a season, evaluating …
Read More »Mulraine: Screening sessions to select national youth teams is lazy, inefficient and outdated
“[…] Anyone who has gone through this process knows the folly of trying to select the ‘best’ 20 players out of 100s of young footballers who will turn up. Sometimes a gem has a bad day. Sometimes he is placed on a team with only strange faces and he hardly …
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