THE EDITOR:
PLEASE permit me an opportunity to thank Gary Thomas on his bold initiative to expose teachers at a certain south primary school for their truly immoral behaviour, and also to thank the TnT Mirror for their invaluable help in assisting in setting things into motion.

I have to correct you on a few things though, Thomas.

The SEA teachers are not making over $6,000; they are making an additional $12,000 tax-free for the month.

I have been observing silently to see if any action would have been taken by the relevant authorities, but none yet.

What a shame!

Shame on the Ministry of Education, shame on the Minister of Education and shame on the school’s Board!

How can these people call themselves educators?

And what Thomas wrote about the fact that pupils whose parents cannot pay are short-changed, is true.

My nephew was.

It was a very uncomfortable time for him.

And it was tough for us, because we could not afford to put out an extra $300 a month.

That is $3,600 a year for these classes.

That was a few years ago.

You, sir, made it quite clear that if any official body wished to investigate the facts that they should freely do so, and they would discover that everything you wrote was accurate.

How embarrassing it would be for it to all come out in the open. They’re testing our patience, Thomas.

It seems as though the SEA teachers at this school are unmoved.

They continue in spite of the current exposure of their illegal activity.

I hope that you and your supportive group continue to press the ministry and the school’s Board until this whole matter is resolved.

I remembered long ago when teachers did lessons because they thought that the pupils in their class deserved some extra practice.

These lessons were done out of the goodness of the teachers’ hearts. Not anymore, Thomas.

It’s only done now for big money.

However, I wish to make the point that what is good for Peter is good for Paul.

The ministry needs to sit down and really investigate all the schools that are allowing the conducting of lessons and put a stop to it all, or soon only the rich will be able to do well in SEA.

Lessons at any school after school hours for fees is unacceptable.

THE EDITOR:
IT is indeed a pity that our Prime Minister Patrick Manning had to ask the Leader of the Opposition to be part of the discussion on the escalating criminal activities in our beloved nation, although the holder of that office is himself before court of law on indictable criminal charges.

If the discussion was on housing or any other problems, Manning’s invita-tion would have been excusable.

But crime!

Of all things!

We know that Manning had no other alternative but to invite the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, so that we can surely excuse his predictament. This can also be applied to the arrest of the Chairman of the People’s National Movement (PNM).

Surely, Manning cannot be blamed for not being able to see the future.

A second PNM Chairman in trouble?

As we say in Trinidad and Tobago, “where there is smoke, there is fire”.

THE EDITOR:
ALLOW me to wish the staff of the “Friday and Sunday Mirror” all the best for the season.

As another Christmas approaches, let us also remember the poor, the lonely, the elderly, the homeless and the single mothers in our society, for whom Christmas will be nothing but just another day; however, fortunate citizens will be celebrating with family members and friends in various forms and fashion.

The Christmas story should inspire us to become compassionate to our less fortunate brothers and sisters in our society.

Joseph and Mary travelled a long distance before their journey ended.

They were humble people; they did not possess any riches or conveniences afforded to them, but the gift they brought into the world on Christmas Day was more “precious” than gold or silver.

The gift of God being incarnated into the flesh.

We tend to get caught up in the frenzy of the season: shopping, gift giving and gift buying, which have their own significance; but what are we celebrating?

We are celebrating Jesus’ entry into the world and too much emphasis is placed on the commercialisation of the season, rather than its importance.

Advertisements of all sorts, luring us into spending, and sometimes spending beyond our means; and on unnecessary items.

Are we going to take sometime from the busy schedule to celebrate the meaning of Christmas?

Wishing all the loyal and committed readers of the Mirror newspapers all the best.

Happy holidays!

Happy New Year 2006.

THE EDITOR:
A YOUNG Russian with Israeli citizenship is found in the bushes of our country with an important piece of official hardware (TnT Immigration Date Stamp).

However, he is allowed to leave without being charged with a higher crime, or at least espionage.

Was not the government’s silence deafening on this matter of security?

Are we aware of the Russian Mafia?

(Involved in every aspect of criminality. More vicious and cruel than even the Italian Mob).

And is not Trinidad touted as a major gateway for cocaine transhipment?

Was this man here to set up shop?

Or as added labour to existing crime connections, such as the Nigerians masterminds?

Or was he here to spy on our home-grown terrorists?

I don’t want to believe that INTERPOL knows everything.

That last minute official sight-seeing trip has me wondering.

I hope that was not just a cover for the real reason, such as a personal apology to the Israeli Government (which they knew before hand was being dissolved) for locking up their man.

Nothing surprises me anymore in our land of the Dodo birds.