Politicians Must Leave Lasting Legacies – PM

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says it is important for persons involved in representational politics to leave lasting legacies that will benefit future generations.

The Prime Minister, who was speaking at a fundraiser at the Half Moon Hotel in Montego Bay on January 14, said a good example of the type of legacy to which he refers is in the East Rural St. James constituency, where Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has been transforming young lives over the past 25 years through his Education Fund.

The Prime Minister said investing in education is a good way of marking one’s legacy.

“Ed said to me upon entering [this function], that I want to introduce you to a young lady. She was one of the first beneficiaries of my Education Fund and now she has a PhD in management and organisation… now that is legacy,” he noted.

“We want our moment in history to be marked by people. In other words, it is people who will carry on the legacy,” he pointed out.

Mr. Holness said the fact that the Tourism Minister has undertaken the task of building a US$1.5 million Early Childhood Development Centre for Innovation speaks volume of the extent to which he takes his legacy, noting that he is dedicated and determined to leave an indelible mark in representational politics.

“I support the Minister in his endeavour to build an infant institution and to improve the infrastructure of education in this region. And I do also share his perspective that he wants the children who reside in the constituency to have the best quality education,” Mr. Holness noted.

The Prime Minister, in the meantime, said that the Government intends to build six new Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) academies, which will also focus on the arts.

“These schools will become part of the legacy that we intend to establish in Jamaica, and it’s not just those six schools.

This Administration has taken on the challenge of transforming our education system. This is very important to us and something that we are committed to doing,” he added.