His statement came at a time when people are suffering and dying as a result of the extreme effects of El Nino. This tragedy is happening even though the government was warned some years in advance of an impending severe weather condition.

It also came at a time when the country is embroiled in issues involving self-serving and self-aggrandising elites and their cronies while the people suffer.

These issues include a pending corruption case against the prime minister, the destruction of national symbols at Parliament Haus; the dubious UBS loan deal brokered by economic hitmen and bankers; the all too familiar interference in the court system to pervert justice; and continuing questionable appointments and compromised decisions within the police hierarchy.

All these issues are now taking centre stage in the people’s minds and discussions while Nick Kuman, at a remote location in the country, makes an important announcement about the education system.

The new SBE reform, according to the education department, is to improve education standards which dramatically regressed after the introduction of the outcomes based reforms (OBE) in 1993.

The irony of the good minister’s announcement is that phasing out examinations will have an adverse effect on the overall education standards the new SBE reform seeks to address.

In any education system, there must be examinations at different levels for educators to evaluate their teaching and for the system to test and screen students to see if they are eligible and can perform at a higher level of study.

When examinations are taken out of the equation, the result for students will be a below average to average performance because will be no competition and no pressure to perform.

And when lack of competition and laziness become a culture amongst students, the job of teaching becomes very difficult and this can easily lead to a drop in teacher morale.

When there are demotivated students and teachers, the outcome is a dysfunctional education system.

Education Minister Kuman, the Education Secretary and the Education Department are still to clarify the advantages and disadvantages of the new standard based reform and the phasing out of the Grade 8 and Grade 10 national examinations after next year.

If this decision is based on sound research and proven data, then the information must be made available to stakeholders, teachers, parents and children. This has not been done.

Otherwise it seems like we are heading for another education disaster comparable to the last ‘reform’. We are going to kill our education system from within and deprive the future well-being and prosperity of our citizens.