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This work discusses the effectiveness of the sets of policies employed by the government over a fifty-year period spanning 1958 to 2008 in the effort to foster the growth and development of the economy. It concludes that Trinidad and Tobago has underperformed in respect of its growth and development. Compared with other countries more or less similarly placed around 1960, Trinidad and Tobago has not achieved in key areas of health-care delivery, education access, and income and wealth, notwithstanding its substantial resources of oil and gas.

Historically, Trinidad and Tobagos economy cycles from boom to bust depending on what happens to the price of oil. The carefree, undisciplined lifestyle of most of the population is occasionally perturbed by a paroxysm of social unrest. Downturns are accompanied by ritual incantations by government officials of the need for diversification to reduce the countrys dependence on oil and the energy-based industries, the formation of new committees, task forces and boards, and considerable hand-wringing and angst about the sustainability of government fiscal operations. Seemingly bold new initiatives and projects are announced, and all the while people wait and secretly hope for a quick turnaround in the price of oil, ammonia, methanol and natural gas so that rents will again begin to accrue, government spending programmes can restart and the fête can resume. Trinidad and Tobago will not achieve its potential for development unless and until this cycle is broken.

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Students and teachers of education in the Caribbean have long relied on ethnographic research from North America to enrich their understanding of life in schools and classrooms. Based on actual experiences from the perspectives of both students and teachers, this collection of ethnographic research articles provides the first up-close view of Jamaican schools and classrooms. Hyacinth Evans and her research team used careful, well-executed interviews and participant observation methods. The result is an insightful view of the ways society's tensions are played out in educational settings, the ways personalities are shaped and identities formed in face-to-face interactions, and the ways circumstances and experiences in the Jamaican setting affect teaching and learning. The articles examine - Student-teacher interaction - Teacher authority - how it is maintained, nurtured, or eroded - The social construction of student interest and attention versus disruptiveness and apathy - Consequences of streaming children in perceived ability groups - Standard Jamaican English (SJE) methods and their effectiveness in teaching Creole-speaking students - Teaching and learning in schools where materials and resources are limited - Career decisions for teachers This book is an essential addition to the body of education texts used throughout the Caribbean, geared for undergraduate and postgraduate students, classroom teachers, and anyone interested in schools and education.