Illiteracy: A local concern

Over the past 20 years, the work ethics of the indigenous people has receded into the sea of confusion. This attitudinal deficiency has its genesis in the notion that there will always be jobs for everybody. It is further aggravated by the adoption of a political patronage system where the lack of skills is grandly rewarded with government jobs. This spoiler system cemented an attitude that “big brother will take care of me” as to discourage any meaningful personal initiative to partake in wide open opportunities to acquire lifetime skills.

Some 20 years later, we were given a rude awakening when government jobs became rare and must necessarily turn to the private sector for employment. But we found out in frustration that the requirement in this sector highly rewards qualifications in literacy. Unfortunately, we also learned rather late that most of the guest workers are far more literate than local applicants. Obviously, we’ve rested on our laurels fueled by mañana only to find out that the train has long left the station some 20 years ago.

The Asian Contagion crystallized this deficiency in the attitude of our people that is often fueled by another grand misconception–that being “local” grants a cart blanche passport to be given first priority in job openings. It’s a policy of convenience that discourages personal initiative in securing lifetime skills and breeds redundancy in low-skill employees in both sectors. The adolescent attitude of being a local may work in government, but not in the private sector where you’re required to have decent skills in order produce so you can at least rake-in enough money to pay for your own salary.

Time and again, we turn to our loyal politicians for political answers to an attitudinal deficiency. Therefore, the subsequent approval of protectionist laws and regulations regardless of the strangling nature of said laws. Are politically correct laws approved to pander to our failure the appropriate antidote in the resolution of low-skilled and illiterate local workers? Would these laws add fuel to our already well greased sense of complacency to rely on political answers when the problem lies in the need to funnel more money for education to equip locals, via training programs, with the wherewithals in basic reading comprehension and writing?

Perhaps we’ve lost focus in opportunities in recent years to address and resolve the problem of illiteracy among our people. And for as long as our people refuse to partake in an equation which requires personal initiative in the acquisition of lifetime skills, there really isn’t much future for them in terms of their marketability at the job market. Illiteracy is the most neglected problem in the Northern Marianas Community and this drawback will never leave voluntarily unless we build local resolve to take every opportunity to hone the skills of our people. Education or learning lifetime skills is the answer, pure and simple, not the superficial trappings of “feel good” laws we’ve approved in recent years to our detriment.