Caribbean Report 13-07-1988

Abstract

This program contains news coverage related to the Caribbean as well as Great Britain. the foci of atttention in this broadcast are the question as to whether Britain was headed towards black only or "ghetto" schools; the drmatic rise in the number of tourist arrivals in the Caribbean from the U.K.; and a row within the British Labour Party, sparked by the recent visit of Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley to London.

Description

Table of Contents

1. Headlines (00:07-00:38)
2. Pat Whitehorn reports on a dispute at the Headfield Junior School in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, in which parents took high court action against the local education authority. The case, which had attracted widespread media attention due to its racial overtones has called into question the possibility of the introduction of "ghetto schools", or schools with homogenous populations based on ethnicity. The parents involved in the court matter complained that they were deeply hurt by the racial allegations and retorted that they only wanted their children to have a traditional English education. (00:39-03:35)
3. Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley's visit to the Notting Hill community in west London sparks a serious row in the British Labour Party. Manley's walkabout in the West Indian community, which was organised by the Labour Party, caused a row because many party members viewed it as untimely, having taken place during a by-election campaign. Pat Whitehorn interviews Varenda Sharma, Chairman of the Labour Party's Black and Asian Committee, who expresses his disappointment with the way in which the visit was organised. Sharma noted that Manley's visit, though untimely, was not connected to the by-election. He also promised to share his views with the Labour Party, particularly as they relate to the level of respect meted out to black leaders as opposed to white and European leaders. (03:40-07:07)
4. Daily Financial Report (Presented by Hugh Crosskill). (07:17-09:00)
5. At the 1988 CARICOM Summit held in Antigua, a Report on Caribbean Development to the year 2000 was presented, which predicted that unmanageable levels of unemployment along with other serious social issues would occur if Caribbean economies fail to grow by more than doulbe their present growth levels, which average 3.5% per annum. The BBCs Alan Tomlinson interviews Byron Lake, Director of Economics and Industry a the CARICOM Secretariat based in Georgetown Guyana, regarding the problem. Mr. Lake notes that an approximate 8% growth rate is needed in order to maintain present levels of employment. He further emphasises the seriousness of the problem as he notes that major unemployment could result if growth is not realized in some key sectors such as the Manufacturing, Agricultural and Services sectors. (09:06-11:53)
6. Jerry Timmins reports on tourism in the Caribbean, citing reports from Thomas Cook, Britain’s largest travel agents, who have reported a “phenomenal increase in traffic to the Caribbean.” He interviews Chris May, Product Manager for Thomas Cook Far Away Holidays, who elaborates on the increase, which is said to be as high as 60% overall. This major increase in passenger travel is corroborated by British Airways, according to Paul Fisher, BA’s General Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean. Fisher notes that BA has recorded a 38% increase over the past year, representing over 250,000 passengers. Thomas Cook’s Chris May attributes this major increase in travel to the weakening of the US dollar and the concurrent strengthening of the British pound, making not only travel more affordable, but also hotel rates, food and drinks. (12:14-14:03)

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