The Tribune

“EVERY important milestone, historical or otherwise, every important institution, every important liberalisation of right, personal rights, have been ushered in by the Progressive Liberal Party or this government,” Dr Bernard Nottage reminded House members last week.

Dr Nottage is obviously a left over from the Pindling era – a period when newly elected legislators believed their own lies and tried to make Bahamians accept that nothing happened in this country until the PLP appeared on the horizon. One can never forget the infamous statement by one of them — one who was a minister in Sir Lynden’s cabinet — who declared from a podium that “God gave this country to the PLP.”

We understand that this gentleman in now a minister of the Gospel. We hope that in the intervening years he has asked his Maker to forgive him for telling such a monstrous lie on His behalf.

We are not the only Bahamian who is appalled that this country has leaders who can so monstrously misrepresent history. There are older Bahamians who are also offended by the lack of appreciation for the sacrifices made by an earlier generation who made it possible for persons like Dr Nottage to qualify for a profession and be among today’s leaders.

A Bahamian, shocked by Dr Nottage’s statement, has sent us a list of 40 Government High School alumni who left New York for Southampton aboard the Queen Mary for tertiary education. Heading that list was one Bernard Nottage – presumably the same Dr Bernard Nottage who stood up in the House and made the foolish statement about nothing happening until the creation of the PLP.

Government High School was probably one of the most important institutions to be established in the years before the PLP. If it had not succeeded, it is doubtful that majority rule would have come to pass when it did, and that Dr Nottage and the others would have been on their way to the UK to qualify at technical, medical and teaching colleges.

We do not like to start with “once upon a time,” but in fact, once upon a time in this country the majority of Bahamian children could not get a good education. The few private schools that did exist in those days were for the chosen few. There were no high schools for coloured children.

This “once upon a time” was even before we were born, but in growing up in The Tribune, the two names we constantly heard mentioned as the leading champions of education for the masses were Dr Charles C. Sweeting, father of the late William H Sweeting, colonial secretary, and RM Bailey, a wise, and much beloved tailor, the grandfather of National Youth Choir Director Cleophas Adderley. Dr Sweeting was a Bahamian, Mr Bailey was not — he was from Barbados.

In an article written by his granddaughter, Carmen Adderley-Bostwick, it is recorded that on hearing about the construction of the Colonial Hotel in Nassau, Mr Bailey decided to come here to find work. He arrived in 1899, but, according to his granddaughter, “was not favourably impressed by Nassau and if a boat were available, would have departed as soon as he arrived.”

Mr Bailey had had the good fortune of having had a good classical education at Codrington College in Barbados. It included Greek, Latin and Music. According to his granddaughter he “became quite an intellectual, and an accomplished musician. He favoured the violin as his instrument. He was already a master tailor by trade.”

Mr Bailey believed in education and did all that he could to help Bahamian children, even holding classes in his tailor shop for them.

He offered himself as a candidate for the House of Assembly, believing that from that platform he could push for high school facilities for Bahamian children. He lost his election by one vote. He was a close friend of Leon Dupuch, founder of this newspaper, and later his son, Etienne Dupuch, who also urged the building of a high school. Mr Bailey became a regular columnist in The Tribune.

And then there was Dr Sweeting, the prime mover for a high school for all Bahamians. Dr Sweeting was elected to the House in 1925 and was a member of the Board of Education. He used this platform to push for the establishment of government secondary schools, and the creation of the Government High School.

The application for a grant for the establishment of a Secondary School, signed by Governor Cordeaux in 1923, was sent to the House, which voted £10,000 for its creation and an annual grant of £1,500 for its upkeep. Members were so certain of its failure that it was announced that it would be opened — without ceremony —in Nassau Court at 10am on Monday, April 27, 1924. A staff of one person was appointed for a limited period — that dubious honour went to GHS’s first headmaster, Mr Albert Woods of England.

“The first time that this one person walked on Bay Street,” wrote Mr Woods in reference to himself, “he was introduced at intervals to three well known citizens who all greeted him affably, wished him luck and concluded: ‘But, of course, it’ll fail.’”

The school started with six students — two of them the children of Mr Bailey, the wise old tailor. Years later we spent many happy hours with Mr Bailey, speculating on the future of this tiny nation as he stitched away on the trousers of some of the town’s illustrious gentlemen.

On the school’s golden jubilee in 1975 it was noted that the Bahamas government would find it difficult to operate if all Government High graduates were removed.

Over the years the school produced prime ministers, deputy prime ministers, members of parliament — House and Senate — lawyers, doctors, dentists, nurses, teachers, clergymen —archbishop, bishops, deans, priests— writers, social workers, surveyors, merchants, police officers — in other words GHS manned the country’s administrative, legal, educational and social structure.

It also made it possible for Dr Nottage, one of its graduates, to stand on the floor of the House 87 years later and declare that no important institution was ushered in until the PLP came to town.

If it weren’t for the efforts of Dr Sweeting, RM Bailey, Etienne Dupuch of The Tribune and other Bahamians, Dr Nottage, and others like him would not be where they are today. The sacrifices were made long before the creation of the PLP and the birth of Dr Nottage.