What follows, is a collection of short narratives of events, real events, though sugar- coated, which took place over a number of years spanning more than two decades of employment within a public workforce. To the writer, these which have been alluded to, remain etched in the psyche as having illustrated most clearly the lack of respect for Honesty and Integrity. Looking back, there can be no denying that Barbados, as a small independent nation, has done well. Without doubt, under successive governments the society has moved from, metaphorically speaking, a village to a developing nation or, as some might wish to say, 'a soon to be a developed country.'
About the Author: I, Joan Harvey, hail from Black Rock, in the parish of St. Michael, Barbados. I am the third of five children, born to Frederick and Edith, who laboured tirelessly to ensure that I, and my four siblings, benefitted from a secondary school education. Such was a privilege, that under British colonial rule, my grandparents could not afford to provide for their offspring. I attended the then St. Stephen's Junior school, and the former St. Michael Girls' Secondary, before entering the world of work. All of my working years were spent in the field of education, first as a primary schoolteacher. I subsequently entered the local, Teacher Training College, and successfully graduated as a trained teacher. I proceeded to the University of the West Indies, Barbados, Cave Hill, campus and pursued studies leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree. I subsequently, taught at Ellerslie Secondary school and Erdiston Teacher Training College. Later in life, I undertook studies abroad in the area of Education at the Master and Doctorial levels, always returning to Barbados to give back to the educational system. I spent my latter years in the Barbados Ministry of Education, the central administration of the school system. It was there, that numerous high points in the delivery of education were achieved. However, some worrisome signs began to emerge within the education system, a mirror of society. Well into retirement, it is my sincere hope that employers and employees of today and those of tomorrow, irrespective, of their status, will be inspired to focus and refocus on Honesty and Integrity on, and off, the job.