Dear Editor,

Times have changed, and change is a constant. As we become a more progressive society, politics should be viewed as a profession which requires candidates to be well-equipped to hold a position, and be instilled with the skills, knowledge and the abilities needed to successfully lead and develop the country to its greatest potential.

We don’t learn everything from books, but some basic educational knowledge and specialization should be required in all political fields. Education broadens your perspective and opinions; it helps a person to better understand the depth of any situation and develop sound solutions. Therefore, field specialization and a high level of education should be a requirement for all top-level Ministry positions.

If education is mandatory for a clerk or a person in office, then it should be mandatory for a Minister who has the massive responsibility to lead. Ministers should be properly educated so they can make bold and crucial decisions towards the development and growth of the country.

In our system, there are no fixed educational criteria to be a politician, but there should be. For any growing nation, education should be considered one of the most important components for the development of the country.

The function of education is to teach one to think critically and progressively. Intelligence and a strong character are goals of a true education. It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without necessarily accepting it.

Education brings knowledge, and knowledge brings a sense of responsibility. Our politics can become more mature and responsible if people with a decent education level pursue it as a career. If all political candidates are required to have a certain level of education, then our country can become a powerful and rich country led by intelligent minds.

We need an educated Cabinet that is created on the basis of the competencies of each Minister. For instance, the Canada government holds an outstanding Cabinet in which the Ministry of Health is led by a doctor, the Ministry of National Security is led by an experienced soldier, the Ministry of Sports is led by an experienced Olympic athlete, and the Ministry of Finance is led by a successful businessman.

It is evident that all the Ministers are specialists and authentic in each department. They all possess the experience, knowledge and expertise in the particular field to successfully lead each department.

Our country is living proof of the consequences of candidates’ lack of knowledge and education, which has contributed to selfish decisions, lack of vision, increase in corruption, poverty and the lack of the country’s growth and economic development. Can we expect better for our country if we constantly give power to the blind to lead the country?

Education and field specialization will not solve all our country’s problems, but it can surely have a positive impact on the development of the country. Fortunately, we citizens can take direct action and focus on the best qualified, knowledgeable candidates who have direct experience that is relevant to their portfolios.

Mirtha Welch