The Editor, Sir:

I love Patois as much as any other Jamaican. However, I feel that the current effort to elevate our lingua franca to the status of an official language is not in the best interests of Jamaica's children.

The obvious result of such social tampering and engineering would be to shift some of the focus of language education in our schools from standard English to Patois. The implicit message would be sent to our children that "Is Patois time now! Unnu no haffi learn no English!"

We do not need this change. Students the world over are energetically struggling to learn, and to gain command of standard English as a passport to prosperity in our highly - competitive and globalised world. Jamaica's children need opportunities rather than new disadvantages!

Strong english command

I am, perhaps, not alone in believing that the most valuable gift that my Jamaican teachers gave me, in my Jamaican schools, was a strong command of standard English. Standard English has always been the medium of formal and official communication and education in modern Jamaica.

We have a very strong, distinct advantage in having the world's most important language as our own. We owe it to our children to pass on this invaluable heritage to them, as efficiently as possible, unclouded and unhindered by social and linguistic experimentation.

I am, etc.,

ANTHONY G. GUMBS

aggumbs@aol.com

Illinois, USA

Via Go-Jamaica