The summer season has begun, and with it has come the heat, in every sense.
Temperatures are hitting the high number figures this weekend and we have already started complaining about it, notwithstanding the fact that this is only the beginning. It seems that we are in for a hot summer so we had better get used to it and roll up our sleeves.
Examinations are still in full swing for our students. ‘O’ and ‘A’ Level examinations are over and those who sat for them are out to enjoy the best and longest holiday of their lives. These summers will never come again for them. In the meantime, primary and secondary school students sweat out their exams crammed in a few days with parents all complaining for one reason or another. Some are complaining that the timetables are inconsiderate, with two tough exams on the same day; others –parents who go out to work – are complaining about the recently introduced concept of study days. This concept is taking a toll on working parents and its random introduction has created more than the expected aggravation, as the required planning to deal with it involves solutions that are not always available. The consequence is that many children are being left on their own at home. Did nobody think about this – or care? Well, nobody from the Education Department seems to be questioning this decision. Let sleeping dogs lie, I am told.
Summer also brings with it the infamous half days for Government departments. We have already started with the mad rush as of this week, whereby if we require a service from a Government department, we had better rush to get it dealt with in the morning, because the civil servants’ world stops at lunch time. Not only does their work stop at lunch time but, even worse, the service to us poor citizens stops even earlier – at midday for many, if not before. This unaddressed right of Government employees does not make sense; we all know it, including the politicians, and the press has commented on the subject in the past. Yet it remains so.
Which other country has (but we ask to no avail, don’t we?) a civil service which functions with half-days during the summer months? How can it possibly be that today, even as members of the European Union, we still uphold such an archaic structure of working practices? It is inexplicable to our European colleagues that if they do not communicate with our civil service early on in the day, also bearing in mind the different time zones amongst EU members, they will not be served, as our civil service employees deserve and get their hard-earned three whole months of summer holidays in the form of half days.
The truth is that we just do not want to change the system. Surely the barrier to change is not one based on economic or service considerations; actually, these would support such a change without reservation. The barrier to change is one of political will. Out of the window goes all the political talk of doing what is good and necessary for the country and for the economy; when it comes to votes and to taking on the unions to do what is right, it’s easier to just shut up.
On the other hand, the self-employed and people employed with private enterprises work hard – business continues to run as usual to maintain the economy that pays civil service salaries through taxes. Can you imagine the private sector deciding to sulk and follow the civil service’s example and only work half days? Can you imagine the criticism and the economic crisis our country would find itself in?
The times ahead, economically speaking, will not be easy and they require tough decisions to be taken; the question, as always, remains whether our government has the courage to take the right decisions.
Summer also brings with it a higher density of traffic at particular times of the day and consequently more delays and frustration. The presence of functional traffic personnel on our roads during these rush hours is always appreciated. They are needed more than ever, given the ever-increasing volume of traffic on our roads. Their efficiency will ensure a smoother journey and possibly also the avoidance of outbursts of road rage that many of us have experienced or witnessed in the past.
Given the longer days and the good weather, summer should – in theory – present us with an opportunity for some quality time, which is surely needed, given the stress of our daily lives. Let us make good use of it.
Have a good summer, all of you.