Question

Acknowledging the family is not the main remedy to solving issues in Caribbean society. One must also consider other issues such as brain drain and finding the remedy for this. Discuss this argument.

Answer 1

• Brain drain is the process by which one country, an individual’s homeland, loses intelligent and technically skilled labour through emigration to another country, where the economic, geographic or professional environment is more favourable.
• Jamaica has experienced this brain drain phenomenon for decades, as many college graduates and professionals alike go to other countries in order to obtain better opportunities as a result of finding limited resources in their homeland – referred to as ‘brain drain’.
• If the educated or the potentially promising individuals of a population continue to migrate to other countries permanently, then there will be observable differences between the two countries, since one loses its ability to foster growth and development while the other strive in the contribution of those said individuals. This is one of the reasons why countries are developed and underdeveloped.
• Logically, developed countries have more offerings and job opportunities available to its citizens and with the increased ease of access to gain citizenship in these developed countries, small island residents find it more appealing to migrate.
• With higher wages, better working environment, health care systems, and living conditions, immigrants are more susceptible to permanently residing in their new country of residence.
• These persons no longer desiring to return to their homeland cause their home country to suffer economically and socially —because their homeland also loses potential professionals. The Caribbean countries with the largest migration rate to the United States were Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.
• The incapability to provide jobs for tertiary-level graduates is one of the biggest contributing factors in the brain drain phenomena to date. Caribbean countries are unable to provide proper jobs for the new working class, becuse of which people are migrating.
• Education is another factor in caribbean country which is causing brain drain and underdevelopment of the countries.Immigrants find residence in other countries because they seek higher education which is not offered in their home country. For example, the Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology is not offered in Jamaica at this time, so many persons choose to migrate in order to fulfill the requirement to practice as a professional psychologist.
• There are certain push factors causing brain drain, to leave the Caribbean countries to developed countries as listed below:
• Substandard living conditions, dearth of conveyance, accommodation
• Under-utilization of skilled and semi- skilled personnel; lack of adequate working conditions; low panorama of specialized development
• Low and corroding wages
• Discrimination in recruitments and promotions
• Social unrest, Political instability, conflicts and wars
• Lack of research facilities, including support staff; meagreness of research funds, lack of professional apparatus and tools
• Lack of freedom and autonomy
• Deteriorating excellence of educational system,
• As a result of brain drain, valuable human capital is lost and that is one of the reasons developing countries like the Caribbean ones remain developing and developed countries remain as is. Caribbean society thrives on the knowledge and expertise of its citizens and their contribution to the countries’ positive growth and development and if these developing countries want to evolve, they must create local ways to balance brain drain.
• The caribbean countries can improve the situation by:-
• Reformation of the national education system and the infrastructure of schools, colleges and universities.
• High budget allocated for the higher education and use of funds purely for the education projects.
• Sufficient facilities for research projects in universities and establish the research cells.
• Encourage the distant learning and education for all.
• Pure democracy, encourage human rights and enforce the legislation, strictly keep an eye on the law and order situation to stable and regulate the factors like corruption, crime etc.
• On governmental level, the allocation of budgets to the science and technology organizations and from the health sector to control the infectious diseases.
• Introduce new policies and laws to reduce the conflict and war at the national and international level.
• Role of government should be the key role to avoid the issue of human capital flight.
• Government should spend heavy fund for the infrastructure, avoid load shedding like issues and provide the demanded power supply and drinking water and the efficient communication.
• Facilitate the education system through training, research, and education
• Government should advertised job opportunities on merit & provide specific allowance and salary for the scientists, engineers, doctors and highly intellectuals