The Patois hypocrisy

THE EDITOR, Madam:

The stunt in parliament by Nekeisha Burchell on Wednesday was yet another example of the educated class trying to gain cheap ‘street cred’ at the expense of our native dialect.

I am a huge advocate for Jamaican culture, and particularly for the dialect, but, let’s be clear, some of those rushing out to defend the use of Patois are the same people who will look down on, or refuse to hire, someone into their organisation if they cannot speak proper English.

Many of the ‘educated class’ are jumping to Miss Burchell’s defence in nothing less than the Queen's English. What hypocrisy! It was particularly striking that the well-educated individuals who spoke to TV news defending Miss Burchell spoke in flawless English. Why didn’t they “chat patois” in the interviews?

For those who argue that English as the standard in parliament is a colonial vestige, I dare any of them stand up in their private business or in any international situation and make a presentation in all Patois. The same educated class clamoured for the Patois bible. They did it, and what happened? It became a novelty item, and people laugh when anyone dares to read it in church.

The next thing they will ask for is for Patois to be taught in schools. Our students who are already struggling to be competitive will become even less competitive, since our math scores are already a problem.

These people need to stop it! Patois is great, it is distinctly ours and should be used liberally, but let’s not get it twisted, we will never do international business in Patois, nor will Patois become the official language of business in Jamaica. It is perfectly okay for our dialect to be interspersed into any Jamaican presentation, but to argue for its wholesale use is foolhardy and fundamentally disingenuous.

SHAKEY WILLIAMS