Page 165 - Records of Bahrain (7) (i)_Neat

Constitutional reforms, 1955 151

THE I1IQII EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, BAHRAIN,
4
Tlio Memorandum lias montioncd tliat H,ll, the Rulor lias appointed
committees to ouporvioo tlio administration of oducation and pbblic health a3
rooommondod by tlio offioial committoo of Enquiry. The Committeo of Enquiry lias
not reoommondod tlio oroation of such oommlttoo to koep in touch vrith public opinion
ro gar ding tho affirs of two dopartmonts, but it lias recommended the establislimont
autonomous oouncils to control all tho affirs of those departments with no direct
pressure of interforonce from outside*
(G) The nomorandum mentioned in dotail about tho appointment of
Doctors, Nurso3 and Etoployoos in tho lloalth Dopartmont, and tho building of
hospitals, all of wliich is somotiling of the routine work which no progressive
Government should botlior to be proud of, added to tho faot tho main problem is
tho working of a cliango e£ in tlio whole health department as it was suggested
and rocommondod by tho official committee of enquiiy, and ompliaslycd and approved
by the assistant Socrotary of the State for Public Healthy Dr» M, Mackenzie who
rocommended tho separation of tho administration from tho medical division of the
lloalth Dopartmont,
(7) Tho Memorandum lias mentioned about tho new Eloctrio Power Station
which is to supply the villages and out-lying parts whifch oloctric light and power.
Wo do not know wliich village tho Government is going to supply with oloctrio power,
as most of these villages aro constituted of collective wrothed and poverty riddon
cottages built of palm trees, leaves and brandies wliich tho same Government
forbids the supply of any such eloctrio power. Is it not more advisable and 1
practical for tho Government to pay more attention to the raising of tho atandord
of living of the inhabitants of those villages] or is it the supor-ficial pride
of tho Government wliich ledd it to set thi3 oxamplo which would not liavo taken
tlio priority in exooution liad there boon a- constitutional assembly wliich under­
stand and is aware of the real problems of its country,
(0) Tho Memorandum mentions about the construction of two large I
sohoolo in Manama] wliich vie were not able to graspj as the country is in need
of tons of sohoils of all kinds to include tho thousands of ambitious young boys
and girl3. Even so, tho problem of education is not mainly tliat of constructing
and opening schools as it is baoioally a problem of setting up an organisod
education administration and tlio bringing up of fully equipped teachers and
programmes basod on national modorn tronds in the field of education. The present
Education Department laoks one and all of these vital elements, and that is why
thoro should be an eleoted council and dixoch the affirs of tliis departmont,
assisted ly experts and experienced persons.
Coming to the second element i,o tho availability of adequate
moans for tho expression of opinion and for tho participation of the people in the
administration wo boriofly comment as follows
l) His IIiglines3 tho Ruler *s Majlis, wliich wo would like to question
its status and tlio decisions taken in them, and whether they diffor in ary way
from tlio personal social majlis all over tho country ? Tliis is tho first time
tliat we hear tliat II,II, Ruler *8 Majlis lias boon found as a moan to express the
desires and opinions of the people & it3 participation in the administration.
rvhn