Urbanisation (question 5 cont'd)
Marjorie Henry, Contributor

In today's lesson, we will complete the discussion of question 5 started previously.

I hope you took some time to identify additional problems associated with urbanisation in the Caribbean as I suggested.

Section (d), the last part of the question, has two sub-sections. Let us now look at some of the reasons people move from rural areas to towns and offer an explanation for them as is required in sub-section (I).

(I) Employment: Young people in particular are unwilling to work on the farm in the rural areas as well as to work for small wages. They will, therefore, move to the city to find more lucrative jobs, which in the end will pay them better wages. There are also insufficient industries in the rural areas to offer employment.

(ii) Lack of farming lands: Invariably, there is fragmentation of land due to the inheritance system. The acreages that result are often not viable.

(iii) Educational facilities: There is a shortage of educational facilities at the tertiary level, especially for the young people. These include training centres, colleges and universities.

(iv) Recreational facilities: Opportunities for entertainment and recreation are often limited in the rural areas.

Sub-section (ii) is asking you to suggest actions that could be taken to reduce rural to urban migration. Actions can be interpreted as steps. The actions or steps you suggest must be something specific that can be done, something that the government, for example, can put in place. Here are some suggestions:

(I) Establish more industries in the rural areas. These industries will provide sources of employment, especially for the young people.

(ii) Set up more tertiary institutions, for example, colleges, to train people. The distance learning programme that is affiliated with the university should be expanded so that more persons can become enrolled in it. In addition, there can be an increase in the number of university campuses in the rural areas.

(iii) Government could provide financial assistance to train people in different skills.

(iv) Create more opportunities for entertainment and recreation, for example, more football fields and cricket pitches could be set up. In addition, more community centres could be established. These allow for varied and many activities.

(v) With the important role that agriculture plays in the economy of the country, efforts could be made through the Rural Agricultural Development Authority to train farmers in the use of better productivity.

(vi) Improvement of roads which will allow for easy access to markets and other areas within the rural areas.

(vii) Expand and improve the social amenities. Install and/or extend piped water, electricity and telecommunications in rural areas.

Again, I will add that the list is not exhausted. Can you think of other actions that can be taken to reduce rural to urban migration?

An artist (left) shows one of his peers a piece he did during an art and craft exhibition at Bridgeport High School, recently.-Anthony Minott/Freelance Photographer

Marjorie Henry is an independent contributor.